MBTI

It’s always nice to have a nice, comfortable, light-hearted morning in which you LEARN SOMETHING!  It was also very nice to be up and about, although by the time we got to the last group “activity” I was really hoping it wouldn’t be another group write and present – very pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn’t. 

One thing I’ve noticed, and maybe others can fill me in here, is how much learning I’m doing from watching Judith, Bill and other present, facilitate and educate.  As a fairly new teacher, I find myself spending a lot of time focusing on observing what they are doing in class, observing class reaction, and trying to adapt and integrate into my own professional practice.  I also find myself being, at times, overly critical of what I observe – I wonder if this is endemic to only new teachers (as I is… *grammar*), or to anyone with experience in the education field who has had the opportunity to be facing to and from the “blackboard”, or going even further – do other students, who may not teach, feel the same?  Does the fact that I’m an educator lead to my assumption that I’m more justified in my critiques than say a business student or science student?

Anyways, I digress.  I’ve spent many hours going through the grad transition process for high school students, and often thought about what our specific grad transition package contains.  From memory, the students did have to complete an online version of the MBTI, and record what it said about them.  I also remember passing the whole thing off as a bunch of “mumbo jumbo”.  WOW.  Oops.

I’m not sure what effect today had on me, although I do know it has made me aware of who I am, and more willing to own up to who I am (not 100% completely though…).  I’m forced to imagine how the lives of the these high school students would be changed or enhanced if we not only got them to complete the survey, but put them through an activity such as was done today.  The survey was interesting, but the my understanding of what the designations meant, and how they were significant to me, was really cemented through the activities. 

I definitely have a new understanding of myself that I can bring to the table when starting projects, either individually or with a group.  I wonder how the lives of graduating students would be affected if they not only left knowing their true identity (according to the MBTI), but also had begun to develop a deeper understanding of what it all means?  How would their interpersonal relationships be changed and challenged?  How would their approach to school work, jobs, and other required tasks be enhanced or diminished?  Would there be any change at all, or is it only because I’ve had enough life experiences that the MBTI and its associated activities were significant to me? (Were they significant to anyone else?)