PCT In Education

Providing educators (at all levels) with useful information and tools is essential in the current educational arena. Warren Mansell & colleagues from the University of Manchester (UK) have synthesized information from various sources (Carey, Cziko, Petrie, Bourbon) to give clear information why the use of PCT works in the classroom. Mansell and associates research & publish sound scientific PCT foundations for many life perspectives.

Use this link, http://www.pctweb.org/ed/education.html, to view PCT Web's research. Proponents of PCT in the classroom can share this information with those looking for concrete solutions. Trainers associated with IAACT are ready & willing to talk with decision makers and set up staff training opportunities for anyone interested (district or school level).

Visit the IAACT web site for more information - www.iaact.net .

Create A Day of Your Choosing

Who is in charge of your life today? YOU are the master of your own fate. Why allow others to determine how you feel, act or respond to life? Become the person you want to be by following your own drams and living up to the expectations and goals you set for yourself.
Many memorable quotes move us in the direction of being in charge of our own destiny:
Martha Washington - "I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition."
Henry James - "It's time to start living the life you've imagined"
Andrew Carnegie - "If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes."
Hugh White - "The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power."
and finally,
John Rohn - "Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted by the person we become."

Live YOUR life with a purpose.

Who to Be and When - A Progression of Thought

Just Think and Remember -

"It's never too late to become the person you might have been." (George Elliot)

"Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or to lose." (Lyndon B. Johnson)

"What you get by reaching your destination is not nearly as important as what you will become by reaching your destination." ( Zig Ziglar)

"What lies behind us, and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

If it is to be, it is up to ME!

"The Gift That Keeps On Giving"

"Tis the Season" ...as the saying goes, but for what? A season to spread peace, love and joy and to give the gift that keeps on giving. “What gift is that?” you say. The ability to live your life in balance and survive an otherwise "wild & crazy world" is priceless. To be able to perceive the world around you in a way that makes sense and allows you to be in control of your actions is one of the best possible gifts you can ever receive.

"Where do you find such a gift" you ask? It can be opened during training sessions offered by New View Publications http://newviewpublications.com/ and Be-Print for Living, Inc. (http://www.be-print.net/) in the near future. Visit their websites for more information. January 16-19 finds New View hosting a session at Hilton Head, SC and Be-Print's session is in Charlotte, NC March 20-22. Both welcome any and all participants who are interested in learning more. The participatory sessions teach participants the basic concepts of Perceptual Control Theory (PCT) and how to effectively apply them to one's daily life.

Life can be very stressful for many, particularly during this time of year. By understanding the application of PCT concepts, you have the opportunity to “be the person you want to be.” Join us so you too can unwrap that wonderful gift. You will keep it for a lifetime.
Life can be very stressful for many, particularly during this time of year. By understanding the applications of PCT concepts, you have the opportunity to be the person you want to be. Join us so you can unwrap that package.

A Breakfast for Mental Well-Being

I ran across an article today on RaelAge.com that speaks to positive thinking & outlook on life. The first couple of paragraphs are included below. Click on the title to see the full article. Live Healthy friends.

"Eating a good breakfast doesn't just get your body ready to face the day. It may boost your mental well-being, too. Especially if you choose yogurt.

Newly published research suggests that when you feed your gut fermented foods that contain Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium -- two strains of healthy bacteria found in some yogurts -- your brain ends up with an extra dose of happy-making neurochemicals, too.

From Belly to Brain So just how does healthy flora in your belly have an impact all the way up in your noggin? Apparently good bacteria can actually produce neurochemicals in the gut -- we're talking feel-good chemicals like serotonin and dopamine. And these chemicals, in turn, get taken up into the bloodstream and circulated throughout the body, including the brain. The likely end result: improved psychological well-being."

For more healty news, go to http://www.realage.com/.

The Pink Bat

Positive Perceptions Provide Possibilities!!! Enjoy & reflect on the Pink Bat (click on the title above).

Executive Director Named

President Glenn Smith announced this week the selection of IAACT's first Executive Director (ED). Mark Southern of Clemmons, NC was named to the position by a committee consisting of Board members and senior faculty. As ED, Southern will work as liaison between the Board of Directors and the Faculty Leadership Committe (FLC) in organizational matters, promote IAACT's mission, encourage active member participation on FLC committees, manage the day-to-day affairs and facilitate a strategic planning process that meets IAACT's growth goals.

Southern has been involved with IAACT for ten years first as a workshop participant, attained certification, participated in the Faculty-in-Training Boot Camps, and now provides training in a course titled "Rational Thinking in an Irrational World". Mark has been active in numerous IAACT activites and trainings in his time as an organization member. He brings to the position experience as an educator and long-time school administrator, successful sports coach and support group leader, advisor and facilitator for several organizations. Being actively involved as a deacon and teacher at his church, part-time technology facilitator for an elementary school in Winston-Salem and president of his son's lacrosse booster club (ASU) keeps Mark busy. However, his interest in the application of PCT in his own life and sharing that knowledge with others inspired him to offer his services to IAACT as Executive Director. Southern's motivational theme for IAACT is TEAM - Together Everyone Achieves More. He will encourage active member participation as an essential element for the healthy growth of IAACT.

Questions, suggestions and volunteering to serve on IAACT committees are encouraged. Contact Mark at actnme@gmail.com, msouthern6@triad.rr.com or 336-813-8484.

Thoughts on Elizabeth Edwards

As the word of the seemingly imminent death of Elizabeth Edwards has surfaced on the national and local news, I am struck by her approach to this tragedy of life. Mrs. Edwards is taking the high road - if you will "bumping it up" - as she approaches the end of her life.

We are all aware of the underlying stories that have surfaced over the past 10 years form the Edwards family - some good and some tragic. Throughout, Elizabeth Edwards has been a pillar of strength and a role model for us all.

The most recent press release from the family in Chapel Hill with Mrs. Edwards own announcement of the situation is heart-warming, courageous and symbolic of a person who is living out what we as practitioners of Control Theory believe. Listen to her words: "The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And, yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human." "But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. "

Edwards goes on to reflect on her life and the what is positive in it for herself, her children and family. She has looked at the circumstances of her life and has decided to "be the person she wants to be" and needs to be to leave a positive legacy.

I have no knowledge that Elizabeth Edwards ever attended an IAACT intensive seminar where 'Control Theory' was shared. What is evident is that she embodies the characteristics that are the foundation of PCT and lives them in her daily life.

As this post is being written, TV and radio shows are airing details of Mrs. Edwards' life and approach to impending death due to cancer. What courage & resolve she shows. Bravo Elizabeth Edwards! I grow stronger as a person because of you. Our prayers and good thoughts are with you and your family.

A Point to Ponder

Food for thought: "What Happens to us does not have to define who we are." Consider how you deal with life.

Rethinking Teaching and Learning

Lately I have been thinking a lot about how new information is learned, and why other information is not learned. I should first say that my definition of learning is that a person has acquired knowledge or a skill that can be recalled months later in a different setting. Of course this is not really measurable in a classroom, but it is my goal when I teach a student. I want them to recall something I taught them when in a college class or talking with their parents one night, etc. One of my pet peeves is students telling my that I learned it but forgot it. My question is that if we forget something, was it really learned in the first place?

This leads me to the question that is always on a teacher's mind these days, how do students learn? My original teacher training was in Constructivism which basically says that all people construct their understanding of the world. Learning occurs when a person is confronted with their own misunderstanding and replaces that misunderstanding with a truer understanding. My understanding in PCT takes this to the next level. In PCT thought, a person learns when they encounter error and choose to educe that error by changing a reference (replacing an old understanding with a new one).

In order for this to happen, several things need to occur. The first is that students need to have error about their own misunderstanding or lack of knowledge. This is incredibly difficult to do in a lecture style classroom. Even in a lab or hands-0n environment this can be difficult to achieve because it presupposes that a student cares about the knowledge. I think that this is why we need to tap into a student's beliefs. If a student does not see a need for the knowledge, even if they have some sort of error about the knowledge, they can always say, "Well I don't really need this anyway," or something similar.

This brings me to the next point, once a student has an error about their understanding of the world, they need to do an action to correct it. Teachers assume that students come to them with the tools to learn. I hear many students say that so and so teacher does not teach in a way that I can understand. I wonder, though, in this climate of testing, testing, and more testing which leads to cover, cover, and cover that we have forgotten to teach students the tools to learning. How do you learn in a classroom that is being taught in a style that is contrary to the method you best learn? How do you learn when you are depressed because your boyfriend just dumped you? How do you learn when the kid next to you keeps distracting you? In my experience, many students do not know how to take notes in a way that helps them, let a lone how to learn despite distractions. As professionals we have found our own ways or had parents or other adults that taught us strategies. Where is this taught? Where does a person learn the tools of learning?

In all, I guess what I am proposing in this long blog is a different way of looking at teaching and learning. Instead of teaching kids content, maybe I should be creating a classroom of discovery where students' beliefs about themselves and the world are looked at and encouraged or challenged. I should then focus my teaching on tools of learning so students have actions that help them reduce the error in their systems that also lead to learning.

Live Healthy - My Choice

Choose to live & be healthy - it is YOUR right & privilege. "If its to be, its up to me."

Four Agreements for the Classroom

The beginning of a new school year is both an exciting and a challenging time for all concerned. Turning the page to a new chapter in life holds anticipation and uncertainty for students and teachers alike. Sharing a common purpose and goals creates the conditions for a successful year. Shelley Roy has shared the following article that can assist teachers in creating those positive and productive conditions. When student & teacher agree on their purpose, progress and growth are much more attainable.

Four Agreements for the Classroom
By Shelley A.W. Roy

When Miguel Ruiz wrote the FOUR AGREEMENTS, he once again brought the importance of forming agreements with ourselves to the forefront. As the school year begins across the U.S., educators and students alike are contemplating the upcoming school year. Fall is often a time of reflection and reorganizing our lives after the hustle and bustle of a summer of adventure and vacation.
In successful classrooms, teachers and students are members of a team. Individually and collectively, they ask and answer three basic questions during the team-forming process: "Who am I?" "Who are you?" and finally, "Who are we?" In answering these questions, in building classroom agreements, teachers and students build a firm foundation for the upcoming school year. I believe that the most effective agreements are formed at the principles level of life. This is the level that answers the question, "Who do I want to be?" It is not the level that answers, "What am I going to do?" It is the level of opportunity, not obligation. It is the level at which I shift from thinking, "I have to do such and such." to "This is an opportunity to be the mother, daughter, educator, I want to be."
The four agreements that form the foundation for the school year are personal, social, role and goal agreements. The teacher and every student in a class must have a personal agreement that answers the question, "Who do I want to BE?" As they answer that question, they need to remember that they can’t possibly be everything. They need to limit their lists to three to five principles they want to use to measure their success. For example, my top three BEs are wise, generous, and spiritual. The list is used to self-evaluate who a person is being. The number one life skill is self-evaluation, and responsible self-evaluation measures how being aligns with agreements with self and involves evaluating what is within a person’s control. On a regular basis, a person needs to ask, "What did I do today to live my principles?"
The second of the agreements, the social agreement, answers the question, "Who do we want to be when we are together?" After we have each developed a personal agreement, after we are each clear on how we want to BE, then collectively we need to come to consensus on how we want to treat each other. To form a social agreement, we all must have a sense of connection to everyone else in the group, and there must be a modicum of trust amongs group members. In a school, social agreements may typically be summarized as, "We want to be learning, be respectful, be responsible and be safe."
The third type of agreement, the role agreement, answers the question, "What is my role in getting us where we want to go?" In our family car, whoever sits in the shotgun seat (front seat, passenger side) plays the role of navigator. This has been our long-standing family agreement. In a classroom, it is best if all the adults and students involved in the room are present during role negotiation. The process of
discussion and compromise used in determining roles lays the groundwork for a successful school year during which many hazards and obstacles are avoided. Role clarification allows students to know what to expect and helps develop a safe-risk environment.
Goal agreements, the fourth and final kind of agreements, infuse district and state standards with students’ needs for relevance. To develop meaning and relevance in content learning, and to enhance students’ commitment to learning, teachers and students together develop essential questions for each of the major units of study and for the year. All learning is personal and constructivist by nature, and essential questions, if they are thoughtfully developed, encourage personal engagement with content. Students who are engaged and challenged, students who see real value in what they are learning, are more interested in learning and create fewer distractions in the classroom. Student goal setting moves easily toward student led conferencing.
When these four agreements are included in the beginning of the school year, processes then creating rituals and routines that highlight these agreements becomes the basis of effective task and relationship management in the classroom. Agreements take the guesswork out of expectations; they make what for many is implicit, explicit.

Peace On Earth

Let it begin with me... What better way to spread "peace" than to show it to others through my actions. Share the gift.

Frantic Frenzy or Merry Memories?

Tis the Season to be Jolly . . . or Is It?

What a challenge we could face if the potential pressures of the season are allowed to creep into our heads. On Black Friday, I ventured to the Mall to return a previously purchased item. My trip was not a part of the mass hysteria of the day after Thanksgiving - I chose not to let the adversticing hype lure me.

I did however experience the angst of the day in the "full to the brim" mall parking lot. Every aisle, every space, every driver jockeying for a spot. My choice was to cruise up & down until I found a mom & daughter leaving & "jamming" bags into a totally packed trunk.

Inside the mall store, as I stood in line to return my item, shoppers checking out had obviously not embraced Control Theory philosophy. Frustrated, anxious and persistently arguing why "Early Bird" prices were no longer being accepted (at 1:00 pm) - Oops! Thankfully the cashier/sales rep. remained calm and tactfully courteous.

I returned my item, thanked the cashier, wished her a Merry Christmas and walked away passing more frantically busy shoppers with arms full. I smiled, went to my car and bequeathed my highly prized parking space to the first car in a long line of potential bargain hunters. My, what we put ourselves through to be "happy" during the Season of Joy.

Merry Christmas All...Remember the real reason for the season.

You Can't Tell What Someone is doing....

"You can't tell what someone is doing by looking at what they are doing." If you have been through the ACT training, you are probably familiar with this phrase. I can't stress to you how much these words have come back over and over again to haunt me. I think that I understand it, then something happens and BAM! I am assuming I know what someone is doing, thinking, or believing based on what they are doing and acting on that assumption (positively or negatively).

Normally, I try to repeat this phrase to myself to remember that, although I can make assumptions about someone, I really cannot know what a person is controlling for when they do something. Usually, this helps me take a step back and assess a situation before acting in a mean or derogatory way. As my principal likes to say, "I am good at until I am not."

Just recently I have had the sad experience in life of loosing a friendship in part because we both forgot this universal truth. You probably have a similar story, she gave me unsolicited advice in area where I told her to give me space. I made assumptions and fired off an e-mail. She made assumptions and fired one back. I made assumptions and fired off an even nastier one. Before you know it, we are both stuck in our world of assumptions, too angry to talk to the other person. (Isn't e-mail great!) There is a lot more to the story, but suffice it to say I wonder what would have happened if I took the time to look at it from a different perspective instead of believing that I KNOW what she was trying to do. I wonder what would have happened is she took a step back and re-thought how she thought about me and my boundaries or intentions. Life is certainly filled with I wonders!

The good thing that has come out of this is that I understand on a deeper level the importance of approaching the world from the perspective that we don't know what someone is doing. I can't stop myself from making assumptions; it is part of who I am. What I can do is to stop myself before acting on them.

Choosing Connection and Cold Chicken

This evening, a friend and I went out for dinner.  Nothing fancy, really, just a simple dinner at Boston Pizza.  I ordered the Chicken Parmesan and he ordered the Cajun Chicken rice bowl.  His food arrived piping hot and mine stone cold.

I found this annoying even though this sort of thing happens ALL the time in ANY restaurant in town.  For the past 15 years, enjoying a nice meal out with a friend is hit or miss.  Knowing that this happens all the time and expecting it to occur, did not help keep me in balance; error was still present.

However, I refused to return the dish.  I forced myself to eat the breaded chicken breast covered with tangy tomato sauce and cheese with a side of boiled frozen vegetable; all of it cold.

Informing the waitress of the situation did not help my error.  I tried to justify to her why I informed her of a problem but then refused to send back to the dish.  It was an awkward conversation, to say the least, and by the end of it, my error had grown. 

All of a sudden, I realize that what had happened really didn’t make sense to me either. Why was I eating a disgusting meal, complaining about it and refusing people the opportunity to fix it?  What was it I was trying to get?  What’s more important here?

As I was walking out the restaurant door, it came to me.  I valued eating at the same time as my friend and sharing a meal together much more than I cared about what I was eating.  Once I realized this and said it out loud to my friend, I felt a lot better. 

The things we do for connection, eh?

Benefits of Applied Control Theory

The following is from Sam Melchior, Evansville, IN.

During my 24 years of teaching I have attended dozens of workshops, professional development seminars, and read numerous books concerning many areas of education. In June of this year (2009) I attended ACT (Applied Control Theory) I. Without question it is the best training I have ever attended. The reasons are numerous, but most importantly to teachers is that it shows you specifically what you can do from day one to make your classroom the best it can be. You will be given specific methods to help with difficult situations that arise, and more importantly, how to prevent difficult situations from ever occurring. One of the great things about the training is how active it is for the participants. It is not a series of presentations by “experts” where you are just a passive listener. Many activities are incorporated to demonstrate how Applied Control Theory works in the real world. The participants get numerous opportunities to practice the specific methods and to discuss how the theory can be applied to their own situations. I am writing this approximately one month after attending ACT I. Fortunately, New View Publications is here in Evansville conducting training for teachers and other professionals from this area. I am participating as a casual observer during this training as a refresher before school starts. I hope to attend ACT II in January and Act III next summer.I must admit after a tough school year I was exhausted and not very enthusiastic about the upcoming school year. After the training in June I found myself looking forward to the new school year, confident in the fact I now have scientifically proven methods to help make our school a “connected school”, which means it is the best it can be.

Dealing with "It Is..."

Life deals us many "opportunities" daily. How we deal with those opportunities determines our health - both mental and physical. The phrase "It is what it is" and how I deal with "it is..." rings in my ears as I write this entry. How I understand and employ the steps of "the loop" in being the person I want to be when encountering these opportunities speaks volumes about my health.

Rising health-care costs, physical therapy, major work projects, continued employment, unexpected family budget items, auto maintenance and inter-personal relations all factor in to creating "loops" that need to be managed in our lives. When they occur simultaneously, management is a bigger, more critical issue. Do I wonder "Is the world caving in on me?" No; not when I understand "it is what it is" and deal with each situation using Control Theory training.

When I look at these events as "it is what it is" through the loop, my action options become more clear and my health is better as a result. Rational responses verses emotional reactions provide a formula for healthy living. A genuine smile that radiates from inside provides an opportunity to share your ACT knowledge with others. Share your strength and strengthen your health.

Taming End of School Year Stressors

It goes without saying that most folks (adults and children alike) look forward to the end of the school year. Yet, that event particularly creates tremendous stress and anxiety on the part of all concerned. In NC the biggest stressor at year's end is known as the EOGs or EOCs - those mandated final "measures" of success. In other states that process lives by other names, but final testing exists wherever there are schools . There are other equally stressful events that come with the closing of the year- packing up, saying 'goodbye', retiring, planning summer jobs or vacations, getting ready for 'next year'. The question bodes "How best can we manage all the anxiety that is created in April, May and June?" The answer-by applying what we know and have learn during ACT training.

Readers and contributors, here is your opportunity to share the methods you employ - as the school year winds down - to remain in balance and perform at your most effective level of proficency. Share how you help your students and colleagues "manage the madness" that is an undesired constant of school life. Fill the page with your ideas and strategies.

Joi de Vivre and PCT

It has been awhile since I have posted anything partly because life took on a chaotic bent that I am just now trying to bring some order to. Through this chaos, this morning I found myself reflecting in joi de vivre, or what the french call Joy of Life.

In many ways developing an understanding of PCT has helped me to develop a deep joi de vivre. In a very important way, it allowed me to take more joy from my job as a teacher. Before the ACT training, there seemed to be an invisible wall between me and my students. I felt that I had to be something different than I am in order to be a responsible and professional teacher. Not that who I am is all that crazy, just slightly different than the norm. 4 years ago I found myself at a new school with a new principal who had a crazy idea. He wanted to have a "Connected School," and he thought I would make a good first candidate for the ACT training. Since that first training, I found some of those walls that I had put up start to come down. I found myself sharing more of myself with my students... more of my personal stories, my eccentricities, my fears and successes. As this happened, I found that my students started to open up to me. I was able to be the mentor that I always wanted to be but was always scared to try. I have said on many occasions that PCT has allowed me to be the teacher that I always wanted to be. Because of this, I have found more joy in job and in turn in my life.

I write all this here because I was curious about other stories people might have about how PCT has transformed their life. I believe that there is great truth in the telling and sharing of stories. Stories gives us a different perspective and layers of Truth from which we can derive wisdom. I invite all of you out there is cyberspace to share your PCT story so that we can learn from your Truth and experiences.