 
Week 2 - Healthy School Communities
|  | Misfits? Martians? Or Just Different Styles? |
| |
Listing of Papers | |
MS BOB HINCE
New South Wales, Australia
HAVE YOU EVER wondered why people respond to different situations in different ways? Why some people enjoyed a movie that you hated? Why some people give generously to causes that you are hesitant about? Why some people remain calm in emergencies and others panic?
Have you ever wondered why some people react to frustration, depression and disappointment in different ways - even to the extreme reaction of shooting people, overdosing on drugs or committing suicide?
Obviously, the answer to these questions lies in individual differences. These differences, and the misunderstandings that can grow out of them, may account for a large proportion of the difficulties and upsets that parent have with children, that teachers have with students, and that young people have with one another.
I believe that it is time that school communities give more consideration to the work of the theorists concerned with 'psychological type'.
I believe it is essential to do so if we are to maintain healthy school communities and to reduce the extreme and self-destructive reactions exhibited by a few of our members.
School Communities are People
People come into this world, and into our school communities, with a given and unique temperament that has its own particular set of core, psychological needs. These needs motivate and drive them. A person's inborn temperament will consciously, and unconsciously, drive behaviour so that his or her core, psychological needs are met.
Just as the basic physical needs of our school community members need to be satisfied to have them remain physically healthy, so too, is it very important for core psychological needs to be met. Not having these needs met is like, as temperament theorists like Dr Linda Berens believe, a 'psychic death'; and a source of depression, stress and dysfunctional behaviour.
Where Everyone is Energised by Life
My idea of a healthy school community would be one where all people have their core psychological needs met, and consequently, everyone is satisfied and energised by life. And I believe this would be the case for the majority of people. The characteristics and values portrayed by institutionalised bureaucracies, like most schools, suit the majority of the school community members. The core psychological needs of these members are in alignment with the values and behaviours of the school.
Such core psychological needs being satisfied would be, as described by Berens (1998): '... membership and belonging; responsibility and duty; mastery and self control; knowledge and competence; meaning and significance' as well as the allied values of 'conformity; security; stability; ethics and morality; intelligence; unity; cooperative interaction; and others of the same ilk.
Not Everyone is Satisfied
The values, characteristics and behaviours of the formal school organisation support and satisfy the inborn temperament needs and values of these individuals. However, it is my firm opinion that not all of school community members have their core psychological needs satisfied. Not only are they missing out but they do not have their needs respected or encouraged. Such needs would be: 'freedom to act on impulse; ability to make an impact; unique identity; with the allied values of, variety; action; aesthetics; excitement and stimulation; immediate adventure'.
As a result of this non-satisfaction, they experience the psychological problems of frustration, depression, stress and dissatisfaction. And again, I feel that it is a few people from this group who become so frustrated that they may shoot other students; a few who may become so depressed that drug use and suicide are considered alternatives. These would be the extreme reactions from individuals in this group
Quiet Lives of Desperation
Others who experience the same lack of need satisfaction are constantly having to adapt, and tend to live quiet lives of desperation. They feel like 'square pegs in round holes'; they feel abnormal; they find it hard to keep in step to the prevailing tune; they feel unfulfilled; they feel like misfits; even like Martians at times.
They are often unaware that they feel this way because they have been given different core psychological needs and values. They are often unaware that their core psychological needs are different from those around them. They are unaware that it is perfectly normal to have different core needs and values; perfectly normal to feel like 'zigging' when everybody else is 'zagging'.
An Eagle Among the Chickens
I am reminded of the story of the eagle living among the chickens when I discuss the plight of these individuals. A farmer found an eagle egg - an egg programmed to become an eagle - and he placed it under a chicken to hatch. When the eagle was hatched, he wandered around with the other chickens, scratching for worms and fluttering a few feet in the air. He constantly adapted. He behaved and acted like a chicken because that's what he thought he was. He never achieved the fulfilment of being an eagle even though his inborn blueprint was that of an eagle.
Like that eagle, we are all born with our own blueprint. We are programmed to have our own unique temperament pattern but if our core needs and values are not accommodated, respected and encouraged by those around us, we will never reach the fulfilment and satisfaction that we seek in order to be energised by life.
Remember About Preferences
Our own unique temperament pattern probably has many similarities with those of others. However, it also has many significant differences. These differences are often referred to as preferences, and it is important for teachers, parents and other school community members to fully understand that these dominant temperament preferences need to be appreciated, respected and encouraged, if a child, student or adult is to enjoy high self-esteem and a feeling of fulfilment.
Forcing Eagles to Act Like Chickens
When a student's prescribed and allocated activities at school, and at home, do not actively engage their dominant temperament needs, values and talents they are forced, like that eagle, to operate using less preferred preferences. If this situation continues, causing the child to continually use a non-preferred mode of operation, over a long period of time, he/she will exhibit signs of stress and a drop in performance level.
Some will experience stress and frustration to such a degree that they may well engage in disruptive and dysfunctional behaviour. Teachers, parents, administrators and students could make a practical and meaningful contribution to the 'health' of their community by understanding that individual differences are acceptable and normal. They need to understand that those whose inborn given temperament preferences are different from theirs are not bad, stupid or abnormal. They simply use different, but normal, ways of thinking, prioritising, deciding and processing.
Members of a healthy school community will recognise that all temperament preferences are equally right, equally good, equally appropriate and equally valuable.
Four Major Temperament Patterns
Research, dating back to Hippocrates, and including the efforts of Keirsey and Bates (1978); Myers-Briggs (1985); Littauer (1992); Good and Hill (1997), has shown that all people fall basically into one of four broad temperament patterns. These four major patterns describe the ways human personality interacts with its environment to satisfy core psychological needs. Whereas each of the researchers have used different, but very descriptive, titles for each of the four groups, I have chosen to use those of Keirsey: Guardians; Rationals; Artisans; and Idealists. Dr Linda Berens (1998) describes the core needs, values and talents of each of these groups.
Guardians
Core Needs: group membership and belonging; responsibility and duty; security and approval.
Values: stability; rules and regulations; conformity; hierarchical procedures; group relationships.
Talents: rule maker; provide; protect; supervise; sequential thinker; stabiliser; logistics; measurement.
Rationals
Core Needs: mastery and self-control; knowledge and competence.
Values: expert relationships; intelligence; scientific enquiry; logical consistency; progress; concepts and ideas.
Talents: perpetual learner; categorise; design; marshal; differential thinking; visionary; strategy; analysis.
Artisans
Core Needs: freedom to act on impulse; ability to make an impact.
Values: excitement and stimulation; aesthetics; action; variety; immediate adventure; fraternal relationships; skilled performance.
Talents: crisis manager; perform; adapt; promote; contextual thinking; trouble-shooter; tactics; variation.
Idealists
Core Need: meaning and significance; unique identity.
Values: ethics and morality; authenticity; idealised world; self-actualisation; co-operative interaction; unity; empathic relationships.
Talents: romantic idealist; facilitate; reveal; counsel; catalyst mentor; diplomacy; interpretive; integrative thinking.
According to the Journal of Psychological Types (1996),'Guardians' make up about 48% of the population, 'Rationals' comprise approximately 15%, 'Artisans' account for about 16% and 'Idealists' comprise around 21% of the population.
Whereas there are characteristics, needs, values and talents of one temperament which are also applicable to the other temperaments, we have to understand that they are not as passionately articulated or defined. The term 'best fit' will help to explain the situation. We can try on, and even manage to wear, various pairs of shoes but there is one pair which is the 'best fit' for us. A pair that is the 'best fit' for most occasions.
We could also consider how much time and energy we are prepared to spend to satisfy a particular need. If it were a core need for our temperament we would spend much more time and energy trying to satisfy it than would other temperaments.
Understanding that these core needs and values motivate and drive individuals, and, that they should be respected and accommodated for in school communities, is a prescription for a healthy school community. It is essential that teachers, parents and students understand the significance of individual differences and appreciate, respect, and accommodate these differences.
Parents and Children with Different Temperaments
Parents should demonstrate pride in the achievements of their children, especially where they differ from their own. Of course, when children naturally have the same temperament pattern as their parents they are able to enjoy a special understanding that comes from seeing, and dealing with, the world in similar ways. Communication is fairly easy and goals are similar.
When there are many identifiable differences in the child's operation mode, despite the obvious genetic inheritances of blood group, hair colour and the like, parents may be tempted to view these differences as flaws. They must fully understand that differences are not flaws. Parents must learn to value, appreciate and support the differences between themselves and their children.
Supporting Temperamental Differences
There are many simple and practical ways that parents and teachers can encourage, support and satisfy individual temperamental differences. For example, when praising or commending a Guardian, they should comment on their attention to reality, e.g., 'You make an important contribution to this class/home by cleaning up the room'. Rationals should be praised for their competence and knowledge, e.g., 'I am pleased you got an A for your project'. Artisans need praise for their creativity,e.g., 'That's a great solution to the problem . . . and fun as well!' Idealists should be commended for their caring, e.g., 'You are a fine person for helping others'.
At school, the Guardians need 'authority-centred learning', with a focus on 'usefulness'. Feedback should be 'corrective.' The Rationals need 'knowledge-centred learning' with the focus on 'competence'. Their feedback needs to be 'expert'. Artisans need 'impact-centred learning' with a focus on 'relevance'. Their feedback should be 'immediate'. Idealists need 'relationship-centred learning' with the focus on 'growth'. Feedback should be 'highly personal.'
Leaders Should Also Understand Themselves
School leaders need fully understand their own personal basic psychological needs and values, if they are to remain healthy members of the school community.
School leaders must make difficult moral decisions when dealing with the many complex dilemmas they now face. This often results in personal stress. They must cultivate their school community's shared vision. This is often a community whose members have different values and ideals from their own.
Principals have to interpret policies and laws directly affecting their community members while still being accountable and responsible. When a school leader fully understands what drives and motivates many of his/her decisions, and fully understands the drives and motivations of those around them, the personal stress can be eased.
Understanding, accepting and accommodating the core needs and values of different temperaments enables the leader to realise that the disagreements or dissentions are not personal attacks. Often, it's just a case of other school community members acting naturally, according to their own temperamental design.
Leader, Know Thyself!
The first and most important step in having a healthy school community is to have a healthy school leader. This leader understands who he or she really is; why they react in certain ways; and what their inborn preferences are.
Knowing this personal knowledge helps them to control themselves, and to improve themselves. A better leader means a better team; which then means a better school community.
_____________________________________________________________
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mr Bob Hince was a primary school principal for 20 years in Sydney. He has been an educational consultant and Principal Education Officer for Teacher Inservice Training in NSW. He has taught primary school classes in Malaysia and England, and in various regions in NSW. He is now a full- time professional speaker and often involved as a keynote presenter at many state and national level education conferences in Australia and New Zealand. Bob is the author of four self-development type books, and many educational articles.
Bob Hince can be contacted by email on:
BOBHINCE@bigpond.com
_____________________________________________________________
References
Berens, Linda V. (1998) Understanding Yourself and Others: An Introduction to Temperament. Telos Publications Huntington Beach CA.
Keirsey, D & Bates, M. (1978) Please Understand Me. Prometheus Nemesis Books.
Littauer, F. (1996) Personality Puzzle. Fleming H Revell.
|
|
| | |
