Pan-en-theist
New member
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2011
- Messages
- 39
- MBTI Type
- INFJ
I taught at the college level for five years and have been teaching English and German at the high school level for thirty two. I was fortunate to have had two ENFJ parents, my father, a secondary ed professor, and my mother, an elementary school teacher in the inner-city. My grandfather was an elementary school principal in Newark at the turn of the century. Although I am deeply introverted, my parents were charming and charismatic ENFJs who helped me develop my Fe. I can't imagine doing anything else. We are always "teaching", aren't we?
I'm teaching right now. Pushy ego! INFJs make excellent teachers. Yes, we must spend long hours working in our auxiliary Fe, but there is also ample opportunity to use Ni (making lesson plans, grading essays, counseling, tutoring, etc.). I do gravitate to more advanced subjects:
I teach Advanced Placement Language and Composition, Introduction to College Writing, Verbal SAT Prep, and American Lit. What makes teaching much easier is using the MBTI. I know my students' types from the get-go, so I know how to individualize instruction when necessary.
I know how to tailor after-school help according to type. I know how to form cooperative learning groups acc. to type: hetereogeneously, to be sure. Imagine putting all the ESTPs into one group. They'd have a heck of a good time ,riddling each other and laughing, but whether anything would be accomplished is debatable. When I have classroom discipline problems, it's usually related to type. ESTPs and ENTPs are my biggest discipline challenges, but we can usually sort it out, and they'll come back a year or two later as my biggest fans. We INFJ teachers really have a lot to offer them, as they do to us. I even write my college letters of recommendation according to type. The kids love it. I am a very well-loved and highly respected English teacher, who as Keirsey says, is "an inspiration to others". My supervisor and English colleagues treat me with very high regard as one of the "sages" of the department. I absolutely love teaching. However, there are some challenges in being an INFJ teacher. My biggest is this. Having to be on stage for five classes a day means that I need quiet time during my free periods to recharge.
I avoid noisy faculty rooms and try to find a quiet place in the library. This can be very confusing to colleagues (especially the extraverts) who want to engage with me. Over the years they have come to respect my need for privacy. It has worked out splendidly for me. Oh, by the way,
although I have a very high income, I never went into this for the money. How INFJish!
I'm teaching right now. Pushy ego! INFJs make excellent teachers. Yes, we must spend long hours working in our auxiliary Fe, but there is also ample opportunity to use Ni (making lesson plans, grading essays, counseling, tutoring, etc.). I do gravitate to more advanced subjects:
I teach Advanced Placement Language and Composition, Introduction to College Writing, Verbal SAT Prep, and American Lit. What makes teaching much easier is using the MBTI. I know my students' types from the get-go, so I know how to individualize instruction when necessary.
I know how to tailor after-school help according to type. I know how to form cooperative learning groups acc. to type: hetereogeneously, to be sure. Imagine putting all the ESTPs into one group. They'd have a heck of a good time ,riddling each other and laughing, but whether anything would be accomplished is debatable. When I have classroom discipline problems, it's usually related to type. ESTPs and ENTPs are my biggest discipline challenges, but we can usually sort it out, and they'll come back a year or two later as my biggest fans. We INFJ teachers really have a lot to offer them, as they do to us. I even write my college letters of recommendation according to type. The kids love it. I am a very well-loved and highly respected English teacher, who as Keirsey says, is "an inspiration to others". My supervisor and English colleagues treat me with very high regard as one of the "sages" of the department. I absolutely love teaching. However, there are some challenges in being an INFJ teacher. My biggest is this. Having to be on stage for five classes a day means that I need quiet time during my free periods to recharge.
I avoid noisy faculty rooms and try to find a quiet place in the library. This can be very confusing to colleagues (especially the extraverts) who want to engage with me. Over the years they have come to respect my need for privacy. It has worked out splendidly for me. Oh, by the way,
although I have a very high income, I never went into this for the money. How INFJish!