Predictability and Novelty

Children will not learn until their needs are met. These are two of the most important needs of children:

 Predictability and Novelty.

Yes, I know what you're thinking, those words are opposites, how can a child need both?

Well, yes, they need each. 

They need a classroom that's predictable. This is a source of security for children. They need to know what to expect. They need to know what's coming up. They need routine.

 

The first month or so of school is when most classroom routines are established: entering the classroom, morning routines, lunch count, taking attendance, moving between classes, bathroom procedures, lunch procedure, dismissal, recess, and so on. Once these routines are established, the children feel secure in their routines, know what to expect and feel safe. Now the REAL teaching can begin!

For more ideas on teaching procedures, see this blog post: Tips for Teaching Procedures. 

The trouble with routine, is that it gets boring. They need a change of pace and new experiences. That's when novelty is needed.

Novelty is the way to shake things up! When boredom sets in, the brain tunes out, so it's the job of the teacher to keep things alive. 

Here are some ways to shake things up in the classroom:

Have a backwards day

Change the seating arrangement

Theme days or theme weeks

Create a new routine

Establish higher expectations

Swap classrooms with another teacher for the day

Rearrange or add to your classroom library

Ask your students for ideas

Here's a resource where you can establish a "safe" routine, raise expectations, and it changes every single day, so it never gets boring: Daily Questions for Team Building, Morning Meetings, and Daily Writing Prompts 

And by the way, it's not just children that have these two needs!

Myers-Briggs Part 5: How Do You Live Your Outer Life?

The fourth and final scale that's part of the Myers-Briggs Personality Types deals with how people live their "outer life".   

There are two sides to this scale:

• Judging types prefer organization and planning.  

• Perceiving types like to improvise and explore options.

• Judging types value punctuality and completeness of tasks. 

• Perceiving types value spontaneity and flexibility.

• Judging types prefer decisions made. They are task oriented and love to make lists.

• Perceiving types prefer to multitask. They mix work with play, and love variety.

• Judging types can be accused of being "too structured".

• Perceiving types can be accused of being "too loosey goosey."

As I've mentioned in previous posts about Myers-Briggs, there is no right or wrong preference. We need both types in our world.  

Please don't confuse Judging types with the term "judgmental". They are not related.  

I'm a Judging type. I keep all my school supplies organized by the month I use them. I have tubs of activities for each month of the year.  All the clothes in my closet are in order by color. I have all the tops in hanging in one section, facing the same way, of course, starting with red, and going through the rainbow. Black and brown come at the end. The bottoms are on the other side of the closet. In color order, of course. All the money in my wallet is in order of denomination, all facing the same way.

I realized very early that my daughter was also a judging type when she lined up all her dolls around her by height. (She did this all the time, it was scary!)

Once a friend of mine told me I needed to be more spontaneous. I told him I'd put it in my plans.  

Of all four scales of the Myers-Briggs, this is one scale where I'm nowhere near the middle. I'm a strong "J".  

However, understanding personality types has helped me from becoming too extreme. I no longer panic if I don't know what's coming up. I'm ok if plans have to be changed.  

One of the things I appreciate most about understanding the different personality types is that I've learned to be tolerant and appreciative of the other types.  

I know and enjoy people who are Perceiving types. I admire spontaneity. I appreciate those who are good at improvising.  

For more information on the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator, click the links below.

Part 1: The Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator

Myers-Briggs Part 2: How do you find your energy?

Myers-Briggs Part 3: How do you process information?

Myers-Briggs Part 4: How do you make decisions?

Myers-Briggs Part 5: How do you live your outer life?

Myers-Briggs Part 6: What's your type?

Have you figured out your own type?