Choice Theory in New Zealand

The Solving Circle William Glasser’s Solving Circle has many applications and can be adapted for use with students in schools.  It is a valuable tool in the toolbox of the Lead Manager. This example explains a process that was used in a primary school in Queensland Australia with great success and with long-lasting results. The Story Every person who joins a group changes the dynamics.  A new year six student arrived at Arundel State School during the year.  She was a vivacious, attractive girl from South Africa of Indian descent. The ‘in-group’ of year six girls immediately included her in their group.  After a time,  the relationship began to deteriorate and  turned quite nasty and it descended into name-calling and general put-downs, ending up a catfight and the girls scratching of each other.  Parents became involved.  The classroom teacher and I were both Glasser advocates and decided this would be an excellent opportunity to use the Solving Circle.  I

The Weather Rope My older brother and I had a discussion about school journals that were a part of our reading program at school in New Zealand all those years ago.  He reminded me about a story that had made a huge impact on him called   The Weather Rope . Perhaps it was the fact that we grew up in a farming community where the weather was always a topic of discussion "We need rain." Or "Wish it would stop raining so we can get the hay in." Perhaps it was the possibility of being able to control things over which we had no control. The story told of a community that discovered a weather rope that hung from the sky.  All one had to do was to go and pull on the rope to get a change in the weather.  If the community wanted rain then the rope was pulled and hey presto there was rain.  Then if the rain was sufficient for the grass to grow, the rope was pulled again and there was the sunshine to dry up all the puddles. This all went along ver

Leading Example                                                   Permission has been given to use this artwork R arely are politicians challenged to lead their country through sweeping and far-reaching change.   In her short time as Prime Minister of Aotearoa New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern has confronted three unprecedented ordeals.   2019 brought the Christchurch massacre and the eruption of Whakaari White Island. 2020 brought the emerging COVID 19 virus pandemic. We went to sleep in one world and woke up in another. People were asked to stay at home for four weeks.   The only people able to go out were those essential workers travelling to and from work, or those going to the supermarket and pharmacy.   Over 70s were also asked to stay at home.   This step, in a bid to stop the spread of the virus and save lives, started just past midnight of 25 th March 2020.   Bringing such significant change at remarkable speed required major courage, collaborative p

It has been some time since this blog has been used. Like a number of things online, it has been ignored or forgotten.  It will no longer be forgotten as it now has a home on the newly created, rebranded Glasser Aoteroa New Zealand website.   A new logo was commissioned in 2019 to give a fresh new look whilst maintaining the concept of the hands and a flame of the original logo of The William Glasser Institute all with an Aotearoa New Zealand theme. In January 2020  following a two-day retreat in Auckland at the home of Ksenija Napan, replacing the William Glasser Institute  New Zealand,  Glasser Aotearoa New Zealand was launched with the new Management Committee making some decisions about the future of the organisation.  The beginnings of a new website has been constructed and the blog was linked for ease of access. These blogs will be intermittent as time permits. From time to time we will add links to other people's work.   We invite anyone who would like to contrib