The award-winning series Abbott Elementary follows the exploits of the staff of an underfunded elementary school, and the seven main characters are compelling because they are so different, each fitting a different MBTI® type. The main character is Janine Teagues, a young teacher who believes that she can make a real impact on her students, despite the school's struggle to get the resources it needs for its students. Alongside Janine is her love interest Gregory Eddie, her friend and fellow new teacher Jacob Hill, experienced teachers Melissa Schemmenti and Barbara Howard, self-centered principal Ava Coleman, and the eccentric janitor, Mr. Johnson.
Abbott Elementary revives the mockumentary TV genre by exploring each character's perspective on how to support their students, even when their strategies are vastly different. Their personality differences may cause problems regularly, but Abbott Elementary School is better off for having some characters who know the system, others who are optimistic, and even those like Ava and Mr. Johnson who tend to put their own interests and desires first. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® provides viewers with a useful exploration of each character's motivations and driving instincts, which can be helpful in understanding why the characters act in certain ways toward each other.
Mr. Johnson — INFJ
Mr. Johnson is the hardest to pin down when it comes to his personality, as his mysterious nature is the most likable part of his character in Abbott Elementary. However, he does fit best as an INFJ, with his intuition and feeling traits coming out in his occasional bursts of insight. His ability to connect the dots on complex issues causes him to alternate between giving advice and sharing conspiracy theories, as both require the ability to see past the surface appearance of things.
Beyond his understanding of others, Mr. Johnson has a complicated relationship with his job. He's committed to its importance but otherwise refuses to help out around Abbott, as he doesn't see it as being his responsibility. While similar characters might indulge in flights of fancy, Mr. Johnson takes his enjoyment from messing with the staff and students, which allows him to build grand schemes without having to work with others or be open to surprises.
Melissa Schemmenti — ESTP
As a veteran teacher, Melissa tends to tackle problems head-on in Abbott Elementary’s most relatable storylines, solving what she can and ignoring what she can't, as many ESTPs do. She is open to new possibilities, particularly when they involve breaking the rules or using her family connections to find creative solutions, but she usually puts logic before emotion in how she puts them into play. This often leads her to conflict with Janine, as she is not driven by blind optimism.
While Melissa can be closed off to some of the other characters, she does thrive on social interactions. She likes being at the center of attention and enjoys the competitive nature of Abbott's various social events. This demonstrates her extroverted nature, though her tendency toward thinking instead of feeling can cause her to be gruff and detached from those with whom she doesn't have an immediate connection.
Barbara Howard — ESTJ
Janine looks up to Barbara as a mentor because of the Abbott Elementary character's intelligence and teaching experience, but that time is bolstered by her ESTJ personality type, which helps her complete tasks efficiently. Barbara is a very rigid character, both in her perspective on teaching and in her religious beliefs, which ties in well with her thinking and judging traits.
While many people expect to see this kind of determination and logic in introverted characters, Barbara is a good example of someone who enjoys being in a social environment, even if she doesn't always put others' feelings first. This is what makes her a good teacher, as she is eager to connect with her students and help them grow. Unlike Janine, however, Barbara sees things as they are, not as they could be, a trait she shares with her closest work friend, Melissa.
Jacob Hill — ISFP
Jacob is a passionate and enthusiastic teacher, in contrast to many of actor Chris Perfetti’s more tragic roles, but his co-workers frequently insult his interests. While his instinct is to enjoy the world around him, due to his sensing and perceiving traits, he is also very sensitive to the responses of the people he trusts, thanks to his introversion and feeling combination. His interests, from improv to podcasting, are often viewed as cringe-worthy, which causes him to keep them internalized unless he feels safe enough to open up, which makes episodes focused on his character even more special.
Despite how often he is mocked for his interests, Jacob remains loyal to the other teachers at Abbott, from whom he is eager for approval. Janine is eager to give validation in her quotes, as she has a similar personality and is in a similar position in life to him, but other characters clash with him because they have different values. Jacob isn't inclined to engage in conflict, however, so he often lets the other person win while continuing to do what he prefers in private, a classic strategy for the ISFP who just wants to find peace.
Ava Coleman — ESFP
Ava is an extrovert, but her MBTI® classification as an ESFP makes it clear how those traits can lead some people to be toxic to others around them. Ava loves trying new things, with an openness to new social media schemes and products to sell. However, she tends to focus on details rather than the big picture, which is a bad trait for someone who is supposed to be running the school.
While viewers likely think of Ava as the antithesis to Janine, particularly given Ava’s funniest quotes, they are actually very similar, with both determinedly pursuing the things they believe in. However, Ava values her personal success over all else, which clashes with the other characters in the school who generally put their students before themselves. Fellow ESFPs can be a lot of fun to be around, but their spontaneity can come across as unreliable if it isn't balanced with self-discipline.
Gregory Eddie — ISTJ
Gregory is a complicated figure to place because he rarely shares the details of his internal world. That fact makes it easy to sort him as an introvert, though the other parts of his personality can be understood with some investigation. He primarily values logic and order, which contribute to his sensing, thinking, and judging traits as an ISTJ.
Gregory wanted (and deserves) to become Principal, and his inability to meet that goal closed him off from his students and fellow teachers for the majority of the first season. It took his connections with the other teachers to slowly open up to new possibilities, though his immediate impulse is usually still to follow rules and plans. Because he has opposite traits to Janine in all but one category, they are able to easily challenge each other, an important element of their friendship.
Janine Teagues — INFP
Janine Teagues wavers between introversion and extroversion, but she fits best within the INFP type. Though she has the need for external validation that is common in ENFPs, particularly when it comes to Barbara's approval of her choices as a teacher, Janine's personal life shows a preference toward the familiar, which helps place her properly. This is part of what has consistently kept Gregory and Jeanine apart. She connects powerfully with those around her, not seeking out others even when the familiar is actively hurting her, as her relationship with Tariq showed.
Within her MBTI® type, Janine's dominant function is her intuition, which consistently guides her to dream big and pursue her goals with optimism and hope. She has strong values, which align with her feeling trait, and she takes action to share those values and make the world a better place. Like most INFPs, Janine drives progress with her devotion to helping those around her, even when her naivete means that her goals are unachievable. Knowing the MBTI® Types of the other characters in Abbott Elementary helps explain why some are drawn to Janine while others find her frustrating most of the time.