Music Teacher's Helper Blog

As teachers, we tend to teach in the same style as we learn. But what if our students favour a different approach? If our strengths are their weaknesses, we are giving them an unfair disadvantage, whereas if we adapt to suit them, frustrations may be releived, and students can enjoy the learning process a lot more. So how can we not only discover our student’s best mode of learning, but also adapt our teaching to better meet their needs?

There are certain tests out there that give us our personality types. One example of this is the Myers Briggs Personality Test (a free example of this test can be found at http://www.kisa.ca/personality/). This test has four categories, each with two different outcomes. They are graded as a percentage, as we all have a bit of everything in us. The categories and their preference of learning are given below:

Extroverted (E) vs Introverted (I)

Extroverted people prefer discussion, bouncing ideas around, and active participation in learning activities. Thus, they thrive in group situations, and may become bored or restless if in an environment where they must stay still and listen for long periods of time. Introverted people prefer lecture-style learning and reflective tasts. They tend to shy away from group tasks and dislike being put on the spot.

Sensory (S) vs Intuition (N)

Sensory people learn by doing, and rely on experience, rather than theory. They enjoy the here-and-now, and thrive on extrinsic rewards. They need to see immediate relevance of information in order to stay interested and take in new material. Intuitive people rely on inspiration and need creativity. They like abstract and theoretical ideas, and instigate new ways of thinking. They typically can become overwhelmed by their active mind, and often need help prioritising tasks.

Thinking (T) vs Feeling (F)

Thinkers are organised and logical, and like order and sequential instructions. They are often impersonal in their approach. Feeling people consider how their decisions affects themselves and others, and need a personal relationship with their teacher.

Judging (J) vs Perceiving (P)

Judging people reach decisions quicking and stick to them. They complete tasks quickly and are focussed on what needs to be done. Perceivers will leave decisions to the last minute, while considering many options. They are often last-minute people.

There are 16 different combinations possible with the Myers Briggs Personality Test. This is best for use with adults due to the style of questions on the test, but by paying attention to our students’ actions and responses during their lessons, we can figure out a lot for ourselves. Just being aware of these differeces is a great start to expanding our approaches and being empathetic to our students, which will result in stronger relationships and less frustrations.

Just out of interest, a book I was reading on this topic said that teachers tend to be ENFJ. Why not test yourself and see if you fit into the mould?

Other different styles of learning includes which senses we prefer to learn through. A student may be a visual, kinesthetic, or aural learner. We all use all these senses when learning, but if we know which is dominant for a student, we can cater to their strengths and increase their speed of progression. If we only point to the music and show how it looks, but a student needs to do and hear the new concept, you can see how communication issues occur.

Research shows that early childhood favour aural and kinesthetic styles, but by Grade 6, visula is the preferrede sense, with kinesthetic secondary. you can give parents questions to help you know their child’s preference, which are based on their choice of words in every-day conversations… For example, if they want to understand how something works, they may say “Can you show me….” (visual) or “Can you tell me…” (aural) or “Can I have a go?” (kinesthetic). They may say “I see!” or “I hear you!”A great website on this for more information http://www.learning-styles-online.com. (on the side, this is useful for understanding friends or spouses too…. why your partner may jump in and try to put something together without looking at the instructions, for example )

At the end of the day, the best way to expand your teaching and reach all of your students is to be flexible in your approach, and to be able to explain the same thing in a multitude of ways. If a student does not appear to understand a new concept, be adaptable enough to cahnge your approach, and you will be surprised how much more fun the lesson becomes for the student, and how their rate of growth increases.