Contributions of Neuro-linguistic Programming in School Education
Neuro-linguistic Programming applied in the classroom
Communication is a mechanism that involves four essential elements: our physiology (body), our language (words), our thoughts (focus of our attention) and our perceptions (or set of beliefs). Our communication (verbal and non-verbal), reflects our thoughts and feelings. We act in accordance with our values and belief systems. Thus, the teacher in class, manifests their behaviors and attitudes in accordance with principles and rules of conduct that she believes are appropriate. The way we communicate, determines how we are perceived by the people we address.
A factor that impacts a lot in the learning process is the emotions. Learning based on fear and tension, only brings to the students’ academic life, stress and panic, thus blocking the quality of the understanding of the knowledge taught in the school. In the classroom, it is essential that teachers acquire the ability to handle student´s emotions, so that they can learn in a joyful, dynamic and relaxed way. Another important factor is to develop the best in each child, teaching them according to their needs, and being aware of their predominant learning style.
Each child collects the information and interprets it in a different way. This means that each person has their own way of learning. The teacher, realizing the learning style of each child, will be able to plan and implement the educational content in an assertive and effective way. When the teacher teaches a student taking into account his learning style, the child can process the content better, and thus absorb the information more easily. In practice, the teacher can apply activities that address the three learning styles, so that each child is able to understand, learn and participate:
Students with the visual system: visual learners learn more and better when the content is visualized through books, posters, slides, examples written on the board, or by reading texts, images and graphics. It is essential that teachers use written instructions for use, rather than orally. In addition, it is a good strategy to send to the visual student the summary of the lesson that will be taught in the classroom.
Auditory students: students who prefer the auditory system better understand the information when it is exposed orally by the teacher. These students develop their learning effectively when they are reading a text aloud, listen to a recorded audio story, or participate in a discussion. The auditory learner also benefits by repeating the instructions received or by conducting oral evaluations. As a didactic strategy the teacher can use audio resources, such as audio-books, storytelling, or reading aloud.
Students with kinesthetic learning style: these students learn best through movement and practice. Kinesthetic students need free learning spaces to move, as in the outdoor activities or practical classes in the lab, for example. Games, group dynamics, parodies, songs, and rhymes are examples of didactic resources that can be used with these apprentices.
