Strenghts Finder Comments

When I took the Strengths Finder test I agree with my results and I feel that if I use my strengths in the classroom I will become a better teacher.

My first strength is belief which is definitely true for me.  My Christian values are firmly within me and I feel that my life has purpose.  When teaching my belief makes a world of difference.  It allows me to love every child and show God's love to them through my actions.  In teaching I want to make things exciting and create a variety of learning experiences because I believe God has gifted everyone with the ability to learn as well as unique talents.  My belief is a part of me and because of this it will be seen in every step of my teaching because I cannot separate from it.

My second strength is achiever which means I am a hard worker.  I love the feeling of having a productive day and I will go the extra mile to do what I can to succeed.  In the classroom this is a strength that I can use to plan and put into practice everything I have learned about teaching.  It also helps me not give up on a child because I believe that I can accomplish what needs to be done to help and support a child.  This could also be a negative however, when I crowd my schedule with so many things to do that I become a Martha and forget to sit and listen and become a Mary.  Busyness is definitely one of the problems I have and it is easy to get rundown and overextend myself to the point that my relationships suffer, with God, with family, and with friends.  It will be all about me finding a balance between doing and resting.

The third strength is developer.  I do look the potential in other, particularly in children.  I always seem to find a positive where most people see only the negative.  I encourage that small part of good that I see rather than dwelling constantly on the bad.  I think that this will be a great asset as a teacher.  I know that every student is a child of God who is special in many ways.  All I have to do is keep my eyes open and then water the little seed that is positive in a child.  This is one thing that I love to do and I can't wait to be that encourager that a child needs.

Fourth is responsibility.  This is definitely me.  I have actually been called of fun-sucker by my siblings because I am always conscious of being responsible.  I am committed to my values and I do take ownership for what I say and do, often more so than I should be.  This is obviously a negative for me in some ways, because at times it's like a chain that keeps me from just letting go and expressing myself in a completely free way.  It will come in handy when I am a teacher because I will look out for safety, mean what I say, and have more of a set structure.  However, I need to remember to relax and just laugh and have fun with the students sometimes without being stiff.

My fifth strength is harmony.  This describes me so well because I absolutely hate conflict.  I am a peace-maker who does not do well dealing with tension whether it is a big or small issue.  As a teacher, I am happy that I will create a peaceful and calming atmosphere...but there are always going to be times of conflict and I need to deal with it in appropriate ways rather than getting upset or crying (which I tend to do in my own relationships a lot when there is tension or conflict!)...this is just something which I need to work on because I don't want any tiny conflict to through me off!

I am happy that I took this test again because it gives me words that completely fit who I am and my personality.  While I see the positives of each trait, I also see where a certain trait could trip me up and cause me problems in teaching.  It also makes me happy that I love each of these things about myself (although it needs to be balanced!)