Honor the Introvert!

“Maybe my footsteps are so heavy because of all the words I keep inside.” ~ A former student and self-proclaimed introvert

“A concealed spirit would not escape from my throbbing soul. Could not escape. I found myself drowning in an ocean of shyness– afraid to ring my vocal cords, terrified of foreign eyes glaring at my introverted figure. As I drowned, anxiety feasted upon my paralyzed body, withering away the notion of fitting in and belonging. Caved desires within scraped and roared like a lion, yet I could not dethrone the king–the mighty king. Inner beauty gleamed inside of my skin, yet the brain masked it with cursed remarks: “No friends. No focus. No confidence. No living without panic and worry. No voice.” ~ Former Student, Excerpt from a Writing Assignment

When I was provided with an opportunity to present a professional development workshop entitled “Honoring the Introvert” to my colleagues, I was thrilled. Each day at school, I encounter introverts in my classroom. And I can easily recall comments like, “Your son is bright but too quiet,” or, “Your son is well behaved, but he never speaks in class. I lower his participation grade each quarter because of this,” during parent teacher conferences throughout my son’s elementary through high school years. While quieter or introverted students often are strong performers on assessments ranging from projects to papers to exams, and have thoughtful insights to share during class discussions, they may be reluctant to participate verbally in full classroom discussions. As a result, the “Honoring the Introvert “workshop had several goals: for teachers to understand what introversion looks like in the classroom, to coach teachers to create inclusive classrooms where introverts can be their authentic selves, and to provide teachers with practical skills to promote engagement of introverted schools. Overall, during the workshop, we sought to examine our role as instructors and our classroom environments to help our quieter students recognize their own potential and to share their insightful contributions in class. By the end of the workshop, teachers would have a toolbox of classroom activities designed to promote participation from introverts (without placing extroverted students at a disadvantage).

Tips and Techniques: Introvert-Friendly Learning Environment

•Balance teaching methods to serve all the students in your class (LaFever).

•Encourage mastery and self-expression—“Introverts, especially, need an outlet whether on the athletic field, in the lab, and extracurricular activity, or a simple piece of paper. Introverts tend to be driven by their interests and passion, naturally organizing their lives around the things they love to do the most” (Cain 246-247).

•Encourage introverted students to join a team, group, or extra-curricular activity—they will share common interests, feel less pressure to make a great first impression or to fit in (Cain 9).

•Provide choice with activities and assignments.

•Invite someone into your classroom to observe your class dynamics.

Tips and Techniques: Quiet Time

•Provide quiet time for introverted students to work on own, to be alone, to self-reflect, to process, to create—to read and to write, to craft art work.

•Advocate for quiet time: “Before any group discussion, suggest that everyone take a few minutes to come up with ideas quietly. This may help both the introverted and extroverted members of your group pause and frame their thoughts, leading to more meaningful conversations” (Cain 58).

•Create quiet spaces or “restorative niches”: Self-care is necessary for introverts to recharge!” (Wilson).

•Have students unplug and get inside their heads more often (Cain).

•During a discussion, provide “think time” or “wait time” (Cain 37).

Tips and Techniques: Redefine Class Participation

**The absence of talk does not necessarily mean the absence of learning.

•Celebrate the silence. Reframe silence as a “productive” or useful contribution to classrooms.

•Incorporate “wait time” to allow student to think and/or jot notes. Allow students to silently assent to a question.

•Pay attention to nonverbal facial feedback, eye contact, nodding head, leaning toward the speaker, etc.

•Incorporate pair-and-share or small group discussion opportunities.

•Have students create and share multimedia projects where students “speak” through recorded text.

Tips and Techniques: Technology

•Create an online forum for students to discuss ideas, give feedback, post results (Google Docs collaboration, for example).

•Brainstorm digitally via VoiceThread or Padlet.

•Provide choice in presentations: All students need to showcase and present their work to authentic audiences to feel relevant and important. Speeches, news broadcasts, interviews, or Ted-style talks can be recorded and shared in lieu of a live presentation.

Tips and Techniques: Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking

**All students need to learn life skills like talking to community mentors and experts in the field and presenting before large groups. These moments can be particularly stressful for introverts.

Coaching tips:

•Discuss

•Brainstorm

•Monitor anxiety level

•Research

•Outline and prepare (write a script)

•Practice with a trusted adult or peer

Tips and Techniques: Teaching Strategies

•Ice Breakers—Foster a sense of community by including an ice breaking activity on the first day of class (LaFever).

•Thinking routines: Think-Pair-Share, Circle of Viewpoints, Connect-Extend-Challenge, Chalk Talk, etc.

•Provide introverts with opportunities to go off by themselves to work and then to come back as a team.

•Rethink group work: Pair/combine introverts and extroverts (Cain 50, 131) OR allow introverts to work/collaborate with certain people with whom they work well and feel comfortable (Cain 57).

• Clearly defined roles work especially well for students involved in projects (LaFever).

•Journal writing

•Brainwriting: Each member of a group writes an idea on a piece of paper or Post-it note. Then, each person places his or her paper on the board for everyone to discuss at once. This makes it easier for to suggest ideas without fear of being interrupted or disproved of (Cain 58).

Reference The Introvert Activity Book (Wilson) for activities to do with introverts.

Famous-and successful-introverts:

Beyoncé

Misty Copeland

Albert Einstein

Michael Jordan

Meryl Streep

J. K. Rowling

Emma Watson

Introverts and Quiet Leaders:

Warren Buffet

Mahatma Gandhi

Bill Gates

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Abraham Lincoln

Rosa Parks

Eleanor Roosevelt

Resources for Parents, Teachers, and Students:

“The Case for Quiet Kids” by Chrissy Romano-Arrabito (EdSurge, 2017)

Chalk Talk: http://www.rcsthinkfromthemiddle.com/chalk-talk.html

“Chalk Talk for Engaging all Students” by Eugenia Connell: https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/blog-posts/genia-connell/chalk-talks-engage-all-students/

“Creating Paths to Participation for Introverts” by Katy Farber (2018): https://www.edutopia.org/article/creating-paths-participation-introverts

“How Schools Can Help Notice and Serve the ‘Quiet Kids’” (Mind/Shift, 2016)

The Introvert Activity Book by Maureen (Marzi) Wilson (Adams Media, 2017)

“The Power of Introverts” (video):https://www.ted.com/talks/susan_cain_the_power_of_introverts

A Quiet Girl in a Noisy World by Debbie Tung (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2017)

Quiet Kids Count: Unleashing the True Power of Introverts by Chrissy Romano Abbaritto (Times 10 Publications, 2019)

Quiet Kids: Help Your Introverted Child Succeed in an Extroverted World by Christine Fonseca (Routledge, 2013)

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Cannot Stop Talking by Susan Cain (Broadway Paperbacks, 2013)

Quiet Power: The Secret Strengths of Introverted Kids by Susan Cain (Puffin Books, 2016)

Quiet Revolution: Unlocking the Power of Introverts: http://quietrev.com

” Quiet Thunder: Engaging Introverts in the Classroom” by Nancy LaFever (2015)

“Teaching Introverted Students: How a ‘Quiet Revolution’ is Changing Classroom Practice” by Brenda Iasevoli (Education Week 2017)

Visible Thinking Routines: https://www.inquisitive.com/blog/2019/03/27/visible-thinking/

“Why Introverts Shouldn’t Be Forced to Talk in Class” by Katherine Schultz (2013): https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2013/02/12/why-introverts-shouldnt-be-forced-to-talk-in-class/?utm_term=.bb46c2022102

To conclude, I thought that I would share a handful of quotations regarding introverts that truly resonate with me. I hope some of them speak to you, too.

“Introverts often have BIG imaginations! We’re visionaries, we’re dreamers, we’re gazers” (Wilson).

“Observation is an introvert’s super power!” (Wilson).

“Introverts are known for being observant, for noting what others may overlook” (Wilson).

“Introverts can be fabulous leaders! They tend to be cautious when making decision, relying on research and thoughtfully considering multiple solutions” (Wilson).

According to Cain, evidence proves that although introverts tend to “hang back in group situations,” introverts make strong leaders, and they often deliver better outcomes than the extroverted leaders do (51).

Introverts like to think before they speak. Their ability to concentrate deeply on a topic is one of their “particular gifts.” Cain continues, “A teacher calling on us unexpectedly can make us freeze up, since we haven’t had time to think through our responses. Often, we introverts place so much value on the content and clarity of our answers that we’d rather be silent than simply blurt something out. Sometimes, by the time we think of the thing we truly want to say, the discussion is already over” (41).

“When introverts raise their hands to speak, they usually have something to say” (Cain 39).

“A quiet student who says little or nothing could be just as engaged as an outgoing one who tosses out response effortlessly” (Cain 37).