We live in an extroverted world. The idea of brainstorming has taken over offices and classrooms, and often times the loudest voice is the only one that is heard. With so much information and so many messages, and conversations happening constantly we have forgotten to value time alone, and we have been devaluing those who thrive by themselves.
Introversion recently became a hot topic with the release of books like Laurie Helgoe’s Introvert Power and Susan Cain’s Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. Quiet discusses how our society undervalues introverts, and Introvert Power describes what defines an introvert and how they can best use their talents. But what does this extroverted world look like in a school setting?
In the classroom it presents itself in the form of Harkness discussions and brainstorming sessions. These teaching techniques cultivate new ideas and help students debate topics in healthy, productive ways. But they clearly favor extroverts over introverts. Introverts get energy from themselves, while extroverts are energized by having people around them. Introverts usually need to consider their ideas before they express them to the class, leading others to see them as non-participatory. But introverts bring just as much to the classroom as extroverts.
In Quiet, Cain argues that brainstorming produces weaker results than work done in solitude. In a New York Times Opinion article she writes, “Research strongly suggests that people are more creative when they enjoy privacy and freedom from interruption.” This type of work would appeal to introverts, who often have a harder time expressing their ideas verbally. In classrooms we need to remember the value of silence, which can hold just as much power as talking.
Our inclination is to praise those outspoken students who take control. While those traits are admirable, favoring those over quieter, contemplative characteristics creates an anxious and oppressive environment for introverts. Students and teacher need to recognize the value of introverts in order to create a balanced classroom.
Extroverted qualities are set as the “normal.” It’s normal to easily engage in small talk and voice an opinion without hesitation in an English class. It’s normal to want to meet new people and easily make friends. Those who don’t fit into these parameters are seen as antisocial, when really they just take energy from a different place. Introverts shouldn’t have to change themselves to fit other people’s expectations.
In the classroom, participation usually counts for a portion of a student’s grade. But participation only comes easily to some. Is it fair to measure participation on the same scale for introverts and extroverts? Education blogger Valerie Strauss wrote that “Narrow interpretations of the meanings of silence can lead to false assumptions about student participation in classroom activities. Students who are silent might receive low grades for classroom participation, when in fact they are actively engaged in learning. Rather than working to fix or change “introverts” I suggest we understand the various reasons students choose to participate verbally in classrooms or to refrain from such participation.”
Our inclination towards extroversion also manifests itself in our obsession with leaders. Being a leader is overemphasized by colleges, peers and family, and those who are outgoing benefit. But there is nothing wrong with following. It is possible to be passionate about, and active in, an activity without being a leader.
Introverts may like spending time alone, but that doesn’t make them lonely. They may not speak as much as others, but that doesn’t make their opinion any less valuable. Even though they may feel no inclination to lead, that’s OK, because they’ll leave the world a little better than they found it anyway. The SPA community and society at large need to slow down, spend some time in silence, and acknowledge the many assets that introverts bring to the classroom and the world.
