NLP for Teachers
Strategies for the Classroom and Self-Management
Foreword
Do you know this? You chose the teaching profession out of conviction
and started with a lot of commitment. Perhaps
it is still your dream job, or maybe you have
experienced some frustration in your professional
life by now.
Large and heterogeneous classes, increasingly "difficult"
students, inclusion and migration – these are just a few
issues that teachers face today. Professionally, pedagogically,
and didactically, they are usually excellently trained. In
school life, however, good strategies for dealing with
class dynamics, for one-on-one conversations, and
for personal stress management are also required.
In this E-Book, I have therefore compiled a few proven NLP tools
specifically for teachers. This way,
shared learning can be more fun – and your
dream job remains a dream job.
NLP in the Classroom – a word of introduction
From time to time, the remark comes up that NLP in pedagogy and especially in schools has no place.
The teacher could manipulate her students, after all. It is true: Teachers have a great influence
on their students. In the early school years, they are usually
reference persons and role models; in higher grades,
they have the power to influence further
career paths through grades. In other words,
teachers "manipulate" – that is, shape – their students
anyway. This is unavoidable. Be it through their
teaching style, through praise and admonition, through the
atmosphere in the classroom. Sometimes even a
thoughtless positive or negative remark is enough to change
a student's motivation.
And hand on heart: Some teachers suffer more from the
situation of apparently being unable to influence their
students, e.g., to ensure calm and concentration.
What if you could use your skills to positively influence
your students? For example, moving away from school
aversion and towards more motivation by
building trust and optimally supporting them in their learning?
1. Strategies in the Classroom
The good rapport with the students
In NLP, we call the good rapport between people
"Rapport“. Rapport creates a trusting basis and
is an important prerequisite for a positive
learning atmosphere.
There are probably plenty of students, colleagues, and also
parents with whom you get along well right away. You
speak the same language, and the chemistry is right from
the start. You have rapport with each other. Of course,
there are also people with whom things do not go so smoothly. What
do you do then? Usually, these people are just
different from us – and we do not find them immediately
sympathetic.
You can build rapport with another person
by aligning yourself with them. Subtly mirror their
posture, i.e., position yourself as they do.
Adopt their facial expressions. Speak at a similar
pace as they do, use the same terms they
use. In NLP, we call this "Pacing“. It is not
about mimicking. It is about the targeted establishment of a
good communication foundation. You open yourself up to the
other person. At first, it is like speaking in a still
unfamiliar foreign language and serves to get on the same
frequency. Once this is achieved, you have
rapport.
What does rapport do for the students?
Rapport ensures that a student feels comfortable in a conversation with you and can more easily access their resources. And in a resourceful state, they will be more receptive to the learning material.
Building rapport with the whole class
Of course, you cannot simultaneously mirror the posture
of each individual student. Here, NLP offers other
possibilities:
Position yourself where you usually present and
let your gaze briefly wander from student to student. You
can do this relatively quickly, e.g., when you greet the class at
the beginning of the lesson. Try to catch each one
with your gaze at least once. You can smile,
nod to the students, or perhaps even wink with your eyes.
Nonverbally, you convey the message that you are present
and that you have noticed each individual.
Additionally, you can say to yourself in your mind something like
"Nice to see you all" or "You are great
people". This inner attitude is perceptible outwardly.
Our attitude creates reality
In a well-known experiment (Pygmalion effect), teachers were
suggested that certain students were particularly
talented and gifted. The teachers adjusted to this
and gave these students more attention.
They allowed them, for example, more time for their answers and
supported them more overall. These students actually showed
higher performance later on. However, they had been
randomly selected and named, regardless of their actual
potential. The Pygmalion effect clearly shows how much
a positive attitude towards students can be beneficial.
Conversely, some students are quickly classified as difficult,
sometimes even based on their first name.
Your assumptions and attitudes influence your
students. Assume that they are doing their best.
Helpful attitudes are e.g. "I know you can do it!"
or "You have great potential".
Maybe you just want to try it out?
Anchors in the Classroom
An anchor allows us to call up desired states (e.g.
joy, calm, attention) at the push of a button.
When anchoring, an external, neutral stimulus
is paired with a specific emotion, so that when
the stimulus is triggered again, the same
emotion occurs automatically.
Anchors can arise unintentionally, for example, when a
student looks at a specific picture on the wall in shock over a bad grade.
Just the sight of the picture can then bring them back into a
bad state at any time, without them being aware of
why.
You can use anchors in the classroom to
easily evoke certain desired states of the class.
I would like to introduce you to "floor anchors",
selected spots in the room that you can associate with
different states.
Once you have established them well, you can automatically
ensure calm and attention, for example,
without having to spend time on it each time.
Homework spot as an anchor
Always stand in the same spot when you announce the homework. This could be next to a board where the tasks are noted. It is important to always use the same place. Combine it with a certain way of speaking, e.g., particularly factual or clear. If you regularly announce the tasks from this spot, you will automatically receive more attention from the students. Even when you announce important learning material for an exam in between, use the homework spot.
Presentation spot
Use the place where you convey material as your
power spot. You can positively and
powerfully anchor this spot when you are alone in the
classroom:
Think of a situation where you felt particularly
competent or strong. Imagine you are
experiencing this situation and the associated feeling again.
When you feel this feeling particularly
intensely, position yourself on your
presentation spot. Enjoy the feeling of competence
or strength while you stand there.
If you want, you can anchor another,
positive feeling in the same way with this spot.
As soon as you enter your power spot during the lesson,
you will feel the effect. And it will also transfer to
your class.
Question spot
You can also find a spot in the room where
you answer students' questions or need to admonish the class.
In this case, step away from your
powerful presentation spot and keep it free from
unpleasant emotions.
For the students, it will be unconsciously noticeable that you
speak particularly powerfully when you explain new material,
that you announce tasks at a different spot, etc.
2. Different Learning Types
We humans take in information through our five
senses and encode it in our brains. In doing so,
we usually have a preferred sensory channel, through which
we learn particularly well.
Visual learners like well-designed board images,
graphics, and materials, auditory learners prefer to
listen to the information and want the material explained
to them. And kinesthetic learners (feeling types)
understand literally the most when they can do
and try things out.
Therefore, design your lessons in such a way that each
of these main channels is covered. Visualize, narrate,
and let the students do something. This way, you can
prepare and convey the learning material optimally.
Additionally, you strengthen the rapport with the class.
Of course, we can also receive information through the
other channels. However, a few students are only visual,
only auditory, or only kinesthetically reachable. They take
the information only with a delay because they have to
internally translate the conveyed material into their
channel. It's somewhat like listening to a lecture in a
foreign language that you do not fully master. Therefore,
it may be that you are already further along in the topic
by the time the important information has reached these
"translators." This can lead to restlessness and a lack
of motivation to learn.
If you notice these students, you can find out
what their main perception channel is. You can hear
this, among other things, in the terms they use.
Visual learners use visual terms like "see,
black and white, show me that, I can't recognize that,
that's all blurry for me, I'm seeing black" etc. With
auditory students, you hear "that sounds good,
that's not consistent, the screaming is annoying, he's
not ticking right." And kinesthetic students express
themselves like this: "I can't handle this, can we finally
get started, this is weighing on me, I got it, I have
the impression that..."
Therefore, try to use the mode of these students
more often when teaching. Also, choose terms from all
sensory channels as much as possible.
This way, your class will understand better. They will
listen more. And you will get them all on board.
What else you can do for a good classroom climate
Additionally, you create a good learning atmosphere by
making the classroom visually appealing.
Ensure that a certain order is maintained.
This visually promotes well-being.
Try to eliminate disturbing noises. Sometimes
a loudly ticking clock can already lead to a lack of
concentration. If possible, use curtains or
venetian blinds in front of the windows. They absorb loud
noises and provide better acoustics.
And many learn more easily when they can bring a
seat cushion and sit comfortably. Or they can move around
in between.
3. Self- and Stress Management
As a teacher, you are a leader. You lead a group of people, motivate and support them, and of course, you also demand performance from them. I would like to show you a short but effective method of State Management that allows you to quickly improve your presence and convey nonverbal strength.
Stand upright for 2-3 minutes with your arms stretched upwards and slightly spread out. This power pose makes you feel more powerful and competent quickly. You convey energy and leadership competence. It also works when you feel sluggish and unmotivated beforehand.
Background: Amy Cuddy had students stand in this
power pose for a few minutes in an experiment.
Before and after, she tested the cortisol and testosterone
levels in the saliva of the participants. Among the
students who had taken a power pose,
the cortisol level (our stress hormone) decreased and the
testosterone level (for assertiveness and energy) increased.
A second group of students then watched video
recordings of the individuals who had previously taken
the power pose. They were attributed more
leadership competencies than those in a comparison
group who had not used a power pose.
You can enhance the effect even further by smiling
while in your power pose.
Use this exercise in stressful situations as well, e.g.
before a difficult conversation with parents or students.
By the way, you do this exercise when you are
unobserved, in the classroom or in another
quiet place. If you feel that your whole class could use
some more energy, let your students stand like this as
well. Then have them say the following sentence: "Oh,
I'm feeling so bad!" Since this cannot be said
sincerely, most will probably laugh, and you will
quickly change the mood in the classroom for the better.
When things get particularly intense
There are also moments for experienced educators when
they are struck by stage fright. Perhaps a visit from
the school board is coming up or a teaching exam in
the internship. Or maybe the class is particularly
difficult at the moment.
If you find yourself in such a situation, experience a
blackout, or fear one, you can quickly relax with
the following method:
Take a ball (or an apple, an orange) and throw
it from one hand to the other. Observe it as it
flies from one side to the other. You will not be able
to hold on to your gloomy thoughts while doing this.
Reason: the eye movements you trigger with this
immediately pull you out of the blocked state.
Workplace at home
When you take class assignments home, make sure
you only have them in a specific place. Keep your
bedroom or the area where you usually relax and unwind
free of school materials.
The sight of notebooks and assignments would otherwise
constantly remind you that you still have something to
correct. If you are currently stressed with some
students, this anchor can transfer to your home.
Ensure that your relaxation spaces remain free.
That was a small excerpt of the possibilities that
NLP can offer teachers. If you try them out,
you can surely soon experience one or another improvement.
I have only touched on many areas.
If you have become curious and want to know more,
feel free to browse our website or come to one of our
free evening seminars or our NLP introductory weekend.
I wish you a lot of fun discovering NLP.
