When visiting classrooms, I often feel for introverts—those who prefer to work alone and gain strength from their own thoughts and ideas. Classrooms have been transformed into collaborative factories, full of teamwork, groupwork, small groups, debates and discussions.
Let me say right off the top, that I believe these configurations are valuable to students and help prepare for them for the work force, which depending on the field and job, more than likely will be designed around collaboration. Nevertheless, maybe we’ve gone too far in requiring students to work together for long periods of time.
Have we forgone the needs of the introvert? In our efforts to create collaborative, collectivist classrooms, have we designed anti-introvert environments.
Introverts are those that enjoy solitude and feel drained by social interaction. They are not shy or necessarily social awkward; in some cases, they can be very social adjusted. They just prefer working alone. I consider myself an introvert. I can socialize and regularly collaborate with others on research and projects. However, given the choice, I enjoy my own space and solitary work (like writing this blog by myself at the kitchen table right now).
In her interesting read, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, author Susan Cain makes the case for how introverts often produce creative breakthroughs and increased productivity. She examples Apple co-founder, Steve Wozniak, who often worked alone and believe his best ideas came during his introverted periods. Cain also questions the current GroupThink, collaborative structures in schools, citing research that shows some students spend nearly half the school day in close working relationship with classmates.
While I share similar concerns, I think we can strive for balance in the situation, accommodating both extroverts and introverts in classrooms. But it will take more consideration and planning from teachers. Here are some ideas to make it happen:
In this present push for more collaboration, we might have forgotten that not everyone works the same and that spending large amounts of time with others can be draining for the introvert. Much emphasis has been placed on meeting the needs of diverse learners in school. I believe it’s time to include introverts into that group.
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COPYRIGHT 1996 - 2024 BY EDUCATION WORLD, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.