The importance of introverts
I recently watched a TED Talk titled “The power of introverts”, presented by speaker named Susan Cain. Cain spoke about the importance of introverts in our society, which make up a third to a half of our population. She feels that when it comes to creativity and leadership, the world needs introverts. Some of the most famous authors and designers, including Steve Jobs were introverts.
The particular quote that caught my attention during her speech was “introverts feel at their most alive, and their most switched on, and their most capable when they are in quieter, more low key environments. So the key then to maximizing our talents is for us all to put ourselves in the zone of stimulation that is right for us.” (Cain, 2012).
In this particular video, the speaker stated that most people fit somewhere on the spectrum of both introversion and extroversion, and that if we only fell under one category, it would be a ‘messy world’. She passionately stressed the importance of introverts in the world, and that currently our schools and workplaces seem to be designed more for extroverts, who have strong needs for stimulation.
To me, this means that it is also important to not only be aware of, but inclusive of introverts in our classroom environments and to not treat those people who “like to go off by themselves as worthless problem cases.” (Cain, 2012). We should be inspired and intrigued by the minds of these creative individuals and we should be providing learning environments that foster their need for silence. Having said this, I believe we must also continue to meet the extroverts needs for stimulation. It is all about finding balance.
This particular quote resonated deeply with me as a parent of an introvert child. It was so enlightening to hear the qualities of introversion, and that it is ‘ok’ and more than ‘ok’ to be that way. At times I found myself wishing my son was more extroverted, but now I understand that he does not need to be this way in order to be successful in the world.
I chose to reflect on this quote because I personally like my alone time and also feel that I am the most creative and learn the best in a quiet environment. In one of my PIDP courses, the other students were chatting while we were supposed to be quietly working, and I almost felt annoyed…but now I feel that I can be more accepting of them, knowing and understanding that they are perhaps more on the extrovert side of the spectrum. It was also interesting to learn that we are typically not one or the other, but that we may possess qualities of both, which is certainly the case with me. I also have a side of my personality that is very much like a social butterfly. While I enjoy time alone, I also love social stimulation.
The insight that I get from this quote is that it is important to remind ourselves as instructors that we must create the best learning environment possible for all of our students. It is easy to get wrapped up in the idea of having a stimulating, exciting, and enthusiastic classroom environment where we feel the energy come alive. Who as a teacher would not want that? Especially given the national issue of the lack of engagement among students!
But in the midst of all of this, what happens to the introverts whose creativity is stifled among all of this over-stimulus? Are they not just as important in our classrooms? It is crucial that we also support them in their learning as this is how their creativity will blossom. If we solely focused on meeting the needs of the extroverts, we lose the introverts. On the other side of this coin, if we only cater to the needs of the introverts through creating a quiet, solitary study environment, we would lose the interest of the extroverts as they would become unengaged. This is certainly not what we want for the overall success of the class.
I completely agree with an author who wrote on this topic, where he said “the most obvious to encountering educational diversity is to employ the widest possible mix of pedagogic approaches and learning modalities within the classroom.” (Brookfield, 2015). As Cain mentions in her video, students need to put themselves in the zone of stimulation that is right for them.
I will apply this knowledge to my professional practice by creating environments that meet the vast needs of my students. I will also create an environment of student led learning, where the students will be given an objective to reach, and if they wish to work in a stimulating group environment, they can. If they would rather go off by themselves to arrive at the necessary conclusion, I will make that possible for them also.
I work in a team teaching environment, and therefore it is important for the two of us to be aware of each of our talents as instructors. For example, if my colleague prefers lecturing, I can balance this by integrating group work, or even better for the introverts – silent reading and interpretation exercises. “True team teaching takes more time and energy than solo teaching because now all decisions have to be talked through with colleagues rather than remaining one’s own judgment call…students often appreciate the energy generated by team teaching and the chance to work with different faculty who exhibit a range of identities and skills.” (Brookfield, 2015).
I will be implementing Stephen Brookfield’s advice of “One of the easiest, yet most dramatic ways to broaden learning modalities in the classroom is simply to program in silent periods when students are told that speech is not permitted.” (Brookfield, 2015).
I will lecture, then pose a question to the students to reflect on and answer during a silent 15-20 minutes. This will help to meet the needs of the introverts. I then intend to proceed to a period of open discussion by talking about each person’s responses. This will meet the needs of the extroverts.
In order to achieve this overall balance, I need to also understand that I will never be able to fully address the diversity in my classroom environment to the satisfaction of all involved as there are too many variables to be accounted for, however, I also can’t just throw my hands up and say that there is nothing I can do. It is my purpose to help my students learn, and therefore I must be open to constantly varying my instructional strategies to meet the varied needs of my diverse range of students.
References
Cain, S. (2012). Susan Cain: The Power of Introverts [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/susan_cain_the_power_of_introverts?language=en
Brookfield, S. D. (2015). The Skillful Teacher. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
