Here at SCM, we talk a lot about the importance of having a vision of your ideal class.
Of seeing your students, like a movie in your mind . . .
- focused and learning.
- interacting politely.
- following rules.
- performing routines.
- participating eagerly.
- working together.
- enjoying your class.
You must also picture yourself . . .
- calm and happy.
- teaching dynamically.
- following through with ease.
- being a trusted leader.
- observing good work.
- preparing efficiently.
Your visualization should be immersive. The clearer the sounds and images, the better. Done well, your body will respond as if you’re actually there.
The reason this is important is to nail down exactly what you want. Because, if you’re unsure, then you’ll never get there.
You can’t lead your students without a target.
Once you lock in your vision, however, it will inform everything you do. It will propel every word and action, enabling you to model and articulate for your students what success looks like and how to get there.
It will allow you to recognize when you’re off track so you can course correct rather than wander lost in the forest with most of your colleagues.
Yet, there is another reason why visualization is so important.
You see, when you have a clear, absorptive image of your goal, your subconscious devises solutions and pathways to get there all while you’re doing other things.
I first learned of this phenomenon—this ability we all have—in an old book I read in college called Psycho-Cybernetics. The author, Maxwell Maltz, called it the servo-mechanism.
You provide your mind a distinct target and how to get there comes to you naturally. Ideas bubble up from your subconscious. They pop into your head as you’re going about your work, cooking dinner, taking a shower.
In my experience, it also helps provide the confidence to reject out of hand anything less than what you want for yourself, your class, and your students.
This doesn’t mean perfection. It means fast and predictable progress. It means the kind of deep satisfaction that can only come from pursuing excellence.
It means your vision becoming reality.
PS – Please check out my new book Unstressed: How to Teach Without Worry, Fear, and Anxiety.
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Dear !
It is great to have your continues mails. Actually I want to know one thing that how to minimize the leaves of female teachers in our middle level school ? Teachers are availing plenty of Medical or casual leaves . Please guide me in this matter.
Thanks & Regards
Principal Army Public School Taien Pakistan
My suggestions- Have Eid gift and prizes and certificates- for best teachers like 1st, 2nd, 3rd prize for best attendance for whole year – Maximum Leave allowed for prize is 5 days/year.
This is great, Michael. I’ve been doing the visualization for a long time, but I wasn’t exactly sure why I was doing it. I was doing more of a quick 1 minute rundown than the specific goals I want to achieve. Thanks for this helpful email.
I totally agree with you, I am a teacher and I am working on how best I can teach my students to be able to visualize what I teach and able to connect and apply in real-world situations.
Thank you Michael,
Servo-mechanism! I’m glad that I have a name to it now. It usually happens to me when I’m falling asleep, so then I need to grab a paper and pencil to write all of the ideas that bubble up in my brain. And, of course, it’s not just school stuff. It’s anything. I enjoyed this article very much.
Psycho-Cybernetics has been SO helpful in my life, not just in teaching! Thank you for the reminder of getting back to the basics.
In Maxwell Maltz’s Psycho-Cybernetics, the acronyms SUCCESS and FAILURE are used as guiding principles to highlight traits and behaviors that lead to achievement or hinder progress. Here’s what they stand for:
SUCCESS
S – Sense of direction: Having clear goals and a purpose.
U – Understanding: Being empathetic and seeking to understand others.
C – Courage: Taking calculated risks and persevering despite challenges.
C – Charity: Cultivating kindness and generosity toward others.
E – Esteem: Developing self-respect and confidence.
S – Self-confidence: Believing in one’s abilities and self-worth.
S – Self-acceptance: Accepting oneself as valuable and capable, with both strengths and flaws.
FAILURE
F – Frustration: Allowing negative emotions to dominate and block progress.
A – Aggressiveness: Mismanaging emotions or reacting impulsively to situations.
I – Insecurity: Focusing on fears and self-doubt instead of strengths.
L – Loneliness: Disconnecting from others and isolating oneself emotionally.
U – Uncertainty: Avoiding decisions or commitments due to indecision.
R – Resentment: Harboring grudges or bitterness, which drains mental energy.
E – Emptiness: Lacking purpose or direction, leading to dissatisfaction.
These acronyms reflect Maltz’s focus on the mental attitudes and self-image necessary for personal growth and success. Would you like more insight into how to apply these concepts?
APPLYING THE PSYCHO-CYBERNETICS PRINCIPLES AS A TEACHER:
Applying Maxwell Maltz’s principles from the acronyms SUCCESS and FAILURE can help you foster a positive environment in your classroom, maintain your own professional growth, and effectively support your students. Below are insights on how each element can be integrated into your role as an elementary school teacher:
SUCCESS in the Classroom
Sense of Direction
Application: Set clear objectives for your teaching and share learning goals with your students. For example, outline what you aim to achieve in a term or during a lesson. This clarity helps you and your students stay focused and motivated.
Action: Create a visual chart in your classroom with weekly or monthly goals.
Understanding
Application: Empathy is critical in education. Understand your students’ needs, learning styles, and personal challenges. Acknowledge their efforts and emotions.
Action: Hold regular “check-in” moments where students can share how they feel about their progress or school life.
Courage
Application: Be willing to try innovative teaching methods, even if they feel uncertain initially. Advocate for your students when needed and take risks to better their educational experience.
Action: Introduce new classroom strategies like gamified learning or project-based activities.
Charity
Application: Be generous with your time, patience, and encouragement. Teach your students the value of kindness and community involvement.
Action: Create a “Kindness Tree” in your classroom where students add leaves for kind acts they’ve done or received.
Esteem
Application: Build your own self-esteem and foster it in your students. Celebrate small wins to build confidence.
Action: Introduce “celebration circles” where students recognize each other’s achievements.
Self-confidence
Application: Model self-confidence in your teaching and decision-making. This will encourage your students to trust you and develop confidence in their own abilities.
Action: Share personal anecdotes about times when you overcame challenges.
Self-acceptance
Application: Embrace your teaching style and acknowledge areas for growth without being overly critical. Encourage students to accept themselves and their progress.
Action: Use affirmations, like a daily mantra: “Mistakes are proof we’re learning.”
Avoiding FAILURE in the Classroom
Frustration
Avoidance: Break large tasks into smaller, manageable steps to reduce overwhelm for both you and your students.
Action: Use visual schedules and break lessons into short, engaging segments.
Aggressiveness
Avoidance: Manage your emotional responses. Instead of reacting sharply to disruptions, use calm strategies to redirect behavior.
Action: Practice deep breathing before addressing classroom issues and teach this technique to students.
Insecurity
Avoidance: Focus on your strengths as a teacher and seek professional development to address areas you want to improve.
Action: Join a teacher support group or seek mentorship for feedback and reassurance.
Loneliness
Avoidance: Collaborate with colleagues and involve parents in the learning process. Foster a strong classroom community.
Action: Host open-door days for parents or co-teach a lesson with another teacher.
Uncertainty
Avoidance: Plan lessons well in advance but remain flexible. Being prepared boosts confidence and reduces stress.
Action: Use a lesson-planning template to ensure you cover all aspects effectively.
Resentment
Avoidance: Let go of grudges or frustrations with students, parents, or colleagues. Practice forgiveness and focus on solutions.
Action: Use a journal to reflect and process challenges, turning them into learning opportunities.
Emptiness
Avoidance: Reconnect with your passion for teaching by reminding yourself of the difference you’re making in students’ lives.
Action: Keep a “joy journal” where you record moments of success or gratitude from your day.
By incorporating the SUCCESS traits into your teaching practices and addressing FAILURE tendencies proactively, you can cultivate a fulfilling teaching environment for yourself and a supportive, enriching experience for your students. Would you like help creating specific activities or strategies based on these principles?
I am reading your new book now, and enjoying it very much! Have a notebook to make strategies on and I’m finding them extremely useful. Thank you, Michael!
Great to hear, Rowan! Thanks for letting me know.
Michael,
I am an elementary music specialist, and while most of my classes are focused and ready to learn, there are a few that have a few of students that make the music classroom environment very unpleasant. It seems that warnings, time-outs, and even notes home to parents have little to no effect on these students. One of the paraprofessionals in one particular class tells me the behaviors of these students is the same no matter where they are in the building, art, music, gym, in their homeroom.
Hi Matthew,
Have you read the orange book? It describes my answer and solutions to your question.