When I think about different personality types I don’t have to look further than my own family to see how distinctly different we all are. I, along with each of my children, have a different personality type and bring a special dynamic to our family. Often the personality clashes between my children spark sibling rivalries ... okay, not rivalries ... full-on fights where I go from mom to referee (or policewoman, depending on the severity) in the matter of seconds. But that is beside the point. My point is, collaborating with different personality types can indeed be challenging. Teaching children (and adults) how to collaborate with different personality types can be even more challenging if they don’t understand their own personality types or what makes them “tick,” so to speak.
Collaboration is a necessary part of everyday life. Knowing personality types allows us to know our own strengths and weaknesses, as well as being able to recognize traits in others. In understanding the different personality traits, especially our own, we are better able to work collaboratively. In a school setting, this means having total and complete respect for everyone in the school community, despite any differences that may arise and regardless of if we feel respect is being reciprocated. Every personality type and learning style offers a set of skills and abilities beneficial to collaboration and teamwork.
In extending this to students, personality type will have a bearing on what type of learner they are. Some students are visual learners, some auditory, others kinesthetic, to name a few (see Gardner’s list of 9 types of intelligences http://skyview.vansd.org/lschmidt/Projects/The%20Nine%20Types%20of%20Intelligence.htm ).
In Cognitive Type Theory and Learning Style, Mamchur states that “when teachers pay attention to individual differences, all sides benefit” (pg 60). She continues to say that teachers “feel better equipped to develop curriculum using type theory once they understand their own [personality] preferences” (pg 66). This seems like a challenging but rewarding and worthwhile task for this rare INFJ personality type!
Children are educated by what the grown-up is and not by his talk. ~ Carl Jung
3 comments:
You are right on how personality types clash, as that happens all the time in my family. My and my brothers are completely different of course in types, so there tends to be arguments. We have to deal with collaborating with different types all the time, and if every one knew and understand each others' personality type--especially students--then there will be constantly be a conflict, where students will struggle. Good points Rochelle!! =)
Rochelle Rochelle, that's a great quote at the end by Carl Jung.
It reminds me (negatively) of my 'school culture' at the staff level. So often there are unresolved, even mean spirited conflicts. There is side taking, back talking, the whole gamut.
It is so easy to see the 'misbehaviours' of our students interpersonal conflicts, while missing our own unkindness and grudge-holding in relation to our coworkers.
Just as children will learn from who the adult model is, so too class community will be much healthier if it has a beautiful model at the staff level.
Healthy collaboration over a long period of time is so much easier to idealize than to actualize!
-Mark
Thanks Mandeep and Mr.Lyme ; )
I feel that collaboration is like a dance. Sometimes it takes on the form of a ballet with slow, graceful, methodical movements. Other times it is a hip-hop dance with fast-paced, upbeat, abrupt movements. Either way, the key is to know your dance partner and been in-tune to their rhythm and the music they hear ... otherwise the two of you will be out of step.
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