[00:00:00] Kirsten: This is the Social Studies Teacher Podcast, a show for busy elementary teachers looking for fun and engaging ways to easily add social studies into their classroom schedule without feeling overwhelmed or pressed for time. I'm Kirsten of the Southern Teach. An educator and mom who is passionate about all things social studies.

[00:00:30] Kirsten: I love sharing ideas and strategies that are low prep and easy to implement. So let's dive in together.

[00:00:47] Kirsten: Hi there, and welcome back to my channel. Happy New Year. I hope you had a wonderful winter break and holiday season. Today we're gonna be starting off with something nice and easy. I'm gonna be [00:01:00] sharing with you nine types of students you might have in your classroom and ways to meet the needs of all of them.

[00:01:06] Kirsten: Every year you get a mix of learning styles, personalities, and with that comes strengths and challenges among them all. Sometimes you're juggling all of them at once. Chances are as we go through this list, you're going to start picturing some of the students in your class and maybe even yourself as a kid.

[00:01:23] Kirsten: So before we get started, I do wanna mention that you can subscribe this channel. I am putting out one video each week of this year, 2026. A lot of these videos are going to be bite-sized videos. I'm super excited to be releasing these because they are very popular and I'm also going to. Have these types of episodes where you see my face and I talk about a topic once per month.

[00:01:50] Kirsten: So you'll see 12 of these type of episodes this year and a variety of bite-sized social studies on government topics, history, geography, [00:02:00] and so much more. So I'm. Super excited for you to tune in. I also have a podcast version If you ever wanna listen in. These particular episodes are going to be on the podcast.

[00:02:10] Kirsten: You can also read the blog, the southern teach.com/blog, and you can see all of the different archive of articles related to teaching social studies and engaging your students. Alright, let's go ahead and get started. We're gonna be talking about nine types of students that might be in your classroom.

[00:02:28] Kirsten: Again, you may or may not have a combination of multiple, so it's okay if you see more than one or all of the different types I mentioned in your classroom this year. You might have more. Of one then another. I'm gonna be sharing a brief description and characteristics of each type of student and ways to best support them in the classroom.

[00:02:50] Kirsten: Number one is the perfectionist. This student wants everything to be just right. They care deeply about doing [00:03:00] well, but sometimes the pressure makes them hesitant and makes them. Afraid to make mistakes to support them. You can give clear directions, break tasks into smaller steps. And remind them about how learning isn't always perfect.

[00:03:14] Kirsten: It's about progress. Modeling mistakes out loud, or even admitting that you made a mistake or there's a typo in a worksheet that you might have made, can help students feel more comfortable and it can be incredibly powerful. Next step is the people pleaser. The students constantly wants approval and reassurance.

[00:03:34] Kirsten: They're often very helpful. They're very kind. They're very eager. If they need a volunteer or you need a volunteer, they are going to be one of the first people to raise their hands and do whatever you want them to do. They can also struggle with confidence issues and fear of disappointing somebody.

[00:03:52] Kirsten: That is close to them, whether it's a classmate or a friend or even their teacher to support them. It's best to use positive [00:04:00] reinforcement, and if you do have something to critique them or something you need to talk to them about, that's important. Give private feedback if possible, rather than just shouting out in front of the whole class and let them know that their value isn't always.

[00:04:17] Kirsten: Saying yes or trying to be as perfect as possible. Next up, we have the role model. This student likes recognition and takes pride at being successful. They often step up as leaders, but often. Really take it hard when they fail at something. They might be what you call a sore loser, or they just really don't like to lose at something.

[00:04:43] Kirsten: When it comes to competition, to support them the best, make sure you're offering leadership opportunities while also giving room and allowing for mistakes. Let them know it's okay to make mistake. Let them know that setbacks are a part of learning even for strong students [00:05:00] like themselves. Next up is the creative.

[00:05:02] Kirsten: This student thrives when they have the freedom to express, think outside the box, or show their learning in unique ways. They might struggle with rigid or repetitive tasks like maybe you have a fact fluency thing you have to do every time. Something that's kind very repetitive, rote memorization. They are not about that.

[00:05:23] Kirsten: To support them, make sure you're incorporating choice boards. Open-ended projects. And also creative response options when students are showing their learning in different ways, this is where the creatives really shine. Number five is the thinker. The thinker loves ideas, questions, and deep thinking. They might work quietly and prefer to work independently rather than in pairs or in a group, and they enjoy exploring topics beyond what is required of them to support them.

[00:05:54] Kirsten: Make sure you're giving them. Space and opportunities for them to explore by themselves, give them the [00:06:00] opportunity to ask thoughtful questions, as well as sharing their thinking. Extension activities and inquiry-based learning really work well here. Next up is the skeptic. This student questions everything, and sometimes that can come across as challenging or argumentative, but really this is how they're engaging with material to help them make sure you're encouraging, respectful questioning.

[00:06:28] Kirsten: Not calling any teacher or other student out because of their opinions. Teaching them also how to support their own opinions with solid evidence that is credible. These students thrive in debates and discussions and analysis activities. Next step is the life of the party. The student is energetic and social.

[00:06:49] Kirsten: They love group projects Anytime where they get to talk and work with other people, it doesn't matter who it is in the class. That is going to be their jam. They often bring [00:07:00] great energy to the classroom, but it could also be a distraction for themselves and others if that energy isn't adequately addressed or directed in the right place to support them.

[00:07:10] Kirsten: Make sure you're encouraging and. Channeling their enthusiasm with leadership roles, presentations, group discussions, allowing them to work in different places around the room and switching it up with working independently with also working. In groups, clear expectations and structured movement is a way to keep them engaged.

[00:07:31] Kirsten: Alright, the second to last is the go-getter. The student is confident, motivated. This student is confident, motivated, and love and dependent. They love to take charge and gladly love challenges. They also might resist strict control. If you may be a strict teacher or have a lot of rules, they may not react well to that.

[00:07:56] Kirsten: To support them, make sure you're offering choice within the [00:08:00] structure that you might have. Clear boundaries paired with autonomy, help these students stay motivated and successful, and they're less likely to be argumentative and fighting back. Finally, the last type of student you might have in your classroom is the dreamer.

[00:08:16] Kirsten: These students are often quiet, observant, and reflective. They may take longer to participate. They may be reluctant to participate in group discussions where hands are popping up and everybody's talking. They will warm up in due time maybe. Towards the end of the year, maybe not at all, maybe once in a blue moon, they might share their thoughts and that is okay.

[00:08:44] Kirsten: Once they do feel comfortable, even if it's just talking to you, they do always have some insightful things to say to support them. Make sure you offer low pressure opportunities to share ideas, whether that's one-on-one with you or maybe one of their friends [00:09:00] that they do talk to. Another thing to think about is using partner talk.

[00:09:04] Kirsten: Building routines that help them feel safe and confident. So let's wrap up and review the nine different types of students. Thinking back on what I just said, which one do you notice the most in your class? Just just this year? Let's think about just this year. Can you think of, do you have a lot of dreamers?

[00:09:27] Kirsten: Do you have a lot of skeptics? Do you have a lot of life of the parties that are all just really loving to. Be enthusiastic and share and talk and want to be in a group all the time. Every year is different. I've had, even in the same year, I've had a morning block that was more quiet, more observant, more independent, and my other block would be more.

[00:09:52] Kirsten: Talkative, more achievers. So just think about what types of students might be in your [00:10:00] class based on the nine I mentioned here, and even go back in time. Think about as a kid, what were you, were you an achiever? Were you a perfectionist? I say I was a mix of a little bit of the dreamer, but also the achiever and the perfectionist.

[00:10:18] Kirsten: I could see myself in a few of those descriptions. I didn't always like to be in a group for the most part. I would rather work by myself, but I also wanted to please my teacher. I was a. Teachers helper always staying after school to clean the chalkboards. We did have chalkboards back then. I am old enough to remember that, but that's just kind of something that I like to think back on.

[00:10:45] Kirsten: And I try as a teacher, I try to take in account that not. Everything I teach and not every activity I do is going to fit with the personalities and the needs of every single student. So I [00:11:00] really think mixing it up and supporting students where you see fit is so important. That's why it's so important to really understand and know your.

[00:11:09] Kirsten: Students as soon as the first few days of school, and even if you've got a new student, make sure you're taking the time to get to know them. Something else to take in mind is that most students don't fit neatly into one category for every single subject. They might be a perfectionist in math. They might be a creative in writing, and they might be a skeptic in social studies.

[00:11:32] Kirsten: It could just depend on what they're interested in and the topic and the. Subject in general, understanding these student types is a way to help plan your lessons, group students thoughtfully, and create a classroom environment where every student feels supported. Teaching isn't about changing who students are.

[00:11:52] Kirsten: It is about. Meeting them where they are and helping them grow. I wanted to start off this episode at the [00:12:00] beginning of the year, just as a refresher and a reminder to make sure that you're modifying and implementing a variety of strategies to make sure you're meeting. Your students where they are. Not all students will fit into one type of box.

[00:12:16] Kirsten: Not all students can work independently every single time of the day. And it's just important to incorporate not only independent activities, but group activities, independent activities that might require creative thinking choice boards, something where it is very structured. It requires a lot of. Fast fact fluency, something like that.

[00:12:41] Kirsten: Whatever it is, make sure you're varying the activities, varying the modality, and making sure you are meeting students where they're at. I know it can be stressful, especially because there's so many things that you have to keep in mind in a class and with your [00:13:00] students, but. It can be possible. It can be easy to do if you're looking for an activity where students are discovering their personality types.

[00:13:09] Kirsten: Based on the nine types that I shared with you today, I highly encourage you to check out my bestselling Enneagram test for big kids, grades four through six. I also have. Enneagram for primary, so it's perfect for grades one through three. I'll make sure to link that in the description to see if you're interested in either of those, but I have a variety of activities that are based off of the Enneagram.

[00:13:35] Kirsten: I've got Enneagram choice boards that you can use for e subject. I've got a teacher guide that goes into more depth with the nine types I share with you here. So I think that I wanted to do this episode in the beginning of the year to really kind of think about how you can meet your students and not do every single activity and vary [00:14:00] it for every single type of student in your class, but just least giving yourself and your students the awareness that they are.

[00:14:08] Kirsten: Different in personality, in strengths and challenges, and that is okay. And just rolling with that through the spring semester and beyond and making sure you can help them. Hopefully you found this episode insightful and helpful, and I look forward to talking to you next time. Have a great rest of your day.

[00:14:32] Kirsten: Thanks for listening to the Social Studies Teacher podcast. If you enjoyed listening to this episode. Hit that subscribe button and leave a review. I would love to hear your thoughts. You can also find me on Instagram at the Southern Teach. I can't wait for you to join me in the next episode for more teacher tips and strategies.