by Nancy Hopp, M.Ed., EFT - CC/Adv

We are all Teachers whether hired by school systems, found as volunteers in the community, working as parents attempting to help children, acting as friends trying to impart a lesson, or imparters of casual remarks as strangers. And we are the greatest source of inspiration for children today; but we can also be a terrible source of student frustration and failure in the classroom... as well as in life.
 
I have been a teacher in public education for over thirty-five years. I have taught elementary school, middle school, Vocational Education, Adult Basic Education, Special Education, and am now lucky to be a GED teacher. (The GED is a test that allows a student who has left traditional school to earn a high school diploma). During my tenure as a teacher, I have been fortunate to have been an inspiration to my students and gotten them to levels that they never felt that they could achieve. However, I was also a cause of suffering.
 
When I first started teaching, I believed that I was required to complete a textbook on a schedule whether my students understood the materials or not. We did... they didn't learn it all. Whether they understood or not, there was always something new we had to learn. It didn't matter that they didn't have the background to be successful. The schedule had to be maintained. This was bad for me as a teachers and equally bad for my students. There were other frustrations as well.
 
At one time I had 52 fifth graders in my small unairconditioned classroom. We enjoyed some of the classroom experiences as teacher and student, but there were also some very bad times. I was frustrated that there were so many students in my class. I was unable to give any extra help to my students. In one grading period, I remember that over one half of my students "earned" an F on atleast one subject...some earned many more. I told myself that I had done the best that I could and I was not responsible because they chose not to learn. They told themselves and each other that they were frustrated and didn't like school. School is never fun when you feel like a failure. EFT was not a part of my conscienciousness yet and I didn't have any tools to make things better.
 
I am currently a GED instructor. I now understand and use EFT as a therapy for myself, my clients, and my students. My students have all chosen to leave traditional education. Many of them have terrible stories about their failures in the classroom, their tragedies in life, their fears and phobias centered on education, and other negative expeirences in their lives. Others talk about being bored in school, missing classes because of peer pressure, and lacking an understanding of the value of being there. Where I am now, I have the time to listen and the time to correct some of the educational issues. I have been given permission to use EFT in my classroom.
 
So, why am I choosing to share this with a group of teachers, parents, and others interested in EFT? Most of us believe that we can address the student, tap, and remove the issues. To a point, we are right. EFT has proven to be an exceptionally valuable tool for teachers to share with students. My students have overcome longstanding math phobias. They have shed the fears centered on testing and pass exams that they thought to be impossible. They have been able to apply EFT to their own life. But this is because I use EFT to remove my classroom issues before I teach them how to get over theirs. My frustrations are removed before I enter the classroom.
 
I have written a book called Tap for Better Teaching because I strongly believe that we need to remove school based issues as well as personal issues from our lives before we can effectively teach our children.Teachers have been a major source of problems for my students. A well meaning teacher who says," You can't be good in everything." ;a parent who says," I was never good at math either. It must be in our genes."; a teachers who angrily chides a child," This is easy. What is wrong with you." are not aware of the lasting message that they just imparted. Look at the messages that you are giving as a teacher and clear your emotions and issues before saying them. Use EFT to change your energy, then you will be ready to be a wonderful teacher.
 
If you have questions or comments on this message, I would be happy to hear from you: nancy@thesterlingrose.com.
 
 
Nancy Hopp, M.Ed., EFT - CC/Adv
The Sterling Rose
www.thesterlingrose.com