Learning Styles

People are different in the way they learn, interact, process information, and behave.

We need to understand that being different does not mean inferior or superior. Each person has his or her own strengths and weaknesses. Some people are better at leading, others at socializing, others at doing, and others at analyzing. Just as in any team sport, some people are better at certain positions, but the whole team is needed to be able to function. Also, the traits that help to make up one person’s strengths will be the same traits that result in a handicap in other situations. In baseball, the traits that help to make a great pitcher often result in that pitcher being a terrible batter. 

Team Leader: seeks action, takes control, competitive, wants results. You can recognize their marks: fast movers, want to be in charge, willing to take risks. These individuals need to have feelings, listen to others, and follow others.

Social director: talkative, excitable, impulsive, and emotional. You can recognize these individuals as: fast talkers, energetic, want to be with others. These individuals need to learn discipline, slow down, and be more careful. 

Camp Counselor: good at listening, sympathetic, helpful, and likeable. You can recognize these individuals as of moderate speed, good at understanding feelings, willing to go along. These individuals need to be more assertive, to be more confident, to experiment.

Data Collector: likes information, is sensitive, dependable, and methodical. You can recognize these individual’s slow speech, liking to sit and think, analytical tendencies, and logic. These individuals need to take initiative, be less critical, and be less sure before acting.

Every person tends to be dominant in one of these learning styles, but usually has some of the qualities of the other styles. Depending on what is needed in a certain situation, one style is better at accomplishing a certain task, but no one learning style is best in every situation. Each style has its strengths and weaknesses. Being aware that people operate differently makes it easier to get along with other people. We are all a mix of learning styles, personality (see Personality), virtues and vices (see Virtues and Vices). All of this and more go into making everyone a unique and complex individual.