BE WITH THESE LINES ........

ONE MINUTE TEACHER: HOW TO TEACH OTHERS TO TEACH THEMSELVES

BY SPENCER JOHNSON, M.D. AND CONSTANCE JOHNSON, M.ED.

ONE MINUTE GOAL SETTING:

Using the steps below, encourage your clients to set goals for themselves and take one minute a few times a day to look at their goals.

1. I take the time to quietly think, with my head and my heart about what I want to teach myself. And then I decide what my goals are.
2. I write my goals in first person, present tense, as though I am already achieving my Goals. (For example: “I am enjoying getting a B in math.”)
3. I write down my goals briefly, so I can read them often in only one Minute.
4. I am specific when writing my goal. I set a date to achieve my goal. (For example: “I am enjoying a B on this Thursday’s English Exam.”)
5. I use good- feeling words. (For example: I enjoy……) Each time I read my goal, I imagine how good I feel.
6. I take one minute, several times a day, to stop and look at my goals and to look at my behavior and then I see if my behavior matches my goals.

ONE MINUTE PRAISINGS:

Encourage your clients to reflect on or catch themselves doing something right by flowing these steps:

1.      I praise myself immediately.

2.      As soon as I have done something right, I tell myself specifically what I did right, or approximately right.

3.      I tell myself how good I feel about what I did right. I pause for a few seconds to really feel my success.

4.      I remind myself that I am indeed a good person.

5.      I encourage myself to continue the same good behavior because I want to feel good again soon about my behavior and about myself.

ONE MINUTE RECOVERY:

When a client’s behavior does not align with his/her own goals, encourage the client to practice the One Minute Recovery.

  The First half of the Minute:

1.      As soon as possible I see when my behavior does not match my goal.

2.      I tell myself specifically what I did wrong – what is keeping me from teaching myself what I want to learn.

3.      I am silent for a few seconds to quietly feel my “Fumble”. The more uncomfortable I feel, the more I want to recover.

  The second half of the Minute:

1.      I remind myself that my behavior is not good right now, but that I am good. I redirect my behavior and feel good about myself. I do not defend my behavior, even to myself.

2.      I teach myself what to learn. I change my behavior and recover.