Collaborating with Different Personality Types

When I think of collaboration, I think of teachers working with other teachers, administrators, parents, and students. I feel it is very important for teachers to share their ideas and discuss strengths and weaknesses of their teachings with other teachers. This gives teachers the chance to learn new information through different perspectives. Also, teachers can get some insight from parents about their teachings as well. But before teachers can start collaborating with others, teachers must be able to "know themselves". What I mean is that they have to be able to know their personality type, and understand their values.

Once teachers get to know themselves then they can start to know their students. Although there are many students with different personality types teachers need to find out each personality type and be sensitive to them and their interests. They need to support all personality types and try to develop teachings around the different personality types. Of course there may be struggles, but by putting students like extroverts with introverts in a group, it can help the introverts become stronger and build up more confidence. And the extroverts can learn something from the introverts as well. It is a learning process for both teachers and students because teachers will have to find ways to teach to these different personality types without making it too easy or difficult for one type. And for students, they will have to learn that not every student has the same personality type and there will be times in school where they will feel uncomfortable, but it is a part of learning and it helps improve their learning.