INTPs work with children?

[Ella]

Anyone here work as a teacher or in some other capacity where you work with kids day in and day out? Or have you? How did you manage it/cope?

[DeadDove]

Yep. All my "real world" work expirence is in this area and I kind of fell into it. I absolutely love it, it was a major adjustment at first so I learned to adapt because it was my paycheck. Not everyone can do it IMO, but I've been around kids a lot the past 8 or so yrs with my sister having them and all my cousins so that made the transition a lot easier.

[Pan]

I've been working for a couple of years now with large groups of kids - I manage the children's chorus for the national opera company. The kids actually aren't bad to deal with - I basically just treat them respectfully, though from a position of dominance, and they behave wonderfully. Of course, the families pay to be in the program, and the kids generally actually want to be there, so there's some incentive for them not to get kicked out.

The parents are the ones to watch out for...

[Ella]

The times I've worked with kids I've found it very draining. Do you find you need a lot of alone/down time afterward? Any tips about keeping energy levels up?

I agree that parents are the ones to watch out for...

[KuJo]

i beat them.

[Pan]

It really depends on the role you have to play. When I have actually been doing the teaching, I have certainly found it draining - though not overly much when I myself am interested in the material I'm teaching. As long as I'm enthused, the students usually remain vaguely polite. I definitely lack the true teacher's ability to read and respond to the mood of the room, though.

My current job is more often one step removed from actually leading the group of kids, and that is much easier to deal with in terms of energy level. I'm in the spotlight quite regularly, but rarely for long. I just give my instructions, answer any questions and I can then pass control back to the conductor/director/stage manager/parent chaperones.

What kind of contact are you dealing with? Is it teaching, or something else? And what age range?

[Ella]

This would be teaching, anything from three years to high school. It will be daycare for the youngest, really.

I managed children's programs for several years. I also did a sort of children's theater, where I was an entertainer. That was in small venues and it took no more than an hour or so at a time, so it was easier. When I was managing, I handed the children over to people under me when I needed to. I was younger and more energetic then. I'm not sure about being locked in a classroom with them for 8 hours, now. Six days a week. For a year. Isn't that kind of job you should only take if you're one of those people who love kids to a painful degree? I do enjoy them, but I don't know about spending that much time with them. If I need total seclusion the rest of the time to balance out all that E, that isn't going to make for much of a life.

[dubbeltop]

I guess it may be easier for people who grow up in a large family(5-1) people then it is for someone who comes from a say single child family upbringing. A father and mother can easily handle one kid but 5-10 kids is pretty difficult so keeping them busy is very important(delegate). Maybe you should spend some time in the libarary and learn as much as you can about children and their world. And watch lots of cartoons AND before you know it the kids consider you one of them and you blend in playing with toys etc etc. Ehh just watch out the parents dont think you turned into a kid so once in a while play the evil witch and tell the children that when the parents come they should behave. Now everyone thinks your the best teacher in the world and the kids like you because you know their world. Does this make any sense to you ? Anyway school sucks i just want to have fun in my life so...good luck....

[Pan]

Well, it sounds like you have enough experience to know what you're getting into.

Funny what you say about needing to be alone afterward, though - I have found that teaching feels very much like "alone time". While it's true that you're extraverting with the kids, it's not nearly the same thing as socializing with friends and colleagues. The task of leading the children through the activity is, after all, something you are having to do unaided. I would actually crave social activity with my own peers far more after a day of teaching than I would after a "normal" day in which I am interacting with adults.

[Vagabond]

The times I've worked with kids I've found it very draining. Do you find you need a lot of alone/down time afterward?
Did that for a while. Though I really like kids, and though teaching them and seeing that they actually learned stuff was pretty damn rewarding, it sucked the life out of me. Too social, too draining; not tiring on a physical or on a mental level, but too fucking energy sucking... I quit. :p

[last_caress]

Wouldn't modding here count?