A Child's TEMPERAMENT

You can't change a child's temperament. Understanding why a child might be behaving in such a way is better then trying to change them. You see different children's personalities need a different approach when interacting with them.

Like all adults children are different. Some are born easy to settle and are placid, while others are wakeful and active. Some are regular in their habits from an early age and others have irregular sleeping habits. Sometimes this makes it harder to work out their needs. These traits start to show themselves early on in a child's life and are linked to particular temperament types. Different temperaments can be seen very clearly when teaching in the classroom. In the DISC Behavioral Model there are four types of temperaments to observe as children mature:

1. Dominant, fast paced and task focused are the D Styles. 
2. Influencing, fast paced and people focused are the I Styles.
3. Steady, slower paced and focused on the pace of the environment are the S Styles .
4. Compliant, slower paced and focused on the details of a task are the C Styles.  ​

Another type of Model focuses on three types of temperaments in younger children (Source: SKIP Strategies for Kids) some children being a combination of more than one. Here's an overview of each of these three temperaments:
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• Easy or flexible: As toddlers, children with an easy temperament are easy to manage. They tend to be calm, happy, have regular sleeping patterns, and don't get upset easily. As these children get older they need to talk things through as they may not demand or ask for things, or talk about their feelings. You may also need to keep an eye on things from a distance, checking they know you are there if they need you. 
• Active: Active and feisty toddlers are often fussy, with irregular sleeping and eating habits. They can be scared of new people and places, easily upset by noise and react rally strongly to things. These children need lots of exercise and to be told about change well in advance. 
• Cautious: These children tend to be shy in new situations, although they do get more positive as they get used to things. It's important to stick to routines and give them lots of time to get used to new situations and people. 

Understanding the temperaments of the children you teach will help you to know why each one is behaving in a certain way. You can then anticipate how a child will react to a particular event or situation, for communicating more effectively with them. It will also give you guidance in knowing which approach to use when disciplining and how effective this will be. Not to mention, and I like this one, create a more positive and compassionate relationship with them.   

Achieving your Teaching Goals...

Think about each of your student's temperaments and how you are teaching and interacting with them. The better the fit between your student's temperament and your teaching style, the better the results will be. Remember also your own temperament and DISC Style will also influence your teaching.

Often the teaching style that works for one child will not work with another and you will have to use completely different strategies. One student might need more structure and boundaries than another student. Finding a way that suits each of your student's temperament will support you find a way to effectively interact with child. 

I would love to hear how you go with identifying the temperaments of the children you teach. Please also reach out if you have any questions or need further strategies. And for those of you that are parents, here is my Facebook parenting group that you might like to join: 

Parents with Teens, Tweens and Anything In between 

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