Golden Rule

 

Ignore the Golden Rule.   “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” may be a wonderful guiding value for living; it is of limited utility in teaching.  The saving grace of the error of the golden rule, however, is that the teacher probably does it very well indeed, thus meeting the needs of similar student types.

 

Teachers (especially younger ones) tend to select teaching methods that seem “natural.”  Which means they are congruent with the teacher’s preferred type. (link 7) This is a form of self-fulfilling prophecy.  Methods “out of type” appear wrong, ineffective, uncomfortable to the teacher -- and may be presented ineffectively to the student.  Thus they do not have much chance for optimal success.  Because they do not succeed, they are dropped as ineffective. Paraphrasing a famous line: most teaching methods have not been tried and found wanting; they have been found uncomfortable and left untried.

 

There are several key concepts when using the MBTI and science education:

• We can all operate in all 16 types; we prefer to operate in one. 
• We are unlikely to be as accomplished in types other than “ours”.
• Operating “out of type” produces stress. 
• MBTI developmental theory shows that students younger than 25 are usually comfortable with their dominant and auxiliary functions; the other two functions are immature and thus are used inefficiently and with increasing stress. (link 8)
• Learning when stressed is harder than learning with less stress.
• Learning and motivation are overlapping constructs.  The MBTI is extremely good at encouraging both.

 

 

Developmental MBTI theory also has implications into why experienced teachers get “better.”  Indeed, one can look at it as skill and knowledge acquisition.  However, one of the obvious corollaries is that teachers get OLDER as they get experience.  As they mature, their growth in using their OWN tertiary  and “shadow”  types means they become more comfortable and thus more effective working “out of type.”  Yes, it is a variation of “practice makes perfect,” but it is more correctly viewed as the idea of practicing “alternatives” becomes more enticing and so one does, indeed, practice more.  Which came first, the chicken or the egg?