Personality Styles and Learning - What Difference Does it Really Make?

Personality Styles play a major role in not only how we communicate with others, but also in how we listen, filter information and how we assimilate what we have learned into our existing life experience. Your personality style will impact how well you communicate information/instructions, how you determine what is "important" for your child to "get" and how you expect your child to react to your teaching. Your child's personality style will inevitably impact how they react to you, how they process your instructions and whether or not they see information as important like you do. Now that it is as clear as mud...let's take a closer look at examples:

Let's start by looking at an overview of the basic personality styles and how they come into play:

"D" stands for Dominance, Determined, Decisive, Dedicated, Dogmatic, etc.
The D personality style is a very focused, driven person. This person enjoys a challenge and is motivated by being told that they "can't" do something - they will prove that they can! This person cannot handle simple, repetitive structure, but needs change and variety - always a new challenge on the horizon. They are task focused and very rarely wants to be in group situations unless they are in control and in charge. They will take leadership in groups and often will be perceived as "stepping on" others in the process of making things happen. Phrases often uttered about a D personality include: "they just walked right by me and didn't speak!" or "they just will not admit that it won't work...they can't let it go". This person is also NOT a detail person - they want to see the big picture and the end result - the middle ground of how to get there is generally unimportant. You can disagree with them as long as you have a solution - just don't come in griping without alternatives in mind...they don't mind being wrong, just mind being slowed down or prevented from meeting their goals.

The D personality, when teaching will tend to focus on major themes rather than dates/names, etc. The D teacher will like coming up with new ways of delivering information and the school day will rarely look the same from one day to the next. Change is a natural part of the day and the students will need to roll with the punches. The D teacher will expect obedience and a seriousness when working. The students can ask questions as long as they are not just wasting time. The D teacher is usually doing 15 tasks at a time while teaching and, amazingly they can compartmentalize all of them to some extent.

The D personality style, when found in a student will usually exhibit itself in a child with poor attention to details - they will give you a book report but they do not have time to go back and look for birth dates/authors. The D student will do the handwriting paper but does not have time to write the letters 3 times each! They get bored with writing their spelling words and they get frustrated easily when they don't understand something. They will get their work done and will usually "beat their time" if there is a prize to be had or a goal to be met. This student needs high expectations of them and constant challenges/variety. This child needs some independence to set their schedule and needs to learn early how to set goals. This child will appreciate direct instruction and right to the point redirection. The child will not be overly social in any situation unless they are leading the pack and setting the schedule...then they are large and in charge. When in conflict, this student will always be determined to "win" the fight...failure is not an option!

Tomorrow's Post: The "I" personality style