Collaborating with different personality types

In a school setting, collaboration happens all the time. A teacher not only has to collaborate with other teachers, s/he would also have to collaborate with different students in a class. Knowing what kind of personality type that one holds is a very important first step to start with on collaborating with others.

As one understands his/her own personality type more and deeper, s/he will be able to better understand the others and the way they interact as well. What I mean by that is that if a teacher knows his/her personality type, s/he should be able to know his/her teaching style. By that, s/he will be able to determine if this kind of teaching style fits most of the students in the class. If it doesn’t, then this teacher will have to reflect on the way s/he interacts with his/her students and find out what is missing. S/he might even have to change his/her teaching style a little in order to let the students learn better. On the other hand, if it works for the most of the students, that doesn’t mean this teacher doesn’t have to do anything else. S/he will still have to consider the rest of the class, who apparently are not fitting with the style. S/he will have to collaborate different teaching styles or activities into the class in order to let every one in the class to be able to learn the material.

Collaboration also happens between teachers. Sometimes there might be two teachers teaching a class, and that’s when those two teachers have to work really hard together in order to come to compromise what kind of teaching style they are going to use. Sometimes one can be the other’s complement because of the slightly different personality types, which leads to teaching styles. Other times, if the two of them have totally different personality types, which lead them to really different teaching styles, they will have to discuss about it and find out what is the best way for the students.

Collaboration can be very useful and nice when used properly. It is extremely important for a teacher to be able to collaborate with different personality types people (no matter students or other teachers).