I conducted the teaching personality tests (Teamtechnology questionnaire and KISA), and the teaching and learning styles surveys as well.
My MMDI personality code was qrjn, with closest personality types of ESFJ and ESFP. According to the survey results, my leadership style is an "action-orientated leader."
The KISA personality test results showed that my personality type is ISFJ: introverted, sensing, feeling, judging. ISFJs are characterized by their desire to serve others. However, they are often unappreciated, producing high-quality word and people take them for granted. (This is very true for me). ISFJs priority are their families. They put forth a lot of effort into their family, friends, and loved ones and make sure everyone feels welcomed. (Again, very true.) ISFJs keep opinions to themselves, they are loyal, they judge only themselves, and are sometimes gullible.
The learning style survey showed the results of reflective: 7, sensing: 1, visual: 7, and sequential: 3.
The teaching style survey results are: expert 3.625 (moderate), formal authority 3.875 (high), personal model 3.5 (high), facilitator 4.125 (high), and delegator 3.5 (high).
My personality affected my choice of content area by wanting to do something creative yet influence others by teaching and being a positive role model. I enjoy helping others, being supportive and seeing the children problem solve and grasp concepts. I do enjoy helptng others and serving people. Often times that leads to being taken advantage of, and when I have finally had enough and stand up for myself and say "no", I have been dubbed and labeled as rude and inconsiderate. So, those people have come and gone in my life. Growing up, I often babysat and thoroughly enjoyed being and working with children. With ballet, I understood how the younger dancers looked up to us older dancers. As an instructional aide, the students came first. I helped them when they struggled with their class work or out on the playground. It was important to me to build a trusting relationship with the students. If the students did not feel comfortable approaching me with their concerns, then I would not be doing my job properly. The student with diabetes, and his family, had to entrust that I would provide sound care for him throughout the school day. It was a big responsibility that I took very seriously. My son and I both have major medical concerns, so I empathize and sympathize with their situation. As a long-term sub, the students are comfortable with me since they knew me from the elementary school, and through knowing my daughter as well. I truly believe that one should treat others just as they expected to be treated by others. When I first became a parent, I read the book How to Talk to Kids so Kids Will Listen and Listen so Kids Will Talk. That book left a lastly impression on me that I still follow to this day. I find that it is important to acknowledge the students feelings, listen and reiterate what I heard and follow through with some words of advice when needed. Once the students feel they have been acknowledged, they tend to listen. Building a trusting and positive student-teacher relationship is important in the classroom. It supports a welcoming learning environment.
After being enrolled in several courses with National University, I understand that students learn at their own pace. There are visual learners, kinetic learners, auditory learners, and global learners. There are students with varying capabilities and the student's background influences the way the student learns. Students do not fit a norm of ways they learn. Some have learning disabilities, some are learning English as a second language, and some students may be gifted. A teacher who can differentiate his or her instruction methods and teaching styles will be able to teach for a variety of student learning needs.
As I see that I lean toward the reflect learner spectrum, I like to read and reflect upon the material that I read, This is a great method when I read aloud the chapter sections to my Social Studies students. As we read the paragraphs out loud as a class, I pause for clarification, discuss vocabulary words or challenging terms and expand ideas during a discussion. I lean a little in the direction of a sensory learner. I like to connect new material to information that I already know or have experienced. A teacher can use analogies during instruction to connect prior knowledge to new information. I lean toward being a visual learner. I appreciate the use of visual aids and references in order to understand new material. I use this with my teaching by using visual aids, PowerPoint presentations, study guides, grading rubrics, daily agenda written on the board, and modeling demonstrations. I also appreciate it when things are organized. I do like teaching in sequential order. The Social Studies class is great for teaching chapters in order of what occurred. In Drama, we rehearse the script as much as we can per class period, and pick up where we left off the following day. In photography, I created an course outline for the third trimester after we submitted the yearbook order. Since the previous teacher was not as knowledgeable in photography as I am, I started the students back with the basics of photography and each week we progress to a new skill. The best moment in teaching is when the students have that "ah-ha" moment of clarity and understanding and there is a shift in their motivation to learn and succeed.
With each class that I take, I learn more about the methods and strategies of teaching that I have applied within the few months that I have been long-term subbing. I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity and I am looking forward to becoming an art instructor.
