Introverts in an Extroverted Classroom

Susan Cain: The Power of Introverts

It is always fascinating to me where ideas come from. It is even more fascinating how they find a home in my world when I least expect it. Such is the case yesterday on my way to sort out a problem with my newly purchased and twice undelivered new dryer from Lowe's. I happened to flip the radio to my local public radio station where I heard Susan Cain being interviewed about introversion. The few minutes I was able to catch had me hooked. Of course I knew I had to race home and listen to her Ted Talk. 

There is a resonance with me in what Susan presented. Being an only child, I am no stranger to having time to myself. I would easily define myself as someone well down the introversion spectrum. And yet, I work in the very professional where we tell children introversion is bad and this has always bothered me. Colleagues often make comments about kids like, "That child eats lunch alone. That is sad." Now I understand what the deeper concern is in that comment and yet, perhaps that child just wants the comfort of their introverted space for the few precious moments in the day that she can grab them? Especially considering the amount of time she was just forced to work in groups in the classroom. An endeavor which may have been excruciating.

Others have made comments about children being "alone" as if it were a diagnosable mental condition! For some of us, being alone is awesome! It brings me great joy personally to have time away in the wilderness, as Susan called it. Yes I value collaboration and my colleagues. I love the interaction and flow of ideas. And then I need to go to my cave to be alone and think.

Loneliness is not the same as alone.

When considering how we need to change education for the 21st Century, we have to stop for a moment and think again about how much collaboration time is too much! If nearly one third to a half of all of our students are introverts, how is constant group interaction helpful? And even more in my mind, if extroverts never are required to shut up and live in their own head, what kind of disservice are we doing to them?

More ominously, Susan argues that the current overemphasis on extroversion is a result of the industrialization of our world. Yes the factory model of society! A world where being crammed together in a working environment of strangers necessitated the rise of the charismatic individual. Fascinating ideas...and a cautionary note for people wanting to change schools. If we leave in place the bias for extroversion, we are still holding on to an element of the factory. Learning environments need to adapt to the learner. This will require much more time alone to think about.

Susan has three calls to action:

1. Stop the madness for constant group work (Privacy, freedom, autonomy)

2. Go to the wilderness. Be like Buddha. Have your own revelations.

3. Take a good look at the hidden passion and skills you bring to the world and share them.