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Teaching Feelers: Using Myers-Briggs In The Classroom

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This post is part of a series of posts on teaching to different personality type indicators as found in the Myers Briggs Type Indicator. To see more, head here. 

According to Myers Briggs, when you are making decisions, you use two functions. Thinking and Feeling. You’ll use both through the whole decision-making process, but one will primarily take over. This blog post is to solely focus on the Feelers. 

Some traits that can define a Feeler: 

They are always considering the feelings of themselves and others in decision-making. 

They are the first to think of how a problem will affect others before they think about the process of the problem. 

When coming up with solutions to situations, they focus on people-oriented solutions and how we can work together instead of work better. 

They are your empathetic students. 

Feelers think more with their hearts and less with their heads. 

Ways you can support a Feeler in the classroom: allow them time to create personal connections to peers, teachers, and even the material you are studying. Consider their feelings in your conversations, if they do not feel supported, they can lose a lot of trust in the relationship, which is a vital part of their relationship with school in general. Let them be heard in their problem-solving. It may seem inefficient to use feelings while solving an analytical problem, but this is the way they need to process information. 

Ways you can push a Feeler in the classroom: challenge them to think analytically. Give them supported opportunities to push the feelings and emotions of others aside while they problem-solve. Pair them with a Thinking type so that both can see different ways to go about problem-solving. 

Have you been able to pick out the Feelers in your classroom? What tools do you use to support them? 

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Your Guide To College Housing

High school seniors! Let’s talk about one thing that may be bringing you stress right now, housing! It can be hard to choose college housing because of all of the different types and pros and cons. Here is a general, quick guide that may be able to help you learn more and make an informed decision. 

The different types of housing in college: 

Dorms 

Resident Halls 

Sorority/ Fraternity 

Off-campus housing

Living at home 

On-campus: Some pros and cons, closer to classes. The great social aspect. Can have more rules for your living situation (smoking, alcohol, pets). Easier to know what’s happening at the school. There are different types of on-campus housing, which include dorms, resident halls, and sorority/ fraternity houses. 

Dorms are on-campus housing that can differ drastically in amenities/layout. Some dorms are strictly a room you sleep in with a community bathroom, laundry, and rec room space. It’s also required to sign up for a meal plan pass to eat at the dining halls since you do not have a kitchen in your dorm room. If you are looking for a great social aspect in college, this is it! 

Resident Halls are on-campus housing and typically have a more “apartment” set up. They have the rooms, bathrooms, living area, and kitchen all in the same apartment that you share with other roommates. 

Sorority/ Fraternity: These are places that can have housing available, but you must be a part of the sorority or fraternity to live in their housing. If you are looking for a social place to live and a way to be involved with your school, this a fantastic option! They can be on the spendier side though. 

Off-campus housing: You can also find housing off-campus in apartments, shared houses, and more. Off-campus housing is typically further from campus and may require a parking pass so you can park on campus because it is not close enough to walk. Or you may have to look into public transportation to get to campus. There may also be fewer rules in your housing because it is not endorsed by the school you are attending. 

Living at home: If you are attending school in or near your home town, living with your parents is an option, too! It would likely require a commute to school and could possibly have an effect on the social aspect of school. However, it could save a lot of money!

Some schools may have other housing options, but typically these are the main ones you can find on your campus. You can also make the decision of whether or not to live with friends, move in with strangers, or try to find a program that matches you with others in your field of study. 

There are so many options when it comes to college housing, as well as a long list of pros and cons when it comes to different places. What type of housing have you chosen or did choose in college and how did you come to that decision? 

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Teaching the Thinkers: MBTI In The Classroom

This post is part of a series of posts on teaching to different personality type indicators as found in the Myers Briggs Type Indicator. To see more, head here. 

According to Myers Briggs, when you are making decisions, you use two functions. Thinking and Feeling. You’ll use both through the whole decision-making process, but one will primarily take over. This blog post is to solely focus on the Thinkers. 

Some traits that can define a Thinker: 

Logical

Looks at the statistics 

Analytical

Truth seekers- even if it’s hurtful

Everything needs to turn out equal

Can put the problem before the person 

How to support a Thinker in the classroom- They need objectives. They need a target goal written somewhere clearly for them to know what the purpose of the work is. They also thrive on conversations with others. Whether this is in a group setting or one-on-one will depend on if they are introverted or extroverted. But they need this conversation because they want to bounce off every possibility and all of the information that they can. 

How to help Thinkers in your classroom grow- challenge them to think about others in their decision-making and how it affects peers. 

Thinkers are a big part of the classroom. You can easily pick them out by holding a class meeting talking about a problem in the classroom that needs a solution. They’ll be the kids talking about how to fix the problem, not who will fix the problem. They’ll bring forward the analytical, sensible ideas that don’t involve the feelings of the whole classroom. 

Have you been able to pick out the Thinkers in your classroom? 

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Online School: Is It Right For You?

Online school is all the rage right now! Given current technology and a global pandemic, it only seems fitting. Online “school” can be a loose term, because it can mean partially online, partially in the classroom. It can mean some of your classes are online and some are in person. And it can also mean that your entire education is solely online. 

Here are some facts about an online school. I won’t list them out as pros/ cons because some of these points will be a positive thing for one person, but a negative for others. 

You typically can set your schedule. When the coursework is online, you can set your own pace and complete work around your schedule. 

Can have little in-person social interaction because it is all online. Some online programs may have in-person meet-up options, but it’s not typical. 

Books and course material can be cheaper since they are not spending the resources printing everything. 

You can work remotely, giving you the freedom to live in different places. Or even travel while going to school! 

It takes a lot of self-driven work because of the flexibility of time.  

Office hours with instructors typically are over video call or email, which can make it difficult when you are struggling with the material. 

Typically more affordable. 

WIFI has a big effect on your success. If you do not have good, reliable WIFI, it can cause a lot of stress and complications with your schooling. 

As a parent with a child in an online school, it can take more involvement from you to help with learning material. 

Online school can be incredibly convenient and stressful all in the same breath. There are a lot of factors to consider when trying to choose an online school! If you chose an online school for you or your child, how did you decide it was the right path for you? 

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What Is The Purpose Of Higher Education?

We’ve covered on our blog that there are multiple forms of higher education. But I think it might be important to take a step back and ask the question- but what is the purpose of higher education? 

Looking at a broad, overall answer, the point of obtaining a higher education beyond high school is to gain the knowledge needed for a profession. It gives you a specialized field of study that later you can boast to potential employers. But, there is also a long list of other reasons we as humans work hard to obtain a higher education. They are (but not limited to): 

The social skills that inadvertently come with being in a school setting.

Networking with professors, potential future employers, and peers. 

Proving that you can work hard and achieve something that takes hard work.

It helps you meet the needs of your own self-fulfillment, giving you a higher purpose in life.  

Learning critical thinking skills, how to adapt to different situations, work with others, and gives you emotional intelligence and resilience. 

Studies show that individuals that have attended higher education courses tend to make healthier decisions in their lives. 

Other studies have shown that those that have achieved a degree in higher education show more success in their careers. There are less unemployment and job loss. 

There are plenty of reasons to obtain higher education from the institution of your choice. Not only are you studying a field that you want to pursue a career in, but you are also gaining relationships, networking, and meeting some of your most basic self-fulfillment needs. 

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Teaching Sensing Students- Using MBTI In The Classroom

This post is part of a series of posts on teaching to different personality type indicators as found in the Myers Briggs Type Indicator. To see more, head here. 

Last week I hit on teaching intuitive students based on the Myers Briggs Personality Type Indicator, this week I want to swing to the other end of the spectrum and talk about teaching students that lean more toward learning in a sensory environment instead of with their intuition. 

First, it’s important to note that we all as humans use both types, sensing, and intuition in our everyday lives. However, we naturally will choose one over the other more often, and use the opposing one less often. 

Sensing students are exactly what you would think- students that use their senses to learn. They are in it for the hear and now. They use their touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing to take in the world around them. 

Traits of sensing students: They look for the bottom line, they don’t try to make connections with other subjects or areas. They need the cold, hard facts written out for them. They need hands-on activities and manipulatives to understand the subject matter to the fullest. Learning through experience means more to them than hearing about it. 

How to support sensing students in the classroom: Find different manipulatives to allow them to hold, mold, and use while they take in the curriculum. Push them a little by challenging them to look beyond the facts and pick out different possibilities of what could be. Give them opportunities to apply what they are learning in their real, everyday lives. Push them by allowing them to engage in stress-free, theoretical conversations with peers. 

Sensing students are important to the classroom! They balance out the dreamer, intuitive types. Having a good mix of both in the classroom can bring out a great combination of facts and dreams. Conversations and manipulatives. 

Have you been able to pick out the sensing students in your classroom? How do you support their learning style, while also helping them grow by using their intuitive side? 

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What We Can And Cannot Control

I know the majority of people are familiar with the graphics or the exercises where you write down two different categories. 

Things I can control. 

Things I cannot control. 

You then list out everything on one side of the things that are in your control. Your thoughts, your attitude, your opinions, your actions. 

On the other side, you write down the things you cannot control. Others opinions, thoughts, comments. The traffic, the weather, politics, etc. 

It can be very therapeutic to take some time writing these down so that we can realize what is in our control and what is out of our control. 

However, I think we oftentimes only associate these things with other adults in our lives. We are thinking about our colleagues and neighbors. However, as teachers and parents, we often do not apply this principle to our students and kids. And I know that it’s true because I also felt like I was above it all and could control my children. In fact, I felt like I had control of my children. But do I really have control over their thoughts and actions? Absolutely not. 

So what do I have then? Boundaries. Influence.

Because I cannot control my children’s actions and thoughts, I have to set clear, firm boundaries for them to act within. I have the responsibility to teach and influence them.

For example. My daughter and I often play in the front yard, but we live on a road just busy enough that she cannot ride her bike or play in the street because there are too many cars. I cannot control how my daughter moves her body, what thoughts she has on the road, or her desire to see what it’s like out there. These are all completely up to her. 

However, I can have a good influence on her by teaching her the safety of the road, letting her know what the dangers are, and setting a physical boundary for her so that she cannot cross into the road. 

I still have no control over her thoughts or actions, but I’ve taken the proper precautionary steps to keep her safe! 

The same goes for when you’re teaching in a kindergarten classroom. If a child throws a huge tantrum and starts throwing objects across the room, can you control her emotions, actions, or decisions? No. You really do not have control over those. 

Can you influence her, show support, set boundaries, and control your own actions and emotions? YES! 

I’ve been using this strategy with friends and family when unwanted and unsolicited comments arise, by reminding myself that these individuals have the right to act, think, and say what they want, but it’s my responsibility to control my own thoughts and actions in response. It was a mind-blowing revelation that it can also be applied to younger children as well! 

Yes, we do need to set boundaries and stay a good influence because that’s what a good teacher, parent, or role model does. However, it’s relieving to know that these children’s actions and thoughts are not a reflection of you. They are not your responsibility to control, they are just your responsibility to react in a professional way to guide them to safety. 

Have you had this revelation of control with your class and kids? Did it help you while teaching to have a sense of self-awareness when it comes to control?