On Tuesday, my parents travelled up and stayed with us for five days. During that time, I sat down with them and watched a marriage seminar on DVD (which I had watched previously with my husband). I knew I had hit a winner when they both sat there laughing instead of sleeping as they would tend to do when the TV is on. The final session was a short one introducing a test known as 'the flag page.' We were all so excited and drawn in by the whole thing that all four of us sat down that night and did our tests. It was simply three steps, during which we selected traits we have, rated them on how we feel about them, and chose five traits that were our favourites. Then we received our results. It turns out that the statement they make about this test is true - it is not so much a personality test as a passion test, to find where your passions lie. We discovered how much time we spent in each of four 'countries,' which described our personalities and the 'language' that makes sense to us. It also told us how soft/hard we are, what types of talents we have, and our top 5 motivations. This was then broken down to explain what our desires are, what motivates us to do what we do, how we connect with people and how we succeed. It is incredible to see how detailed each report was and how accurate! Before the test, we knew enough about the four countries to try and predict the top two for each of us. I am proud to announce that I knew exactly what countries Mum, Dad, and my husband were from. Having heard about them at the seminar that meant I knew which words would motivate and excite them, what their major desires were, and how they liked to approach things. However, then I did my test and that was a bit of a surprise. They say that when you see the results that you get excited just looking at your special set of words. Even looking at my parents, I got a bit excited, and I have enough in common with them that this was not a surprise. Reading through mine, I had predicted my top two countries, but in the wrong order. Then I read my motivations, talents, and the details that came in the report. Let's just say, I was so excited that I got as emotional as some of our younger students do during those times you can't calm them down. It's one of those times you just have to ride out the emotion, stop reading, and wait for your nerves to return. Thankfully, the second reading was a lot smoother. Isn't it ridiculous how we relate to the right combination of words that strike a chord with us. This test did more than simply make me emotional though, it made me understand my husband and our relationship just a bit clearer. I suddenly realised that certain aspects of his personality that annoyed me were not simply things he enjoyed, but they were on his top five motivations! These were the things he needed and provide the drive in his life, and I was fighting against them as if they didn't really matter. Big oops! As a result, I have a greater understanding of his needs and motivations, as well as the language which makes sense and appeals to him. Now we can work together in greater strength than before. This is not simply because we are newly weds either, as my parents also received new revelations with their results.Because of this story and prior experiences with personality tests, I will be using the flag page as my only example in this post. However, there are alternatives. I have simply found that this is the most accurate, detailed and helpful test I have taken. There would be free alternatives out there, as well as similar tests which could also be useful, such as the five love languages test (for those of you familiar with this, have you ever considered completing it with your students to find what extrinsic motivations may be the best fit?)
Now that you've tolerated my story, let me relate this experience to your students. This would be an incredible way to start the year as a get-to-know-you activity, but could also be used later in the year if you feel the need, and could be completed with the child and even family, or as a simple observation kept to the teacher to inform practice. The flag page even has a version specifically for children. This version is a 'game' in which the students group cards to score points in categories and their final points reveal their results. This game allows up to six official flag pages to be produced, but more can easily entertaining, but a student from control company may prefer hearing that they were successful in achieving the intended outcomes and a student from perfect country may need sensitivity to how they felt about presenting to their peers and how they approached this.be duplicated or recorded in written form. You could also find a free alternative to test your students or gain a personal understanding of the areas in a quality test, such as the flag page. For example, by gaining an understanding of the four 'countries' you may realise why certain students don't get along, what students desire, what motivates them to some degree, and what language they understand best. This will allow you to use trigger words for those students when they need encouragement, motivation, or feedback. For example, a student from fun country will love hearing that their presentation was
I have one final thought on personality tests as I continue my job search (final interview before approval should hopefully be soon!). The flag page is marketed as finding 'what is right about you.' If someone had asked me my strengths during an interview, I could have listed things I was interested in and bounced around the question rather awkwardly, as I am rather well-rounded and tend to spend more time focussing on how to strengthen my weaknesses and enjoying other PD without identifying my strengths. Being well-rounded, this test helped me to identify particular strengths and motivations which drive everything else. Now, when I need to explain who I am, I have my personality in black and white and I have no trouble identifying just a few specific strengths. I am great at music and love it, among many other things, but it isn't one of my top five. In fact, my top motivation was 'inspirational' which means that I endeavour to make a positive difference in the lives of others, combining this with other motivations of mine, competence and creativity, and you will find that I always believe things can be better and will find a way to constantly improve and better both myself, my environment and those around me. As these are actually huge motivations in my life, they get me excited. Now, in an interview, I can approach the question quickly, enthusiastically and accurately, giving the interviewer a glimpse into the best part of me. Furthermore, now I know what motivates me, I can find that motivation when it escapes me. Add this professional advantage to the positive effect it is having on my marriage and I would say it is well worth the small fee to complete!
Curious to know more? Quench your curiousity here:
- The Momma knows - The Flag Page: Discover Your Child's Heart: A mother's review of the child's flag page game.
- Mark Gungor - The 4 Countries of People: A section of the seminar we watched, explaining the four countries. Once familiar with these ideas, it isn't hard to identify a person's main country with some accuracy.
- Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage - What Motivates You?: A page with the links to different tests (for children and adults).
How do you feel about personality tests? Do you have any negative feelings or doubts towards them? Are you cautious due to the possibility of grouping or boxing complex individuals? Can you recommend a test you have come across and had a positive experience with?
Please note: I have received no payments or benefits for providing my opinions on the products mentioned in this post. This is merely my own experience which I hope may benefit others.
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