Author Archive

Judy Rees of ‘X-Ray Listening’ fame talks to Chartered Occupational Psychologist Nancy Doyle about her ground breaking work with dyslexic adults.

You can listen in here http://bit.ly/wUuzOE

Nancy and her partners, Caitlyn Walker and Cheryl Issacs have developed an comprehensive and growing, interactive resource at www.genuswithin.co.uk

The website is designed to provide some basic simple strategies in an on-line, dyslexia friendly, format.

It provides cheap and easy help for people, who can tap into quick tips and video instructions, instant assessments and effective simple strategies for immediate help.

At last  somewhere for people to go where they can get what they need easily and without having to jump through hoops to access it.

What a wonderful resource!

Go and have a look now…  http://bit.ly/wUuzOE

Expectations: Elizabeth Gilbert shares some wisdom about expectations and creativity.

I’ve just returned home after spending a stimulating ‘dinner meeting’ (hence the duck and pitta bread) with my chums and colleagues Eddy Smerdon (hypnotherapist par excellence) and Greta Irving (accomplished psychotherapist and coach) and feel inspired and a little bit astounded with what I’ve leaned tonight. Thanks for such a stimulating evening E & G!

Sir Ken has an important message – and he’s so funny with it!  Make sure you take the time to watch and let me know what you think.

One of the things that I enjoyed and found interesting in my teacher training was learning about conceptual development in children. Piaget’s work  was the thing at the time. Up until then I’d been busily developing my own concepts (obviously) but I’d only been aware of them from the ‘inside’ – from my own ‘learners perspective’.

Looking at conceptual development from the ‘outside’ – from an observers perspective was fascinating. What needs to happen for a child to get sense of ‘three’ for instance – what is ‘threeness’, or ‘twoness’ or ‘oneness’. What determines whether a four legged creature is a dog or a cat or a tiger?

Teachers of young children design environments that offer children experiences to support their development of these concepts. They will meet ‘three’ for instance, often – and in so many different guises (three counters, three mice, three teddies, three cups, three plates, three knives etc) that sooner or later they will sense the ‘threeness’ – distinct from the objects themselves. For me (and I guess for most teachers) the moment that happens is the essence of the joy in teaching. It’s amazing!

When I started to learn Clean Language and Symbolic Modelling I stepped out into a perspective beyond that of the observer. A kind of meta-metacognative perspective. I’m revisiting my own conceptual system with new eyes – a new kind of awareness. And I am able to promote thinking about thinking in my classes with greater insight now and with an authentic sense of awe and wonder.

It’s exciting stuff!

Have you ever noticed that when you tell children DON’T they DO?

I was thinking about this yesterday when I was talking with a group of teachers about children’s learning. Some of them find it frustrating that their ‘don’t rules are ignored but some make good use of what they’ve noticed by flipping the whole thing around – and they get great results.

Here’s an example to show you what I mean.

When they want young children to make use of a planning sheet to aid their writing, instead of saying. “Use the planning sheet.” (resulting in most of the children not using it) they say, “Now, you don’t  have to use the planning sheet. It’s just there to help you if you if you need it but you don’t have to use it at all if you don’t want to – it’s up to you.” (resulting in everyone using the planning sheet effectively)

So I’m going to suggest that you don’t have to use this ‘don’t idea’ right now to get great results like this – it’s up to you!

And when you find some great ways to use it, you don’t have to share them with everyone in the comment section below either – just a thought!  ;-))

I found this so inspiring when I first heard it, I can’t think why I haven’t put it here sooner!

I won’t say anymore – J K Rowling says it all far more eloquently than I can.

It’s a long speech but boy is it worth every minute.

I give it a 5 star must watch rating.

I thought you might like this quote I came across…

“The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.” Theodore Hesburgh.

I think that father’s often don’t realise the importance of this to their children.

It’s important in so many ways and at so many levels: -

• It helps their children to feel safe and secure.
• It provides an excellent role model for loving, caring relationships.
• It helps their children feel loved.

And this…

• helps children feel confident
• helps them take on the risky business of ‘life’ with reliance.
• helps them navigate their lives without suffering unduly with stress.
• helps them be more successful in life.
• helps  them to develop warm and satisfying relationships in their own lives.
• gives them the expectation of good relationships .
• helps them have high self-esteem – they know they’re worth it.

When a mother feels loved and supported, she can more easily focus her attention on the needs of her children. So the effects listed above are magnified.

And if you’ve experienced it yourself, you only have to think of a time when your own father showed his love towards your own mother, in whatever small way, and remember how you felt, to know how the effects can ripple out through the family and through time.

It can leave a legacy of good feeling.

And of course, what comes around, goes around!

I’d love to know what you think.

What benefits have you experienced or witnessed from

a father’s love of his children’s mother?

Traditionally, this is the time of year to ‘up-the-anti’. Messages on school newsletters map out the importance of scheduling in time for revision and the need to put in more hours. And parents and teachers across the nation are advising, and sometimes imploring,  their students to try harder.

But, do you know, there’s a very strong case to be made for not trying?

When you talk about trying it supposes that you won’t necessarily achieve your goal – trying is about effort not success.

You can get an idea of what I’m talking about by trying to pick up an object from the floor. When asked to try to pick something up, most people will actually pick it up. But of course they’re not being asked to pick it up – but to try to.

When you’re talking to children about studying, you may find it helps to ask them to do their best, rather than to try. After all, that’s really what you want them to do isn’t it?  To do their best?

And if they can do their best without all the tension created by trying, all the better surely?

So how can they do their best without trying?

Watch out in the coming days and weeks because I’ll be writing a series of posts about the effects of stress on memory and thinking.

You’ll find ways to help your children really get into the flow for effective revision and to approach their exams with ease for peak performance.

Please join in the conversation by sharing
your comments and ideas on the blog.