By John Powers, Jr. – High School Principal Tucson Unified School District

The following is from a half-day conference for Tucson-area teachers, administrators, nurses counselors and
parents held August 11, 2002 titled “Enhancing the Learning Environment with Touch.” In his presentation John
Powers, Assistant Principal of a Tucson public high school (and later Principal of a Magnet School in Tucson where
he used Bio-Touch in his daily work), outlines the completing reasons for reintroducing safe, healthy touch, namely
Bio-Touch, into the school system.

Current brain research indicates that creating an optimal learning environment enhances student
learning and leads to measurable increases in student achievement. There are well-documented links to
infant and child development and the importance of touch in establishing rapport and security. The need
for touch does not go away as we get older. However, the complications of appropriate touch often along
with cultural variables make many in education reluctant to engage in what they may consider “risky”
behavior.

Bio-Touch is a process that can ease touch back into the educational environment. By providing a
simple, safe and non-intrusive technique, Bio-Touch allows this natural human impulse to have
expression in an appropriate way. In addition, this process is available to children and adults alike and
empowers them with a feeling of efficacy and well-being. With these things in mind, I would like to
briefly outline the impact that I believe Bio-Touch can and will have on our students and ourselves
[educators].

I have been an educator for over 25 years and in that time I have seen many challenges and purported
remedies for those challenges. We are not here to make wild claims for this process. I will offer my
views later as to the impact I see Bio-Touch making in the school environment. But first, I want to share
with you how I personally became involved with the process as well as the many wonderful people who
make Bio-Touch a growing reality in Tucson as well as in other places.

As an educator, I was always interested in maximizing the learning of my students and I have studied
many approaches to learning. Theories such as learning styles, multiple intelligences and brain based
learning have captivated me with their potential to help educators address every learner in ways that will
give students the power to harness their minds for the tasks that may await them in life. I was always
struck by several aspects of the research I did, as well as a personal conundrum.

The personal conundrum is that nearly all children learn two of the most difficult tasks without a
formal learning theory or professional educators’ intervention. Those two tasks are walking and talking.
In each case, a very small, vulnerable, developing child successfully negotiates with his/her environment
to master these tasks to an enormous degree. What they require, besides their own assertiveness and
desire, is a supportive human environment that is virtually full of touch.

The research on various learning theories indicates that bodily, kinesthetic learning is largely ignored
as students’ progress up the educational ladder. A large exception is the area of sports and fine arts as
well as some vocational areas such as auto, wood shop, welding and photography. However, the “core”
of our curriculum is concentrated in four areas that are essentially passive intellectual activities with very
little opportunity for the use of the touching sense.

The famous anthropologist, Ashley Montague stated that many mothers in the animal world must do
extensive touching of the newborn or very negative consequences could result. The mother may reject
the newborn as not hers. The newborn could actually die from the lack of stimulation it does not receive
from its mother.

I have become convinced that each of our senses is a gateway to expanding our exploration of the
world around us. This especially applies to the relationships we have with others. I first experienced
Bio-Touch at a health and wellness fair where a former teaching colleague of mine invited me to try it. I
was skeptical, especially since she was selling the instructional video and instruction booklets. Though
they were reasonably priced (even for a cheapskate like me!), I declined to buy and told her I might check
it out at a later date.

Three months later, I came to the Bio-Touch Center for a session due to some pain in my legs and arm.
I was amazed at the state of mind this process produced in me. I was further amazed that the session cost
me nothing (remember, I was and still am a cheapskate). I started inquiring into the organization and the
process. I attended an Open House [Ed. Note: which was also free] and decided to do the training and
the internship for certification. I was amazed at the people who came and the stories they related about
their experiences with Bio-Touch.

Something started to click in my mind as I went through the training and internship. I believe that we
are often imprisoned by a lack of opportunity to express ourselves kinesthetically. As our society is
becoming more “touch phobic” we are facing increasing and more intense violent behavior. Of course,
we can blame video games, TV, the movies and rap music, but the fact that several of my colleagues are
afraid to be left in their offices or class rooms alone with a female student for fear of being accused of
something inappropriate says a lot about the state of affairs in education and society at large. Another
colleague tells me that “hugging is a no-no” and that “touchy feely stuff has no place in education.”
I do not share those views and see them as proof positive of the sorry state of affairs in education. It is
amazing that students from grades one to three appear to do relatively equally in school regardless of
academic background, social, economic status or ethnicity. It’s strange that as education becomes more
impersonal, differences become more pronounced. Those primary teachers are often like second mothers
to their students, but then the path of the educational ladder takes students closer and closer to the
college environment that is more distant and foreboding. Nurturing is not high on the agenda of most
college campuses.

If you talk to students and listen to them talk about their best teachers, they will invariably say that
those teachers “touched” them in some way. It may not have been physical, but a connection was made.
In these times in which both parents are breadwinners and the number of single parent households
continues to rise, schools often represent the greatest potential influence in a child’s life. I believe that the
people in schools must reach out and touch their students to help them surmount the difficult challenges
they face, now as well as in the future. Bio-Touch is a way to break down barriers and show students,
faculty, staff and parents that school is a caring place for all its members. As an old Diana Ross song puts
it: “Reach out and touch somebody’s hand, make this world a better place if you can.”

Even beyond what Bio-Touch can and will do for students, it has great implications for teachers as
well. The best teachers are those who remain students throughout their educational careers. I believe
that Bio-Touch can help relieve stress and give a sense of calm contemplation to the challenging mental
and physical states the current educational environments produce.
Impact on the brain

A. Preliminary research has suggested that Bio-Touch may help quiet certain types of brain activity
while the recipient is also very alert. There is potential in working with students with ADD and ADHD.
B. Bio-Touch promotes a calming affect which would be extremely helpful with students who are
touching inappropriately or suffer from emotional trauma.
C. Multi-modal connections are powerful stimuli to the brain.
Impact on faculty and staff
A. Faculty and staff members can counteract a great deal of job related stress through the use of BioTouch on each other.
B. Bio-Touch helps build rapport between the teacher and student as well as with other colleagues
and staff members.
C. Bio-Touch allows for reflective time in a supportive way considering the often stressful nature of
the school environment.
Impact of learning Bio-Touch
A. Research on the readiness to learn indicate that emotional security is necessary for students to
maximize their learning potential.
B. Bio-Touch is simple, easy to administer and makes each person who learns a successful learner.
This empowerment establishes efficacy that can be used to move to other areas of inquiry.
C. Bio-Touch is an excellent example of cooperative learning.
D. Bio-Touch demonstrates resiliency—the power to meet uncomfortable circumstances and emerge
in a positive state of mind.
E. Bio-Touch lends itself to developing sensitivity and self-knowledge.
F. As we move toward the greater use of technology in education, Bio-Touch will become even more
valuable to making connections with students.

Impact on the school community
A. Bio-Touch is a technique that students can take home to use with their siblings and parents
B. Parents can use this technique as a means of bonding with their child as well as empowering their
child.
C. Students from higher grades could be used to train students at lower grades as a means of
articulation.
D. Bio-Touch will offer opportunities for students throughout the larger community through
community service.
With these impacts Bio-Touch is a natural extension of the kind of learning that is integrative,
dynamic and interactive on a small and large scale.
Expected Positive Results
A. Reduction of anxiety, anger and disruptions in classrooms.
B. Greater interaction between students, teacher, and parents.
C. Greater self-discipline and empowerment of student and staff.
D. Increased opportunities for articulation with feeder school pattern.
E. Improved opportunities to address stress related issues in school.
Where can we go from here?
A. Form study groups that can receive credit toward salary increment.
B. Set up research projects to test Bio-Touch’s efficacy.
C. Integrate Bio-Touch into some of your curriculum.
D. Set up individual projects for students.
E. Set up stress relief using Bio-Touch with faculty and staff.

We hope to spur interest in setting up some small research sampling in school settings. This will
supplement intensive research already being done at the University of Arizona. Please join us in this
effort of bringing awareness of this simple technique to your school community. The major investments
are a small amount of time and a great amount of care. These resources are available to us—it only
requires our will and commitment to begin to reap the benefits that Bio-Touch can bring.

COMMENTS AFTER THE WORKSHOP FROM TEACHERS:
“I see Bio-Touch being implemented in drop-out prevention, learning disabilities and anger
management.”
“It’s hard to shoot someone you’ve touch!”
“Students could feel empowered by providing healing touch for family members and other students.”