CSAP Grant

Our grant application to begin the process of building evaluation capacity within IAACT has been approved. The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) will oversee the implementation of the grant. We will work in five schools which have elected to participate in this process and are at varying stages of implementing A Connected School and Take Charge! principles and strategies in their substance abuse prevention programs. We will be communicating through this forum as we move forward in this process. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding this initiative or would like to participate in some way.

Thank you.

Fred Good
Project Coordinator

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.

MOL questions

Hello everyone. Tim Carey has agreed to answer questions relating to the Method of Levels (MOL). We are going to try to use this blog for that purpose. If you have a question for him, please post it as a comment and he will respond.
Thanks,
Fred Good

From Shelley Roy - How Life Maintains Itself

How life maintains itself: Chaos and fractals in human physiology by Drs. L.E. Pihiajmaa-Glimmerveen http://www.glimmerveen.nl/LE/chaos.html is a wonderful article that is filled with PCT ideas! One of my favorite parts is when they say “We can even suppose that chaos in the functioning of our body means that all is going well, but that tight regularity means not all is well…” I found this very interesting as we often think in PCT that we want zero error, which we all know is not possible. This article however supports the idea that our system is beautifully designed to be in a constant state of shifting… where awareness follows error. For me knowing that no two instances will ever be identical just like no two snowflakes are identical is and exciting prospect.

Longevity & "In Pursuit of Happiness"

I am continually listening and looking for ‘control theory’ connections to share with others. Particularly poignant for me has been Perry Good’s book “In Pursuit of Happiness”. One of the book's first lines states "Happiness is a by-product of leading a balanced, varied and satisfying life which meets your needs”.
On NBC’s Today show (Feb. 20), Matt Lauer hosted a segment that caught my attention. It was about “Blue Zones” found around the world by National Geographic and AARP where people are documented to live much longer than normal. Watch the five minute segment, http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/29299258#29299258 , and see if the connection is there for you also. What a wonderful way to ‘sell’ the concepts of Control Theory by providing folks with the prospect of a longer, happier life. Live in balance and laugh often.