EFT provides impressive results in the classroom

By Patsy Anthony

Hi Gary,

I hope this letter may inspire some hesitant teachers to try tapping with the children in their classes, or encourage a few parents to enlighten their children’s teachers to the benefits of EFT in our schools

For the past two years I have been continually amazed by the healing powers EFT.  I have overcome my Crohn’s disease, astonished my surgeon by tapping away severe pain due to a lack of cartilage in my knee, and completely relinquished a long standing fear of flying.  My greatest delight, however, has been teaching EFT to the children in my classroom.  What a privilege it has been to help children with fears and anxieties work through their emotions so easily and effectively.

Recently there was a “snow day” at my school. In southwestern BC, when it does snow heavily, roads become treacherous.  The school buses managed to arrive safely, however some children entered my classroom feeling very anxious. Their bus had fishtailed down a steep hill and crashed into a rock.  Another child had narrowly escaped being hit by a spinning car while waiting for her bus.

It was the day of our Christmas Concert dress rehearsal, a day full of excitement and jitters at the best of times. The grade one teacher and I had previously decided that it would be a perfect day to introduce EFT to her children, as they were very nervous about performing on stage.  Amidst all of the chaos and excitement of this snow day, she brought her grade ones into my class so that my Grade Four students could teach them how to tap in their newly official roles as “Peer Tappers”.

I have been very fortunate to have many of my students join me for a second year, in a new grade, and it has been wonderful to notice how skilled they are becoming with EFT. We try it on “just about anything” in our class. Every week we tap before Math tests. We usually use the Borrowing Benefits technique, where I choose one child from the group, usually one who shows me more than seven fingers, signaling significant emotional intensity on a scale of 0 to 10, to tap in front of the class while the rest tap along. We spend time discussing how that child is feeling, since often he or she will give me some brilliant insights. One boy recently said, “When I have to write a test it’s like I have all these locked doors in my mind and I can’t find the right key to unlock them.”

I am always amazed by the remarkable improvements made by those children who tap on their worries before exams.  The very first time I taught EFT to my students, every single child improved their test scores from the previous week, some by more than 20%.  These results have continued to impress all of us over the past two years. Here is an example of some of the words we have tapped on for test anxieties:

Even though I feel really stressed about writing this math test and my throat feels dry and I find it hard to swallow, and it’s hard to breathe, and I’m worried that I won’t be able to do my best and show how smart I really am… I’m still an awesome kid.

Following is what we said while tapping the EFT points:

I’m feeling really stressed!  I have to write a math test!

My throat is really dry!  It’s hard to breathe!

What if I don’t know all the answers?

What if I don’t improve my score?

What if I make mistakes?  Oh no! (humour)

Well, all I can do is try.

All I can do is try my best.

That’s all I can do.

I’ll try my best.

I really do know a lot!

I’m a smart kid!

I’m getting smarter every day!

I’m actually brilliant!

I’m going to ace this test!

And even if I do make a mistake or two, I’m still an awesome kid!

I always use the child-friendly term, “I’m still an awesome kid” because it inevitably brings smiles to their faces. I also refer to EFT as “tapping” with young children.

I wish I could relate all the wonderful examples of the various and unique ways in which we have tried EFT in my classroom.  EFT has helped children suffering from test anxiety, separation anxiety, social difficulties, anger, frustration, guilt, fears, aches and pains, lying, stealing, dyslexia and ADHD. 

It is an especially effective tool for enabling children, especially those who are perfectionists, to stop beating themselves up for making mistakes.  Some children are harder on themselves than anyone else in their lives will ever be, and this creates huge anxiety issues for them.  EFT alleviates anxiety better than any other technique I have ever seen used in schools.

One boy last year began crying while attempting to complete his map of Canada test.  “I can’t remember the Territories! I knew them yesterday but not today,” he sobbed. After a brief round of tapping, I asked if he could remember just one territory. He said, “Sure, I can remember them all, and the capitals too.” He achieved one hundred percent on his test. 

Another boy had an anxiety attack during a government exam because he couldn’t think of a thing to write. After tapping on the fact that he was usually full of ideas, just not for the “government,” his pencil started flying and his exam results showed that he’d exceeded expectations for his grade level. 

Last year a girl adamantly refused to go on stage for the Christmas Concert because she was going to be sick. After tapping, she joined us with a huge smile on her face. She went further that year to perform in a Shakespearean play with my class. By tapping on her stage fright and her fear of muddling up before an audience, she was able to give a captivating performance in our production of “Twelfth Night for Kids”. It was a performance I know she will always be proud of, thanks to EFT.

Needless to say, my grade four students were thrilled at the thought of becoming “Peer Tappers” and helping the grade ones alleviate their worries about the Christmas Concert. Some grade ones had heard about tapping from big brothers and sisters, so their minds were open; they wanted to learn.  First we put stickers on one my student’s self portraits to show where to tap. Next, I demonstrated what words might be useful by working with a volunteer in front of the group. Then the grade ones each chose a big buddy.  As the children sat opposite each other on the floor, I watched with tears in my eyes. Every one of my students led a little buddy through a personal tapping session.  It was beautiful to watch – one of the highlights of my teaching career!

Once our children had finished tapping, we decided to practice our Christmas Concert one final time. After watching my class perform, the grade one students confidently walked up onto the stage and sang and danced with enormous smiles on their faces. They were delightful!

Unfortunately, our dress rehearsal never took place yesterday. The snow kept falling, parents were worried, teachers were stressed, and concerned bus drivers came to collect the children at lunchtime. It was one of those days that teachers never remember fondly ... but not for me.

After I arrived home, the grade one teacher phoned to thank me.  She had been so impressed by the leadership role that my students had taken, and by the gentle, insightful ways in which they had taught her children how to tap. She was inspired by the possibilities of using EFT in her classroom and the doors that would now open for her young students. We came to realize, through this conversation, that we had both had one of the best days of teaching in our lives. While all around us frantic teachers were dealing with problems at school, our two classes were like islands full of peaceful, happy energy. Even the most challenging children in our classes were calm, quiet and content after beginning the day with EFT.  So too, were we.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every day at school could begin like that?  What if we could start each morning tapping with our children, so that no matter what occurs, no matter what worries our children might encounter throughout the day or throughout their lives, they would always feel that they are “awesome kids”!

Thank-you so much, Gary, for everything you do!

Patsy Anthony