My job: Creative thinking on brain gain

Janet de Witt uses a holistic approach to help people who struggle to learn. Photo / Supplied

Name: Janet de Witt.
Role: Educational kinesiologist/brain gym instructor/Resource Teacher Learning and Behaviour.
Working hours: Three days as a kinesiologist, two days as a RTLB.
Employer: Self-employed and Ministry of Education.
Salary: Comparative with other natural health practitioners.
Qualifications: B TeachLn (Canterbury ), Post Grad Dip Education (Auckland), Dip TESSOL, Dip EHC, educational kinesiology practitioner/brain gym instructor.

Describe what you do.

I am a brain gym consultant and an educational kinesiologist. I run courses and workshops teaching about the use of brain gym movements to enhance learning readiness and to overcome neuro-developmental issues that impact on learning.

At any given time I may be working with early childhood, primary, intermediate or secondary teachers, parents, or teaching seniors the brain gym movements.

As an educational kinesiologist I do clinical work with brain body balancing. I use a wide range of techniques including goal setting, muscle checking, developmental movement, affirmations, repatterning and stress diffusion.

I support parents who may have children with autism, dyslexia, Asperger's, ADHD or other learning issues and encourage them to work within the existing education and health systems.

Two days each week, I work as a Resource Teacher of Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) supporting schools, classroom teachers, teacher aides and parents with students with special learning and behavioural needs.

Your work history?

I am a trained primary teacher, completing part-time university papers in psychology and anthropology. I completed further part-time study and gained additional academic qualifications related to different teacher roles in education.

I started to explore kinesiology attending my first brain gym workshop in 1986.

I have always been interested in the learning process, in particular how children learn and how to make learning more efficient. For me the 1980s heralded an intensive learning time, chasing courses not only in New Zealand but overseas combining this with the demands of raising a young family.

In the 1990s, I qualified as a brain gym instructor and educational kinesiologist and combined running a kinesiology clinic, teaching brain gym courses, part-time ESOL teaching to adults and being a mother to my two children.

What is kinesiology?

Kinesiology is a multi-disciplined holistic approach to health, well-being, learning and performance, using a bio-feedback process of muscle checking and noticing. It recognises the relationship between physical structures such as the way muscles work, sensory integration, balance, lymphatic system and energy flows - and its impact on emotions, belief systems, motivation, learning and behaviour. Applied kinesiology was developed by Dr George Goodheart in the 1960s.

And what is brain gym?

Brain gym was developed by Dr Paul Dennison in the 1970s and is a system of 26 movement activities to unlock the potential for greater achievement.

What skills do kinesiologists need?

I see myself as a simplifier of information and an educator. I take knowledge and understanding about how the brain and body work and use that knowledge to help individuals improve their lives.

Why is your job important?

My passion is to enable my clients to be masters of their own learning. There is an interaction happening all the time between my clients and myself to help draw out their learning through the processes that I use.

How aware is the public of kinesiology?

Awareness is increasing as training for kinesiology has become more comprehensive and formalised. Registration and ongoing training is essential for public acceptance.

Most challenging part of the job?

Building a business in this economic climate that relies on word-of-mouth referrals.

I am always seeking feedback from parents to check that they are happy with what we are doing and are noticing positive changes.

I also have to find time to network with other related practitioners as I often refer on. This could be nutritional therapies or physical therapies such as osteopathy, vision or sound therapy or to mainstream services.

My goal is to ultimately work in an interdisciplinary setting.

Best part of the job?

Quirky kids are my passion.

They have all this wonderful creative potential but they often struggle and underperform in the education system.

It is rewarding to see them gain skills and strategies to help them cope and to realise their potential.

If a child reports that they got player of the day at soccer, felt confident giving a speech or their writing or drawing has improved, I know that I have facilitated a change in that child's life. That's the best part, removing the blocks to learning.

Your strengths?

Being able to relate to wide age groups. I could be working with children or with seniors, and in lots of different contexts.

Also, I am well organised and creative. I'm always looking for new, playful ways to teach what I know and to make it fun. I have my most success when the parent and child have fun doing a home movement programme together.

Advice for someone wanting to become a kinesiologist?

Get some life experience and formal qualifications first in an area like education, health, counselling or psychology. Your credibility as a kinesiologist is enhanced by having recognised qualifications. Many educational kinesiologists have been teachers or occupational therapists. Excellent communication skills are essential.