Teaching with Style

This is for all of my teachers out there, who are parents to many kids each day. Parents who also teach their children from time to time may appreciate the insights as well.

DISCovering how to relate to your students.

Do you notice differences in your students? Are they all exactly the same? If they are different then why do we expect them to learn the same way? You may have heard about learning styles; auditory, visual, and Kinesthetic (Tactile). While these are important to know and understand I want to concentrate on personality as a factor in learning.

We all have different personalities and know two are alike; however we can categorize four major personality styles. Using the DISC model of human behavior, I am going to share a little insight into your students and possibly yourself.

One factor in determining your student's personality is their motor. Is your student more outgoing (fast pace) or more reserved (slow pace)? Another factor is their compass. Is your student more people orientated or task orientated?


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A student that is out going and task orientated fall into the "D" sector of our Diagram, while a student who is more reserved and people orientated fall under the "S" sector of our diagram.

A "D" student is dominant, direct, decisive, demanding, determined, and a doer. They want their instructors to be quick, confident, to the point, specific, and motivated. They do not like indecision, slow activities, activities without a goal, and taking orders. One important secret to success with these students put them in charge of something.

An "I" student is inspiring, influencing, impressionable, inducing, interesting, interested in people, and sometimes illogical. They want their instructors to be fun, stimulating, upbeat, and enthusiastic. They do not like being ignored, ridiculed, doing repetitive tasks, or being isolated. Your secret to success with this student is interaction. They need interaction with people in order to succeed.

Your "S" student will be one of your favorites. They are sweet, stable, steady, supportive, and many times shy. They want their instructors to be kind, understanding, and gentle. They do not like sarcasm, being yelled at, surprises, or being pushed. Your secret to success with these students include asking them to help you, maintaining a friendly environment, giving them sincere appreciation, and keeping the pace slow and steady.

Your "C" students will challenge you to keep your facts straight. They are cautious, cognitive, competent, careful, correct, and consistent. They want their instructors to be accommodating, structured, and accurate. They do not like being criticized, unnecessary interruptions, mistakes, or sudden changes. Your secret to succeeding with them is to provide correct information, and answer questions correctly. Do not guess answers or ignore their questions.

We all know what we like and how we learn don't we? I notice that instructors try to teach the way they want to learn. They assume their students are the same way. I decided to modify a game from the service rep instructors to use in one of my classes. Other technical instructors told me that technicians do not like doing those fun-learning activities. I went forward with using the game anyway. The classes that I used it in enjoyed and learned at the same time.

I challenge you to try adjusting your style in order to help all of your students succeed.


Franklin Reeves






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article originally appeared in the September edition of Employee productivity Express. A newsletter published for the Employee productivity Department of BellSouth.