This is the fifth installment in our blog series for Educators.
DiSC is an assessment tool that measures behavioral styles. It is different than a personality analysis, as it is a predictive gauge to how people react in different situations. On a very high level, personality is internal while behavioral styles are external. Think of DiSC in terms of self-understanding: learning why you do what you do. And why others do what they do. DiSC can be an invaluable tool to assist in social interactions, managing, influencing others or, in our case, understanding our own personal teaching style and how our DiSC type influences us professionally.
The four DiSC behavioral styles are as follows: Dominant, Influential, Steady and Conscientious. For our purposes we are going to look at each of the styles as they present themselves in the classroom:
Dominant
Do you remember in high school you may have had a teacher who was also a football coach? This would be an example of the Dominant type as an educator. They don’t beat around the bush! They are direct, to the point, and blunt. In the classroom, they typically have solid classroom management and little patience for students who are slakers or make excuses. Many times, they will have a rewards system in place. They tend to state their own opinions as facts and are notable disciplinarians. They also have excellent time management skills and keep to their schedules. Often, they will be found teaching Business, History, Civics or Social Studies.
Inspiring
Have you ever had a teacher who thrived on creativity? Maybe they held class outside on warm days or initiated projects that seemed to have little to do with academics, but you learned about yourself in the process? This would have been an example of the Inspiring type as an educator. Inspiring teachers are cheerful, optimistic, social and outgoing. They often have a great sense of humor that they bring to the classroom. They are also strong proponents of gamification. They prefer participating in teams, sharing thoughts, and entertaining and energizing others. Their challenge can be their lack of attention to detail as well as their assumption that everyone is having fun, when that may not be the case. Their creativity is inspiring and can most likely be found teaching Music, Art, Theater, Literature or Language Arts.
Steady
The Steady type as an educator is the classic teacher. They employ structure in the classroom and embrace the process of learning with questions of how and why. The Steady types tend to be empathetic and cooperative. They are team players who are supportive and helpful to others. They are often good listeners and avoid change and conflict. Easy going by nature, they can remain calm and keep their cool in times of stress. They may have strong opinions, but unlike other types, they may not freely express them. Their challenge may be that they are not comfortable with change and can appear to be inflexible. However, that appearance of inflexibility can also be seen as steadiness that many students crave. Since this is the most common type to appear in teaching, they may be found across subject matters; however, they are most often associated with the primary grades.
Conscientious
Are you a STEM teacher? Then there is a very good chance that you are also a Conscientious type. This type is often focused on details and quality. They plan with meticulous detail and constantly check for accuracy. This can be the teacher who has said, “I never give an A”. These are our analytical fact finders who love to learn. They are typically quiet and detail oriented. Their greatest challenge is that they need to remember that even though the subject matter is their passion, and they can connect the dots with ease, their students may not be able to. Or their students may not find the subject as interesting, and they should not take it personally if that is the case. The Conscientious types may need to be more creative so that they may reach all of their students where they are.