Highly Effective Presuppositions of Rediscover the Joy of Learning

Imagine for yourself what it would be like to be in a school system operating out of the following presuppositions as a student, a teacher, a school official, a parent, or the public at large:

All behavior has a positive intention behind it

We all want to do the best we can. When we are faced with a problem or task for which we do not have a solution, we find one the best we can. If it works, even if only a little bit, it is still the best solution we have, so we use it over and over. The fact that a student acts in an inappropriate way, does not mean that his intentions are bad. He or she may just need a more creative way or a different way to do the task.

If we accuse them of inappropriate behavior, they become resistant or fight back. If we look for the deep down positive intention behind the behavior and help them find better ways to satisfy that positive intention, then we become their allies and they don't have to fight us or resist us. They also won't keep using the inappropriate behavior, since they now have a better way of doing the task.

If it is possible in the world for anybody else to learn, then it is possible for us to learn

This presupposition opens up the world of possibilities and keeps us away from limiting beliefs about ourselves. It leads us to openness and finding solutions rather than rigid ness. It puts us in other wonderful states such as curiosity, joy, delight, and positive thinking.

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Rediscover the Joy of Learning

This book is in three major sections: Academic Skills for Students; Tips for Parents, Teachers and Counselors, and; Learning Disabilities (primarily Attention Deficit Disorder or ADD). The book is in a handbook format, very easy to read and apply.

Price: $24.95

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Anything can be learned if it is chunked properly.

Sometimes the biggest obstacle to learning is that the amount or scope of material is overwhelming to the learner. By learning how to chunk down (or break down) the material into more manageable sizes, the task becomes more achievable.

This presupposition, coupled with the previous one, allows us to learn how to learn and succeed in any situation. Also, these two presuppositions are how we think and feel about learning BEFORE we get into school. We learn many very complex and complicated things prior to school such as talking, walking, and social skills. We do this primarily by imitating how others do it and by learning the small sub-skills first, then larger skills. The point is, in our early years, when we see and hear others do it, we figure we can learn to do it and this engages our wanting to learn. We need the same attitude in our schools in our students, parents, teachers, and administrators.

There is no such thing as failure, there is only feedback.

One of the biggest detriments to learning is how we accept feedback. When we attempt to learn or do something, we have to stop periodically and check our progress and see if we need to make any adjustments. This is called feedback and it is an essential part of the learning process--IF it is delivered and received properly. So many times, students will take feedback personally and think of themselves as a failure if they score poorly on schoolwork. So, rather than using feedback to make adjustments in what they are doing so they can do it better, they become traumatized by a feeling that they, as a person, are a failure. This then goes to their sense of who they are or their self-esteem and becomes a part of their identity and personality. They tend to carry this into the rest of their life.

Unfortunately, our grading systems in many of our schools encourage these inappropriate feedback responses. So, instead of feedback being a one-time adjustment to a learning activity, it becomes a life-time label. We need to have a system that will focus on the adjustments to make to be successful and only that.

We choose the best behavior we know based upon the choices we have in our model of the world.

This presupposition is closely tied to the notion of positive intention. When we are faced with a problem or task, we decide upon the best approach available to us, or that we can think up. We then try it out to see if it works. If, in our opinion, it works, we keep going back to it until it becomes a habit. Rarely, do we re-evaluate. Obviously, the choices we originally had might have been limited. We intend to behave the best we know how, but because we did not have all choices available to us or we are locked into a past habit, others may think the behavior is inappropriate or even bad. Unfortunately, many judge the behavior and find fault with the individual rather than help find a better way to solve the problem. This presupposition frees us up to look for positive intention and help solve problems rather than assume something is wrong and place blame.

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Rediscover the Joy of Learning - Foundation for Success

 This DVD set covers many of the Rediscover the Joy of Learning processes that makes Joy work so well.Covered in this set are: the empowering presuppositions of Joy; how to use the logical levels with students; causal patterns of troubled youth; turning students on to school; how to affect attitude; and the feedback model.

2 DVD's 3 1/2 hours.

Price: $95.00

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More choice is better than limited choice.

This presupposition evolves out of the last one. The more choices we have, the better our ability to behave appropriately and succeed. It also directs our ways of dealing with students who are having problems--figure out their positive intention and give them lots of choices in how to solve the problem, so they can choose the best one.

The way students experience the world is only a perceptual model.

Too many times we lock in a student's way of thinking or learning as though it was some reality that can't be changed. The student is "just that way." We may tribute it to his or her family, background, socio-economic status or even race or cultural influence. In reality, it is only a perceptual model of their world that they have formed over the years and PERCEPTION CAN BE CHANGED. In fact, perceptions are changed naturally all the time. As we learn about the world about us, we upgrade our perception and outlook. It is a natural part of maturing and growth. When a student (or teacher) is stuck in a limited perceptual model, wouldn't it be nice to recognize it and help them in changing the limited perception to one that would empower him or her in the learning process.

Success Skills specializes in helping struggling students of all ages who are experiencing all sorts of different kinds of difficulties. Penn Henthorn currently runs Success Skill, Inc., and the processes that he uses are very different from the normal type of help struggling students receive. He is a Personal Development Coach. He teaches students HOW to use their mind to succeed in school. He teaches them learning strategies that really work. He also teaches them ways to think about school and learning that "turn them on" to school and motivates them to want to succeed.

He also specializes in helping students who have been diagnosed with learning disabilities such as Dyslexia and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).

Contact Penn Henthorn today for a free initial interview to find out how he can help by calling him at 1-405-562-6670 or by e-mailing him at info@nlpok.com. More information can also be obtained off of the web site www.nlpok.com.