Reflections on Type Teaching

by Adam Frey

When I first joined BAAPT in 2010, I searched for keys to teaching type most effectively. Here are some learning experiences offered by BAAPT presenters that deeply impressed me:

Danielle Poirier’s The Magnificent 16
A gorgeous, interactive DVD-ROM featuring people of each type talking about what it is like to be them. Thirteen years later, I still remember phrases from it.

Linda Berens’ workshop on Interaction Styles
Linda’s serious, systematic approach wowed me. Even today, I still catch myself rehearsing the division of the sixteen MBTI types into the four Interaction Styles, as if Linda might suddenly phone up and quiz me.

Vicky Jo Varner’s “Can You Spot It?”
An image- and video-filled online course in identifying the eight function-attitudes in action. Vicky Jo loves this vital subject and makes it fun to learn.

Bob McAlpine’s conferences and webinars through Type Resources
Bob has a genius for creating community and engaging people with type long-term. He knows exactly how much hands-on participation is needed for people to learn and remember. 

Rob Toomey’s TypeCoach Verifier
This app treats users like adults, helping them learn type while also figuring out their own orientation. It’s MBTI-based thinking, but the language is unusually clear, vivid, and unbiased! They also offer type-dependent coaching modules. 

One takeaway from these experiences is that great teaching is tied to the type development of the teachers. In these learning situations, I could very easily see many more functions at work than the teacher’s two preferred ones. ❖