Phil,

What's Tomorrow's Project?

Take it easy,
James

James,

Tomorrow is now today, I gather.

And today's project...is to love myself, and let that change my teaching!

I had a session with Rubin Battino yesterday, to work on Bruxism. Well, with Rubin, it's never just one thing. To quote him, "well, you know we just go...(arms out in a gesture to indicate a broad range of directions)." And that pretty much sums it up.

I woke up ticked off, and now I am experiencing a shift. And you can all read about it on my blog. So, today's project:

How much can I love myself today, and what kind of effect can that have on my students as they see that take place and learn to do the same...

And, thank you to everyone for your kind words of encouragement. They mean a lot!

Be well, and at peace,

Phil

I am trying to cheer myself up, because today is somehow not an easy day for me...

OK, so here is a good giggle for you all.

Yesterday, I taught a group of five year-olds, and we did a game song involving a tiny elephant in my pocket (hallucinate!). I pulled it out, and told them that when he sat on them (part of the song) they would sit down. And they did. And gosh darn it, if those kids didn't hallucinate a tiny elephant in my hand--not a one of them said, "Mr. Adams, I don't see an elephant." I just read in a book somewhere, by the way, that children typically up to the age of six basically LIVE in the alpha state (I am very jealous).

Well, one particularly percocious boy really took to it. He looked up at me and said, "MR. ADAMS, THAT ELEPHANT JUST POOPED ON MY SHOE!!!"

Without missing a beat, I replied, "oh, that's ok, it's so small that nobody will ever notice!"

Be well, and at peace (and watch out for elephant dung),

Phil

"MR. ADAMS, THAT ELEPHANT JUST POOPED ON MY SHOE!!!"

I heard that Blue Elephant poo lets off laughing gas!

Now you can take a small sniff of it but you must try really hard not to laugh too hard but it is important to remember not to fall about on the floor too hard when the laughter kicks in.

The only way to make the smell go away is to poke your tongue out, put your thumb on your nose and waft it away with your fingers.

It's true www.wikipedia.com/blueelephantpoo

Thanks

Matt

PS. Didn't fall for that link did you?

Redsimo wrote:

PS. Didn't fall for that link did you?

Yes, I did. In general, I am gullible.

And, I think I have permanently regressed to the age of five. Oh, dear!

Thank you, Matt, I love it. You gave me just what I needed, and another shift now...

Be well, and at peace,

Phil

Hello, world (or at least the part of the world that reads this!).

Today is a better day.

I had three interesting experiences with ADULTS today that struck me, and reminded me that in little ways, every day, we have opportunities to take people somewhere more useful.

Last night at choir rehearsal, we listened to a recording of a piece that we were working on, and it took me immediately back in time. I wrote about it here. This morning, one of my choir members wrote me, and told me that he was having a very similar experience during the same rehearsal with another piece, and how that music helped him to fondly remember a former director who had died.

Today, I stopped and talked to a teacher who was stewing about a group of students who completely missed a point in a science lesson. She was somewhat stressed about it. I played her the video of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" that I posted in the Music That Inspires You thread. Once Israel started singing the lyrics, her face lit up, and she said (with a smile), "oh, that wasn't what I was expecting at all!"

Finally, one of our special education instructional assistants was out of the building today, and had a substitute, who was in the room with her class for their music lesson. One of the assistants was asking me where I taught two years ago, and when I gave my answer, the substitute's face lit up, and she said, "I went to school there!" Then about thirty seconds later, she looked at me, smiling, and said, "you know, that just gave me a flashback!" Of, course, I smiled back.

Trancing, trancing, everywhere...and you know, we all have opportunities to take others (and ourselves!) to more useful places...don't we?

Be well, and at peace,

Phil

Glad to hear you're on a high Phil

Cheers

Adam

Adam,

I don't know if I would frame it as a high, but it's definitely a shift in the utilization of energy--into more positive directions!

Isn't it interesting how that can happen...just a little shift, and sunshine starts to spill out all over the whole darn place!

I'm getting better at this with practice...which is, of course, what we musicians constantly DO!

Be well, and at peace,

Phil

Whatever way you frame it 'tis good, keep on jamin

Cheers

Adam

Adam,

Richard Bandler names Kate Benson
"International Director of Education" for The Society of NLP(tm).
Kate has been training & developing thousands of teachers for many years now
and has been at the forefront of education and the brainchild of
some of the most creative approaches for educators in the classroom! Check it out!

I hope these links work from here and if not, they're also on the homepage of http://www.PureNLP.com

Thanks and Be Well,
John La Valle

Thanks John,



Cheers

Adam

Hi Phil and everyone,

I've been reading this thread for quite some time now and kept thinking to myself "I must post, too, I must post, too" as my working environment is very similar to yours, Phil. (I teach English to primary school children.) But right now I just ...COULDN'T hold myself back! You see, I've just read your post about your magic bubbles and I find it absolutely amazing!!!
Thank you, Phil, (and everyone else) you are such an inspiration for me!
I'll write more about my working context and share more things with you some other time...

(my name means gold) Chrissy

John,

Thank you!

Phil

This morning, I was working with students on correctly spelling terms that we use in the lesson (eighth note, quarter note, quarter rest) and using their "magic drawing board in your mind" really helped a lot of them spell the terms correctly. We also all drew pictures of the notes underneath the terms to make the link!

Be well, and at peace,

Phil

Interesting stuff Phil,

I remember Richard Bandler saying, in Class of a Master (I think), that speech, predominantly, occupies one hemisphere of the brain and music, predominantly, occupies the other.

Do you think that if students sing about music theory & link this to music they would have a better understanding / retention?

Just curious

Cheers

Adam

Adam,

My understanding is that music utilizes BOTH hemispheres! In other words, if you really want to integrate your mental processing systems, LEARN ABOUT MUSIC!

So, whenever you have a chance, I ask you all to be advocates for music in public education!

Be well, and at peace,

Phil

I'm definitely an advocate for music, it has been a big influence in my life.

Cheers

Adam

Thank you, Adam.

Phil

I have just returned from a new school and had such a refreshing day. It is in quite a deprived area and while academic achievement is quite low they kids were bursting of excitement to be at school again. It really took me by suprise. I have had a few negative experiences of schools recently and I think I fell in the the trap of thinking that all schools were the same. There is a game I often play with lower set groups and I never thought to write here about it before but here it is.

"While I do the register you can all have a quick nap and think about what you did in last weeks lesson.

(register done)

" keep your eyes shut and I want you to think about last weeks lesson and in your mind skip through to the end of this lesson, almost as if you have a time machine. I want you to know that you just had the best lesson ever, the most fun, the most difficult and the most amazing feelings that now the lesson is over, you know you can solve any problem and remember any fact.

"When you think back to the lesson that you are about to have I want you to remember how you overcame problems that you had. How did you over come the problem of being distracted by your friends? How did you overcome the problem when you could not work out one of the formulae's to put in your spreadsheet?. For those and any other problem you are likely to face, what would be the best ways to overcome them? Tell them to your friend now so they can remind you of them during the lesson".

Unfortunatly I do not get consistent exposure to the same students at the moment in which to build on this, any ideas Phil or others?

I guess it would be nice is the kids could write them down and as then add to it they could create a 'Nice Lesson Procedures" booklet for themselves.

Thanks

Matt

Matt,

You use some excellent strategies with the kids in future pacing! Ways for the students to retain the strategies would be sharing in pairs and journaling, as you suggest. Also, keeping an "idea wall" in their room where they can jot down good strategies for learning might help them.

Without more info to go on, that's all I've got for now. On to recess duty with five and six year olds. WOO HOO!

Phil