Myers Briggs and Personality Types and Learning Environments
Sometimes I wish I could have my audience do the MBTI indicator just to see if my experience is validated with the results. Sometimes, it just seems to work out that I have an audience of primarily Introverts. Add to that the generally reserved nature of Midwesterners and the result is often a very quiet audience. For us extroverts, who get our energy from those around us, that’s challenging!
Then there are the days where the audience is overwhelmingly extroverted and there’s a low rumble in the background all day. Extroverts process their learning by talking their process. I do get complaints on these days that some audience members can’t hear. Of course, I’m an extrovert, so these days are very energizing for me. I have tons of energy flying around the room to keep me going!
I taught high school for most of my career. I also taught a third/fourth grade, did some work through my Master’s program with second, fourth and fifth grade and did anger management work with middle school as well as high school students. Now that I teach adult learners much of the time, I’m fascinated at how the personality of learners creates the same dynamic in any learning environment, regardless of the age of the learner. It reminds me every day of the key question teachers ask themselves, “How do I reach every learner in my classroom?” I have tremendous respect for how hard teachers have to work to create a successful learning environment for all learning styles.
I got some fantastic strategies and tips from my audience today. Given the hour, I plan to collect the tips this week and post them next week when I’m back in the office for a few days. Please check back for some very cool strategies, tips and resources from the trenches.