Pre High School Testing

I had a conversation July 31st, and previously, about testing students before they enter high school. Not a basic IQ test, that would be stupid. I mean Myers Brigs Personality tests, Strong Interest tests and learning styles. If a student entered school already having a grasp at what personality type they have, and what actually interests them, they can be properly guided to study into the fields they will excel in.

Of course they will still have Standard Curriculum and room for elective courses, but they will actually be grouped with other students (hopefully in smaller classes) of the same learning style. Teachers can be tested for teaching style (or trained) to lead these classes in a way that the whole class can actually learn something, at the same speed in the same way.

I have recently received my Myers Briggs and CAAT/DAT scores from a funded program I participated in and I was blown away by the results. I knew I was good at computers, but I was never really sure if I was doing the right thing. Turns out I was in one of the right fields, but for all the wrong reasons. For the last 4 years, I've been trying my damnedest to break into the world of construction, turns out that is another of the fields I should have been trained in. However, those classes weren't available in my high schools (fazed out before I got there) and now that I'm in my 30's, nobody wants to apprentice me, I'M TOO OLD!

Joke is, I should have taken wood working, physics and life organization instead of media english, drama and extra phys-ed classes. Maybe even jumped into the Canadian Forces right after high school instead of wasting 4 years fumbling through a college that was more interested in filling seats instead of filling heads.

A teacher's most difficult task is not remaining in control of a class, but identifying each student's learning style and needs. They they have to adapt their lesson plan to each student, so they can at least follow along and keep up to the rest of the class. It's boredom that causes half the problems with behavior, and insecurity that causes the rest.

Identify the styles and personalities right away and group those students accordingly. That, I believe will solve many, many issues in today's public post-secondary.

Friar