How your personality "shows up" in the classroom
Teaching wasn't a good fit for my personality
Early in my career I taught high school Spanish and ESL, and I quickly realized that classroom teaching wasn't a good fit for me.
In hindsight, I can see that one major reason for this mismatch was my personality...how I naturally prefer to be.
Can you relate?
Do you ever feel like teaching requires you be a certain way that doesn't come naturally to you?
What is your "Personality?"
Your personality is how you prefer to "be" in the world.
It's your characteristics and qualities.
How you show up most naturally.
According to Myers & Briggs (the big name in personality assessments), personality is innate (you're born with it), though it can manifest differently throughout your life.
Personality "type"
There are a number of assessments out there that will ask you a bunch of questions and then give you your personality "type": the Enneagram, Hogan Personality Inventory, DISC, Myers Briggs Type Indicator, 16 personalities, etc...
If you don't already know your personality type and are curious to find out, I recommend the 16 personalities free online assessment.
Resistance to personality type
Occasionally I meet a teacher who resists being "typed." They shudder at being boxed in to a certain personality type the same way they've felt typecast as a teacher.
I get it. But the goal isn't to restrict you or over-simplify all your nuances. It's to give you new perspective on who you are and reveal new ways of understanding how you show up in the world.
If you're skeptical, just ignore the name of the type itself and learn what you can from the description of the type.
The goal is to give you a new perspective on who you are and reveal new ways of understanding how you show up in the world.
My personality type
According to the MBTI, my personality type is INFJ.
In this short video, I reflect on how my INFJ type didn't jive well with teaching.
**This is just my experience - I'm sure there are INFJ teachers out there who have figured out a way to thrive in the classroom.
The best personality type for teachers
There is no one best personality type for teachers.
All personality types can be successful in the classroom. However, they will show up really differently and will struggle with different aspects of teaching.
A few examples...
Teachers who are more introverted may find it exhausting to be in front of students all day long, but they probably thrive when they get to relate 1:1 to their students and their students' parents and caregivers.
Teachers who are spontaneous and "go with the flow"can adapt easily to the needs of the moment, but they probably find it more difficult to make plans and create structure.
Teachers who are empathetic and make decisions based on how it makes other people feel can understand a wide range of student experiences and act according to what they need, but they probably have a harder time toeing the line of discipline policies.
The value of knowing your personality type
Learning more about your personality can be really helpful if you're considering a career transition away from teaching, or are trying to find ways to make teaching a better fit for you.
✅ You'll better understand why certain teaching tasks and responsibilities are hard or easy for you.
e.g. It's hard for a teacher who strive to make everything "right" or "perfect"to step away from work until it meets your standards. You might work on giving 80%, instead of 100%.
✅ You'll be able to judge whether certain career options beyond the classroom are a good fit for you.
e.g. A job diving deep into all the details of event planning won't align with your personality if you prefer to focus on the big picture (not the small details).
✅ You'll have the language to describe why you do things differently than your colleagues, students, or family, and communicating this with others can go a long way.
e.g. If you're exhausted because you agreed to supervise an extracurricular that you don't actually have time for, you can explain to your supervisor that you tend to feel obligated and responsible for making all the things happen, especially when you know they'll benefit your students.
I hope you can see they knowing more about your personality can be helpful, whether you're trying to make teaching work for you or transition to a new career.
Get started by taking the 16 Personalities free online assessment.
Share your personality with me!
I'd love to hear how your personality type or characteristics feel like a match or mismatch for teaching. Email me at coach@lauralitwiller.com or share in the comments below.
I can help you understand your personality!
I'm here to help you understand your personality type results and how they might help improve your experience of teaching or figure out what career paths are right for you.
Book a 60 minute Career Clarity Consult or check out my course & community Teachers at a Crossroads: Exploring Career Change & Discovering the Path That's Right for You.
I'm Laura, a career transformation coach for teachers feeling stuck.
I help you explore career possibilities beyond the classroom so that you can make a confident choice about what's next, based on your strengths, values, personality, and what you want most for your life.
Comments