TACTics Journal
A Publication for and by TOC for Education
Practitioners
February 28, 2003
In this week’s issue:
Connections
(1) Student Feedback: Golda Meir Mount
Carmel International Training Center, Gila
Glatter
(2) The Story of Anna, Part II, Petra Pouw-Legêne
(3) 7 th International
TOCFE Conference
(4) Registration Form: 7 th International TOCFE Conference
Editor’s Notes
(5) Kay
Buckner-Seal
CONNECTIONS
(1) Feedback from Students at The Golda Meir Mount
Carmel International Training Center (MCTC)*
From Gila
Glatter, Israel
*A center for International co-operation
established by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs
I had the pleasure of acting as a
facilitator at a workshop on Management in Preschool Settings, which was
conducted at the above center from the 6 th to
26 th of November 2002. The students came from
many different countries all over the globe!
I introduced the TOC thinking tools for
education—the cloud and the target. The
participants were highly interested in the theory and its applications and
wanted to hear more and more.
Here are some of their concluding comments,
which were presented to me as a farewell gift:
· I
would like to apply the theory in my position as a director of a pre-school in
my country. The lectures were excellently delivered, each time involving us to
carry out one activity or the other.
Nwigwe Ngoze Mercy.Estate Children’s School
Federal Housing Estate Egbeads,
PO Box 6652 Al Owrri, South Africa
· Toc
is a powerful tool for alternative management in our organization…We received
clear understanding how to use TOC from the lecturer… We got extra resources of
knowledge”.
Amporn Sornprasit, Thailand
(sampron@ratree.psu.ac.th)
· Toc
method is very realistic and valuable. TOC as a thinking tool helps us
personally to be more structured and disciplined in our thoughts. TOC is a good
method to define the problem and to find the ways of resolving it. It deals with emotions, feelings and
approach. Life is more complicated, so I think TOC method is more realistic
than the other conflict resolution methods.
Vita, from Hungary
· We
learnt conflict resolution skills—how to deal with conflicts, the difference
between needs and wants. TOC is best and very practical method that can be used
at schools. I have learnt how it can be applied on daily basis for personal
growth and development and also for the growth of the school.
Winnifred Moine, South Africa
(moiwin@thlabaneschools.co.sa)
· I
learnt more insights/knowledge about the topic, especially about resolving
conflicts. I hope to apply and practice the thinking tools for conflict analysis
both with the staff and pupils.
Nila Umpacan, Philippines
(nil_u2002@yahoo.com)
· I
am happy to know that conflicts don’t last long if we use TOC. TOC is the best
way of dealing with conflicts among children… Conflicts are always present in
our daily lives but we can try to get rid of them by win-win method. …I am
happy to know that conflict let people grow.
Semmeret Mamo
· The
contents of the classes were very useful for us. The way of your presentation
was really effective and made it easier for us to understand. It has given us
both theoretical and practical knowledge and we can easily adopt it in our
country.
Meenakshi Paudel, Nepal (mepaudel@hotmail.com).
· I
learnt that every conflict has its own solution and TOC can help us solve it
systematically. The above statement is more than enough!
Thawat Chittrakarn, Thailand
(cthawat@ratree.psu.ac.th)
· I
like your technique of teaching as it gave me the courage as a trainer.
Actually, TOC is a totally new subject for my country and I want to take it
with me. I am a trainer from a training & resource center, so I want to
involve it in my work. I just need your auspicious support. Thanks a lot!
Reeta Tamang, Seto Gurans National Child
Development Service, Lalitpur, P.O. 4103, Nepal Tamangreta@hotmail.com.
· TOC
is now very well understood. It is a good tool that I will use in my
professional and management activities, as I deal with a lot of conflict
resolutions. It is an important tool in training preschool teachers,
supervisors and coordinators. I feel compelled to teach this thinking tool to
teachers and pupils in a few selected schools. I have been empowered!
Francis R. W. Chalamanda, Ministry of
Gender, Youth and Community Services
Private bag 330, Capitol City, Lilongur 3,
Malawi chalamanda@yahoo.com.
· I
will try to use the benefit of Theory of Constraints with my children— it is
excellent. It is not only for “training” but for day-to-day life, if handled
properly.
B. Sahu, India. Sahusai2000@yahoo.co.in
· TOC
is very useful and efficient for me because I am a social worker. The cloud
method helps me to solve problems in my life experiences. I will share the
experience with my colleagues.
Ms. Ruper Mya, Rangon, Myanmar (Burma)
· I
got lots of information and a simplified approach to deal with problems. It is
an avenue for future association, very effective in communication.
D. R. Vijayalakshmi, India, nipcedbl@bgl.vsnl.
· We
have learned about good leadership, good communication skills and how to solve
conflicts. This will help us to have good working relationship with our
colleagues as well as trainees.
Eunice Maonga, Malawi. Emaonga@yahoo.com.
· The
program was built to give us both theoretical background and the ways of
reflection and implementation. The workshop was very interesting, the idea of
target planning was wonderful.
Andrulla Assiotou, Cyprus.
• I personally feel that I gained a lot by
meeting these interesting people, so different, yet so much alike, especially
when it comes to the basic needs, of living in peace and harmony…
Rina Raviv, Haifa, Israel Rinaravi@zahav.net.il
(2) The Story of Anna, Part II
From Petra Pouw-Legêne, The Netherlands
Do you remember the story I wrote in
TACTics Journal, October 4 last year, about my friend Liz's mother Anna (85)?
She came to me with Liz to find an answer to the question: "Do I give up
my apartment and move into a home for the elderly or do I not give up my
apartment." While searching for words to fill in the diagram of the cloud,
she was not ready to fill in the need in B. She put the following need in C:
"to keep my freedom.” Liz and I did not insist on her finding words for B
but invited her instead to find out what "to keep my freedom" meant
for her.
Well, many people asked me what happened to
Anna after that evening. This is what Liz told me on the phone some time later.
Anna had indeed thought a lot about what
"freedom" meant to her. She talked about it as being able to just sit
and read a book, watch TV, have company, have not so many physical tasks, etc.
About ten years ago Anna's husband died.
After that she decided to keep everything in the apartment in the exact same
way and condition out of reverence for and remembrance of her husband.
Maintaining it all kept her busy most of her days, since she is an extremely
neat housekeeper. Now she realised that living alone in her apartment had never
given her any freedom at all. She actually had been the keeper of her own
private museum for these past ten long years. And she longed to give up being a
slave of that museum and live in a smaller place which would be totally her
own, but which would not demand so much labor.
A week before Christmas she moved, out of
her own free will, into a nice apartment in a home for the elderly, was made
comfortable there like a princess with the help of her children. She was
cheerful and never looked back or regretted the move.
Of course she is still working on getting
used to the change. So new clouds have come up and have evaporated on issues
like f. e.: allowing or not allowing the staff to freely walk into her
apartment, etc. But that's another story!
(3) 7th International TOCFE Conference
May 16-19, 2003
Ramada Plaza Beach Resort
1500 Miracle Strip Parkway
Ft Walton Beach, Florida, USA
Hotel:
• For reservations, USA toll free:
800.874.8962.
• Please reserve your room under the TOCFE
Conference block of rooms.
• Boxed continental breakfast-up to two per
room included.
• Blocked rooms will be held until April
24, 2003 (afterward, reservations only if space available).
• The following prices are for maximum of 2
people per room (additional person is $10/person per night up to maximum of 4
per room).
Standard: $120 (plus tax) per night.
Courtyard: $135 (plus tax) per night
Poolside: $155 (plus tax) per night
Beach Front: $175 (plus tax) per night
Airport:
• Fort Walton Beach, Florida (VPS is the
airport code).
• Cab/shuttle service from airport to hotel
is about $15..• Driving information will be shared in a future TACTics.
Conference Fees:
• Daily Rate: $25 includes lunch, coffee
breaks and all materials.
• Full conference rate: $125 includes 4
lunches, all coffee breaks, all
materials and Special Dinner/Entertainment
Event on Sunday, May 18. A
Special Event is still being planned for
Saturday, May 17!
• 10% discount if registration fees are
paid by April 1, 2003
(4) Registration Form: 7th International TOCFE
Conference
REGISTRATION FORM
7th International
TOC for Education Conference
May 16-19, 2003
Ramada Plaza Beach Resort
1500 Miracle Strip Parkway
Ft. Walton Beach, Florida,
USA
Phone: 850.243.9161
Toll Free: 1.800.874.8962
Name:_____________________________________________________________
Home Street
Address:_________________________________________________
City:_____________________________State:__________Zip
Code:___________
Country:_________________________
Home
Phone:________________________
E-mail:_____________________________
Job Title or Position
(Include level of children you work with: elementary, etc.):
Conference Fees:
10 % discount
if registration fees are paid by April 1, 2003.
Daily Rate: $25 includes lunch, coffee breaks and all
materials ($22.50 before April 1. $27.50 after May 1.)
Full 4-Day Conference Rate: $125 includes 4 lunches,
all coffee breaks, all materials and Special Dinner/Entertainment Event on
Sunday, May 18, 2003. ($112.50 before
April 1. $150 after May 1.)
Mail completed registration form with check (sorry,
no credit cards accepted) for registration (payable to TOC for Education, Inc.) to:
Kathy Suerken, President
TOC for Education, Inc.
1532 Glenlake Circle
Niceville, FL 32578 USA
EDITORS’ NOTES
(5) Kay Buckner-Seal
This week’s TACTics is a testament (amongst
many) of the value and
effectiveness of TOC tools. Thanks to all
who made contributions. We hope
that you continue to share with us. Send
your responses, applications of the
thinking processes, lessons, announcements,
and etc. by mail to: Cheryl A.
Edwards, 2253 S. Hill Island Rd.,
Cedarville, Michigan 49719, USA. Or send
hyperlink to cedwards@cedarville.net or
bucknek@earthlink.net.
You may also view TACTics in its intended
formatting, by visiting our web
site at www.tocforeducation.com. Click on “What’s New.”