Survey says.......

So I took the survey at http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/mmdi/questionnaire/ and it displays results in a several categories.  Of course the "Whole Type" attempts to fit we unique humans into one of 16 personality types. Fitting into pre-made things is not my style.  I have to say, however, that the category it placed me into does sound a good deal like me.  I was labeled as somewhere between INFP (76%) and INSP (73%).  These two labels indicate that I hold extremely strong personal values, but "there are probably very few people, if any, who know what those values actually are."  It's funny because that initially sounds like someone who is not outgoing, but I am in fact very outgoing.  If you ask other people about me, however, they're likely to describe me as laid back, and on the "quieter" side.  The survey was quite accurate about that.  As a New Yorker I love a great argument and I take pride in starting them whenever possible.  People don't always get to see that side of me, though - you west coasters are tough to get riled up.  So most of the time I am in fact very laid back and probably do come off that way to most people.  I do have some strong convictions and I do love to share them, but I'm not DYING to like a true extrovert would.

How did your personality affect your choice of content area?

Well for someone with such strong convictions and personal values, one of the nicest feelings is the ability to share those convictions and personal values with young people who are just starting to develop their own.  Since my strongest convictions and values center around being healthy and encouraging/educating others to do the same, teaching physical education is a natural fit.  This is one of the reasons for me switching from math to physical education.  I like math and see the use and importance of it. I enjoy sharing that with young people. But I LOVE fitness.  I loved sharing it with others as a personal trainer and I look forward to doing it as a phys ed teacher!

How does or will your personality affect your relationships with your students? 

"You probably take a caring and sensitive approach to others, more so than may be apparent to others because you showing your feelings in acts of kindness rather than in direct statements."  As a teaching assistant, math teacher or resource specialist, a strength of mine has always been my relationships with students.  These relationships are comfortable, comforting, enlightening (for both of us) and trusting.  This is not bragging in any way, but as a teaching assistant, my students would personally request that I teach the class instead of the teacher at the time.  I honestly think this had more to do with my relationship with them than teaching ability.  I believe I showed that I cared through my actions and was told this by several students.  This ultimately had something to do with my continuing toward the route of teaching as a career despite having some doubts at times.

How will your teaching and learning style affect your teaching and your students' abilities to be successful?

"Active learners tend to retain and understand information best by doing something active with it--discussing or applying it or explaining it to others."

The strongest preference for my learning style seems to be toward being an Active Learner.  Since that tends to be how the majority of students learn best, I believe this works well for me as a teacher.  Many times, all I have to do is think about what would help me learn something, and it naturally leads me down a path of effective teaching.  There are many different types of learners, of course, but all learners can enhance their learning by active learning strategies.  Luckily, the textbook for out TED 633 course is all about active learning.  

Physical education is, of course, almost 100% active learning.  There is certainly some listening and a god amount of observation involved, but the goal is to have students actively utilizing what they learn for most of the class period.  Perhaps my inclination toward active learning is one reason why phys ed attracts me as a content area.  My teaching style survey showed high scores for "personal model" and "facilitator".  Quite possibly the most important aspect of my teaching is my modeling of the behavior, discipline and work ethic that I am trying to instill in my students.  In physical education, it is extremely important to model the healthy lifestyle you preach. Luckily, a balanced, healthy lifestyle and physical training are what make up most of my life outside of work.  I have the discipline to adhere to those principles in the absence of "fun", but I know that in order to get students on the bandwagon, I need to make it fun, exciting and rewarding for them.  This is the challenge of any phys ed teacher.