Teacher Personality Types

Classroom teachers come from all walks of life and vary in teaching style, skills, and personalities. Some teachers are fun and entertaining, while others are more strict and demanding. No matter your background, your personality will help mold your teaching style and classroom management philosophy.

Over the years, I have observed many teachers. I have noticed that many of them fall into four main personality types. These personality types are similar to the ones mentioned by many psychologists and psychiatrists. In this post, we will explore four teacher personality types. Take a moment to review each one and see which one fits your personality the best.

Why Explore Your Personality?

In order to successfully run a classroom, you must first know yourself.  Knowing your personality is instrumental in designing a plan that not only works for your students but works for you as well. Not knowing who you are at your core could be the difference in your success or failure as a classroom manager.

Personality Traits

The most widely accepted of personality traits are the called the Big Five. They are openness, conscientiousness, extraversion/introversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Let’s take a moment to explore each trait and determine which ones apply to your personality.

Openness

Openness is shorthand for “openness to experience.” 

• People who are high in openness enjoy adventure. They’re curious and appreciate art, imagination and new things. The motto of the open individual might be “Variety is the spice of life.“
• People low in openness are just the opposite: They prefer to stick to their habits, avoid new experiences and probably aren’t the most adventurous eaters.

Conscientiousness

People who are conscientious are organized and have a strong sense of duty. They’re dependable, disciplined and achievement-focused.

• You won’t find conscientious types jetting off on round-the-world journeys with only a backpack; they are planners.
• People low in conscientiousness are more spontaneous and freewheeling. They may tend toward carelessness.

Extraversion/Introversion

• The more of an extravert someone is, the more of a social butterfly they are. Extroverts are chatty, sociable and draw energy from crowds. Extroverts tend to be assertive and cheerful in their social interactions.
• Introverts, on the other hand, need plenty of alone time, perhaps because their brains process social interactions differently. Sometimes, introversion is often confused with shyness, but the two aren’t the same. Shyness implies a fear of social interactions or an inability to function socially. Introverts can be perfectly charming at parties — they just prefer solo or small-group activities.

Agreeableness

Agreeableness measures the extent of a person’s warmth and kindness. The more agreeable someone is, the more likely they are to be trusting, helpful and compassionate. People who are less agreeable may come off as cold and suspicious of others, and they’re less likely to cooperate.

Neuroticism

People high in neuroticism worry frequently and easily slip into anxiety and depression. If all is going well, neurotic people tend to find things to worry about. In contrast, people who are low in neuroticism tend to be emotionally stable and even-keeled.

Four Main Teacher Personality Types

The Go-Getter Teacher

• Arrives early, stays late, or both
• Every minute of the day counts
• Doesn’t procrastinate
• Plans ahead
• Multitasks
• Everything is in order
• Classroom is laid out for success before students enter
• Uses every minute of their planning time

The Relaxed and Social Teacher

• More relaxed
• Less detail oriented
• Doesn’t plan ahead
• A little less organized
• Procrastinates
• Rolls with the punches
• Good at building relationships with students and other staff members

The Rule Abiding Perfectionist Teacher

• Sticks to the rules of the school system
• Perfectionist
• Plans ahead
• Consistent with all rules, procedures and consequences of the classroom
• Knows the subject matter inside and out
• Likes having a daily routine and doesn’t like disruptions

The Distressed and Sensitive to Others Teacher

• Friendly, empathetic, and helpful to students and staff members.
• The daily requirements of being a classroom teacher might be stressful and overwhelming.
• Very resilient.
• Loners. You won’t see them socializing in the teachers lounge.
• Lacks confidence in their skills and abilities in the classroom.

Now that we have explored the various traits and teacher personality types, which one(s) best describe your personality? Think about it and tell me in the comments below.