I want to preface these techniques with the following disclaimer. Categorizing the temperament of a subject without a full diagnostic and case history is not without its risks. Some of the temperaments can be mistaken for each other upon cursory examination. Also, there is blending in some of the areas of need; that is to say, a person may demonstrate one temperament in one area of need and another temperament in another area of need.

That being said, I believe this model to be one of the most effective tools we have in garnering an understanding into the “why” a person behaves a certain way.

Throughout history we have striven to determine why people do certain things. Why certain people are successful and others are not. Maslow has offered theories on the hierarchy of needs. B.F. Skinner has presented operant conditioning. Dr. John Gray tells us “Men are from Mars; Women are from Venus.” All of these do a fair job of describing how a person behaves and communicates but don’t really tell us why.

Temperaments explore the why. Your temperament is your underlying self/nature which is much deeper than your personality. Your personality changes at need depending upon your environment. Your temperament remains constant throughout your life.

Basic temperament types and their characteristics are as follows.

The Melancholy This person demonstrates a low need or desire for socialization. Some common instructional techniques such as the “mix, pair, and share” and the “jigsaw” are physically painful for these people and they may act out to avoid them. This person has very little desire to be in charge of others and will not be happy in the role of leader. This person is uncomfortable demonstrating or receiving overt affection. They may have developed a dry, biting sense of humor they use to keep others at a comfortable distance.

The Choleric This person likes to be the one to initiate social interaction. They will be resistant when others initiate or require interaction. They may be viewed as “stuck up” or having a “better than you” attitude. This person has a great need to control others and no tolerance for being controlled. This person will express a great deal of affection but will accept affection only on their terms. They may put their arm around and hug you but will not tolerate you initiating the same contact.

The Sanguine This person has a great need to initiate and be included in interactions. Requiring this person to work alone for extended periods of time is inviting disaster. This person desires very little control over others and will tolerate very little control over their own actions. Heavy handed authority exhibited with them will create issues. This person demonstrates and needs lots of affection. The Supine This person rarely initiates social interaction but has a great need to be included by others. Sometimes this person is seen as the “wall flower.” This person has no desire to have control over or responsibility for others. The much prefer for others to be in control. Requiring this person to shoulder a large amount of responsibility will be problematic. They are perfectly happy being told what to do. This person overtly expresses very little affection, but has a great need to be the recipient of affection.

The Phlegmatic This person initiates a moderate amount of associations and desires the same form others. This person desires a moderate amount of control over other desires a reciprocal amount of control influenced over them by others. This person expresses and desires the expression of a moderate amount of affection.

Now that you have an initial understanding of these temperaments you can reflect on the behaviors exhibited by your students. Give particular attention to those displaying behavior concerns. Out of the top 10% of students experiencing behavioral difficulties can you identify the projected temperaments of those students?

Think about the students with behavior challenges, and try the following:

Independently try to identify that student’s displayed temperament type.

Come together with your team and compare your results. Did you identify the same students? Did you classify their temperament in the same category?

Come to a group consensus on the student’s temperament identification.

Armed with these understandings there are strategies and interventions which are effective with certain temperament types.

Next we will explore the strategies that are most compatible for working with each temperament type.

Reg Adkins in a specialist in behaviors and emotional issues. He holds a bachelors degree in elementary education and a masters in educational administration. He is certified in numerous educational fields including exceptional student education. He is currently a doctoral candidate in the field of faith based counseling with a high focus on human temperament analysis and counseling.