Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom

Meghan Converse
18 September 2008

Learning Styles, Multiple Intelligences, and Impacts on Student Learning and Your Teaching

After reviewing Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences, I found that I excel mainly in the kinesthetic and interpersonal intelligences. My highest score fell in the category of interpersonal intelligence. This came as no surprise as I have always enjoyed doing hands on work as well as interacting with other people. This has been apparent throughout my schooling as well as in my everyday life.
Several of the defining characteristics of the interpersonal intelligence are collaborative skills, leadership, and social empathy. I have always enjoyed working with others in a group setting. This skill falls under the collaborative core characteristic and perfectly fits my learning style. I have also held leadership positions in a variety of clubs. I enjoy leading a group and putting ideas into action. Social empathy is the characteristic that best fits my personality. I have had an awareness and concern for others since I was a small child. This has been exemplified in my volunteer work with the YMCA as well as my intentions to join the Peace Corps.
Generally, students with this type of intelligence behave similarly in the classroom. For instance, they tend to solicit input from others. They also enjoy collaborative work and sharing about themselves. They value relationships and seek the support of a group. As the core characteristics of this intelligence imply, students tend to be natural leaders. They also display a “winning” personality. While you can not describe a student based solely on one of their intelligences, many students with interpersonal intelligence display these characteristics.
As a teacher, I will teach towards all intelligences. To reach interpersonal students, I will allow plenty of group work. Many of these students would like to pick their own groups. I will be careful to create a balance of group work where students get to choose their partners and group work with assigned groups so many different students get to work together. I will also assign roles in cooperative groups. In my classroom, competition wick be used as a means of promoting higher lever achievement. Lastly, I will create lessons around dramatic activity so that students may role play. This will help engage students who excel in the interpersonal intelligence.
There is a wide array of technology that stimulates interpersonal intelligence. They generally encourage communication among students. Among them are: telephones, walkie-talkies, board games, class discussions, greeting cards, and message boards. These will help engage students with interpersonal intelligence as well as prompt students who tend to keep to themselves to branch out.
By looking more closely at Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences, I am more aware of ways to engage all students in the classroom. Not only will I teach to students with my own intelligences, I will design activities to reach students who excel in different areas than I do. I will also be more apt to notice where my students excel. I plan to use the surfaquarium website throughout my teaching career to help me teach to these students.