ISBN: 978-1880463-86-4 | Publication: 2023 | Pages 160 • $15.95

Foreword – Karen McCord, Psy.D.

As an educator, college professor, parent, grandparent and great grandparent, for many years I have used Mr. Wynn’s strategies and books in my classroom and recommended them to friends and family. As a professor at Solano College, I found Mr. Wynn’s materials to be an invaluable resource to increase student success, particularly for students who lacked foundational knowledge as to who they were, how they learned, and how to be intentional in setting goals to navigate through college and into careers. Mr. Wynn has an amazing ability to synthesize research into practical steps and commonsense approaches that can be easily understood by parents, teachers, and students. I was elated when I learned that he was publishing components of his well established on-line curriculum in book form. As you read through this, and each book in his Who I Am series, the comments by students who were first introduced to the content through his College Planning Cohort Program provide evidence of pensive self-reflection and learning on the deepest levels. The comments of middle school and high school students rival the writings and self-reflections of my college students.

 This book is reflective of Mr. Wynn’s holistic approach to teaching and learning. Students are encouraged to envision their futures through their “My Story” narrative. What can be more common sense than making what we are teaching relevant to students’ needs today and their aspirations for the future? This is not conjecture, the evidence of the validity of this approach is reflected in the thinking and writings of students shared throughout the book. Students are processing the impact of their personality, temperament, mindset, and grit in the pursuit of their near-term and long-term goals. Mr. Wynn understands that whether you are a college professor or a K — 12 teacher, inspiration should be interwoven into pedagogy. He believes, and I concur, that students should have a sense of who they are and what they aspire to achieve in their futures. Within such a context, as students develop a greater understanding of the stressors to their personality, temperament, and mindset, they can turn to their own grit in committing to the strategies required to avoid and resolve conflict. Equally important is a student’s self-awareness of the stressors that he or she presents to others so that robust classroom discussions may occur without devolving into screaming or personal attacks.

To this end, I found the student examples to provide powerful insight into the thinking of students well beyond their years. In the following example, a ninth grader is able to communicate a high level of self-awareness in understanding her personality and how she differs from others in her family.

I am an ENFP, aka, the Campaigner. I am creative, outgoing, and open-minded. I’m also devoted to creating connections and maintaining good relationships with others. Along with this, I am perceptive, curious, enthusiastic, good-natured, and I am an excellent communicator. With this description, I wasn’t very surprised by the assessment since these are traits that I have. My personality is a bit different from my family’s since I’m the only extravert but all of us lead with our feelings rather than our thinking. 

— Jocelyne, 9th Grade [p. 29]

I am equally enamored by a male student who is able to not only recognize the importance of avoiding conflict, but is self-aware of his own temperament and the importance of being proactive in his approach to learning.

It is always best to avoid conflicts because once they have started; they are very hard to control. One of the ways that I avoid conflict with teachers or classmates is to be respectful at all times and treat others as I would want to be treated. 

My strategy for being proactive in ensuring my academic success will be to remember the tasks at hand at all times and stay focused on my goals (short- and long-term). Being a proactive student means taking ownership and responsibility of my own academic success and not waiting on others, but creating my own path. I would have to be disciplined in my study time and ensure that I am managing my time to allow time for personal time.  

— Nishan, 10th Grade [p. 53]

Mr. Wynn is an extraordinary writer and he and his wife, Nina, are a great team. This is an incredibly well-written book, easy to use, and will prove to be a valuable resource for anyone interested in maximizing student success and minimizing conflict.

Karen McCord, Psy.D.
Professor of Psychology (retired)
Solano College
Solano, California

Table of Contents 

  • Student Contributors 
  • Foreword – Karen McCord, Psy.D. 
  • How to Use This Book 
    • The Socratic Method
  • Chapter 1: Why I Am Here 
    • Protect Your Mental Health 
  • Chapter 2: My Personality 
    • Personality Types Tables
    • Extraverts and Introverts in the Classroom
    • Sensing and Intuitives in the Classroom
  • Chapter 3: My Temperament 
    • Temperament Traits Tables
    • Personality Types & 4 Temperaments Table 
  • Chapter 4: My Mindset 
    • Fixed versus Growth Mindset Table
    • Nishan’s Résumé
  • Chapter 5: My Grit 
    • Grit Table
    • Grit Percentile Table 
    • Setting Goals 
  • Final Chapter: Avoiding & Resolving Conflict 
    • Personality Type Summary Table 
    • Temperament Traits Tables
    • Fixed versus Growth Mindset Table 
    • Grit Table 
  • References 
  • Index 
  • Other Books 

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