One of the areas that I have found NLP exceptionally effective is in the area of teaching. A friend and colleague of mine, Kate Benson, International Director for Education in the Society of NLP, has taught me a lot about the difference between how NLP is applied in NLP and Corporate Training and the teaching world. In the teaching world, teachers work with students over the long term and, because of this, they can have far more of an impact than the average trainer. The crucial part of this is that it can be a good or a bad impact depending on what’s going on. So, whereas it is important for a trainer to ‘walk their talk’ it is even more critical for a teacher to do so.

In many ways, all trainers should aim to also be teachers. You are not just there to ‘train’ people to have certain skills. You are there to ensure that your group are educated and are more knowledgeable and skillful as a result of the work you have done with them. The first step of achieving this is to make sure you are walking your talk and living what you preach. This means using NLP on yourself so you are demonstrating everything that you are teaching. You must be the example that you want the students to live by.

Kate personifies this in her work with groups and that is why she has such a good reputation in the field of teacher training. She demonstrates a sense of confidence regardless and seems free from any fear of failure. Instead, she always comes across playful and manages to get her ‘adults’ into the same kind of state ensuring that they learn easily and powerfully.

For me, it is important that we all learn this lesson and focus on ensuring that when we stand in front of a group, we become the kind of example we want them to experience.

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