“In dealing with people, when we keep their type in mind, we are respecting not only their abstract right to develop along lines of their own choosing, but also the importance of qualities they have developed by making that choice.

MBTI Manual, p32

Break by Multiple Intelligence FIRST

Place at least one child with a parallel preference in the Intel 1, Intel 2 or Intel 3 columns of the Strengths Grid with each of your breakout groups.

E.g., for a history lesson, place a child with and intra- or interpersonal preference in each breakout group; for a geography lesson, place a child with visual-spatial preference in each breakout group; for a life science lesson, place a child with naturalist preference in each breakout group.

Extraversion/Introversion SECOND
(the first character in the Myers-Briggs column of your member dashboard)

For maximally effective breakout groups for intro lessons, do your best to make the groups exclusively extraverted or introverted.

This is especially important during an introductory lesson because while extraverts like conversation “layering” through interruptions, introverts’ require concentration and a well-meaning extraverts interruption may set them back to square one. If this is impossible, try to balance the groups so that introverted students don’t get drowned out by their fellow students and extraverts have a way to “talk through” the new information.

Dominant Personality Type THIRD
(the middle character in the Myers-Briggs column)

If you’re planning more than 2-3 segments, break your I and E segments up into straight T/F/S/N, but if that’s impossible, go for these blends: NT / NF / ST / SF.

Because using our inferior preference FEELS uncomfortable, we don’t practice it or naturally use it well and putting it to use can be stressful…ESPECIALLY if we’re in a group with others who are adept at the opposing type preference or just can’t understand our point of view. Because of these factors, placing a student in a group with an opposite dominant type preference means that the new understanding won’t be contextualized for a way for the students in a way that they will both absorb and retain the information.

Judging/Perceiving FOURTH
(the last character in the Myers-Briggs column)

At this stage of the game, it’s not as important to break apart judgers and perceivers as it is during practice lessons.

Understand that your perceiving groups will try to make the learning PROCESS fun, while your judging groups will want to bring closure to tasks BEFORE they feel comfortable goofing around or playing.

Other Breakout Group Types

Practice Lessons
Long-Term Projects

Effective Breakout Groups for Intro Lessons