I have wondered how knowing my temperament will help me in my personal life? I wonder why I do certain things, and react the way that I do. I believe the results of this temperament study will give me insight into some of those “whys”. This study with the four different temperament types will give an underlying reason for my behaviors. I will try to use this information to not use the negative behaviors, which arise from my particular temperament type. When I took the personality test in the Temperament Sorter I was classified as a Guardian.
This trait is characterized by strong managerial and organizational skills, dependability and seriousness, being down-to-earth and conservative. The Keirsey website describes Guardians as the “cornerstone of society” and claims that they make up 40 to 45 percent of the population. It highlights that the greatest strength in the Guardian trait is my logistical intelligence. It further mentions that, my personality dictates that when given an important choice between two methods, I will choose the one I am more familiar with rather than something new (the experience over experimentation principle).
An example is when I want to take my children for an outing, while a new place will bring more excitement and a newer learning experience; I tend to choose the places I am more familiar with. I am very cautious about change, and realizing this I will make a strong effort to allow myself to venture out more and in doing so bring more exciting experiences to the lives of my children as well. Another significant behavior is related to my temperament’s respect for rules and authority.
Thus, when my 11 year old son made his own Halloween decorations which tend to be rather scary for other neighbors, and I got some rather unkind comments, I immediately explained this to my son, and made an effort to remove the scary decorations and place them inside the house, and only let the more happy Halloween decorations remain. Realizing my strong belief in rules, I will further ensure that what is asked of me and my children is also fair in our viewpoint.
Also, since Guardians are very serious about their duties and responsibilities the third important behavior that can be said about me is my need to complete a task when called upon. Thus during my daughters fund raiser at school, even though I was asked to do many last minute requests, because I knew this is important for her school, I tried to get things done to the best of my ability, even though I placed a huge stress upon myself. Lastly my need to follow schedules, and deadlines that is often a great trait in organizations at home can often lead to friction.
It is very important for me to realize this drawback, and allow more flexibility. I believe if I can do this, I will help myself, and my family be more relaxed. As my mother always says “what will happen if your son doesn’t finish his homework, Friday night, he can do it Saturday or Sunday, and still feel he has had some freedom! 2 After reading my temperament, I think many of the traits of a Guardian are similar to what would be considered a good teacher. For example, Guardians will usually abide by the rules and respect authority.
This characteristic sets a good example for the students. A teacher should always adopt a fair attitude, when it comes to making any form of evaluation, and must always be fair in their profession and while assessing students on their performance, instead of personal rapports and likings. One of the main characteristics of Guardians is that they always want fairness. Guardians tend to find satisfaction in doing work that involves detail; a good teacher should be meticulous and have an eye for detail.
In fact, a disorganized person would find teaching unsuitable and unfulfilling. Well thought-out plans and programs for teaching will assist the productivity of a teacher. This temperament is always concerned about the welfare of people and will look after the physical needs of others, which is ideal in a teaching situation. Guardians expect to be held accountable and to take responsibility. They happily shoulder the load that they know needs to be done. A teacher should be dedicated towards their work.
They should not kill time in the classroom and wait for the school bell to ring. Instead, taking out time and going the extra mile for the students is what makes an ideal teacher. A good teacher must have good time management skills and always value the importance of time, this will help the students to get organized and further enhance their learning by them learning to better manage their time. Guardians can have a lot of fun, but are quite serious about their duties responsibilities.
A teacher who can have fun with their students, yet to remain serious about responsibilities so the students can both relax and enjoy the teacher, yet also have respect is a hallmark of a great teacher! 3 Research shows that shows that goodness of fit between your child’s temperament and your parenting style is important for healthy social and emotional development. Differences in child temperament require differences in parental handling to achieve a good fit.
For this to occur after reading my temperament I have to match My demands or expectations with what my child is able to do, given my child’s temperament, age and abilities. I would now start by learning about my child’s temperament as well. If I can understand my child’s temperament then I can plan ahead to prevent potential problems. If I can learn about their difficulties, then I could use strategies to make the specific situation easier for everyone. For example as a Guardian I believe in law and order, and sometimes worry that respect for authority, even fundamental sense of right and wrong, is being lost.
My son as a Rational disregards any authority or customary procedure that wastes time and resources! I have tried to convey this message to him by teaching him why rules are important, and giving him specific examples, versus simply asking him to obey the rules and not be allowed to question me in any form. Because as a rational he trusts logic, and needs to understand why these rules are necessary. My daughter on the other hand is a Guardian like myself, and because she prefers sameness, I take my time introducing new things to her.
For example when I take her to a new class, if I simply ask her to go and join in, and walk away, it will end badly. I have tried many different activities with her, and if I sit with her and give her time to explore to become comfortable, she is always happy, and engages beautifully. Considering the vast differences between our temperaments, and all the strengths and weaknesses we possess, it is important to learn how each temperament type will interact with each other and hopefully combine traits to bring about “goodness of fit”.