Thanks to my wonderfully thoughtful daughter Sophia, I will be able to begin each day with a cup of flexibility:-)

Most educators and learners and many others in the western world have been on break from the holidays. With the new year comes reflection on where we have been and a forward look to where we are heading.

We can notice where our toward and away moves have been taking us. Are we where we want to be? Have we been on autopilot or otherwise stuck in inner struggling? Could we do with some “course corrections?”

Psychological flexibility brings us to what is happening right now. When we use the matrix we can pause and take it all in. Where do I want to be today, tomorrow , next month? Who or what is important to me? What can I do to keep moving toward what matters both for myself and those around me? Let’s see what happens next!

The ACT Matrix can come in handy as the holiday season nears. This short video presents a way to keep educators and learners’  psychological flexibility going

On November 4th I had the pleasure of training two multidisciplinary groups of professional support staff and colleagues in Hamilton Township Public Schools, N.J. The agenda was “using the matrix for collaboration and consultation with teachers, students and parents”. The group consisted of learning consultants, guidance counselors,  student assistance counselors, school social workers and psychologists. While we all have different perspectives and responsibilities there is a shared common purpose: supporting and enhancing learning for students.

In performing our duties we are sought out by teachers and others to solve problems. Some problems require a brief intervention or suggestion, others more complex and challenging. The matrix was offered as a functional tool to assist the group in promoting psychological flexibility, especially with respect to difficult issues and situations. After asking for permission to show the audience the “psychological flexibility point of view” we spent the next three hours training and playing with the matrix.

Each attendee was initially handed a small whiteboard. My colleague and matrix savvy teammate Lynda Marasco along with talented school psych intern Ana Benalcazar facilitated the process and helped to move things along throughout the day.

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