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We are each unique and have individual learning styles based on our personalities, our life experiences, and our environment. There are three methods of interpreting everything and everyone around us:

• Visual

• Auditory

• Physical

Usually one method is predominant for a person, and this becomes his or her learning style; also, we sometimes adopt a different learning style according to circumstances. Another common way to categorize learning styles is by “left brain” (responsible for logic and fact processing) and “right brain” (responsible for creativity, imagination, and intuition). There is no right or wrong method to learning — it just depends on what works best for you. Although our preferred habits of learning and interacting with others are ingrained, we can develop other skills or hone existing ones.

So you may be a true artist at heart with the classic tendency to use the right (creative) side of your brain, or you may lean more toward using the left side (all about logic, facts, and details). And what about your students? You must learn how to match your teaching style to your students, and how best to stimulate them. This insight into your behavior and the behavior of those around you is invaluable for your life as a businessperson, teacher, and artist.

Studies show that when it comes to decision making, the right-brain-dominant people are guided and influenced by their emotions and their intuition while left-brain-dominant people depend on their logic and sequential thinking. Obviously this affects how we study and learn as well as how we conduct our business and personal lives. Knowing how your entrepreneurial brain works helps you make informed and confident decisions. Good decisions are made when you are aware of all your strengths and weaknesses, and of where your ideas come from (whether they are artistic ideas or business ideas).

Understanding your students’ learning styles will help you adjust your own teaching methods to get the best results from the students. But remember that each person is unique and has a mix of learning styles, and can adapt and use other techniques too. For more detailed information on the many different learning styles, visit www.learning-styles-online.com.