How smart are you?

Do you ever wonder how people tell who is smart? Are their only book smarts? For a long time I have believed that I am not smart because I could not get straight A's in school. So what am I supposed to do in my life if I am not book smart. Well, in class the other day we talked about Gardner's multiple intelligences. We as a class actually took a quiz which I suggest you do the same(http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks3/ict/multiple_int/index.htm)
Anyways, my results actually were the strongest in intrapersonal which is being able to read people. Before this I never thought of that as a form of being smart. I realized though it is something I enjoy doing. Another area in which I was high was word smart and nature smart. As I reflected on these and my other results which can be found by typing in this code:cz2p520232xsz I found out that the things I am smart in are the things that I enjoy doing. For example, I love being outside and being around people. Those two things are some of my favorite things to do.
So how does this apply to teaching? Well, for me it gave me a broader perspective on that their is definitely more than book smarts out there. This exercise has taught me how to stop and think about how I can reach other students with the form of intelligence they have inside of them. Their is more than just multiple intelligences. I also took another quiz to identify how I learn some of the facts were surprising but again if makes sense. Overall, these two quizzes open at least my eyes to see how the world around me is not exactly like me in fact I learned that everyone learns just a little bit differently. Just like a snowflake, no two are exactly alike the same is true in an educational environment
For more information http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/mi/index_sub2.html
or http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSdir/styles.htm