Introverted Students
One of the first things I recognized when I started teaching at my current institution is how many of the students are introverts. Since the majority of people in the world are extroverts, this really stood out to me. I try to make introverts feel comfortable by acknolowleging their often subtle contributions, providing a variety of ways to contribute to class discussion and incorporating some class activites where we discuss how introverts and extroverts both bring value to group interactions and projects. In the past year or so,our school has implemented a personality / communication style profile called Insights. this has allowed us to integrate an understanding of other students styles in many classes.
This is very true, but there is another perspective to be considered as well. What about the introverted instructor? I am extremely introverted, and establishing rapport with the students is very difficult for me - I recognize this as a major stumbling block, but have yet to find a solution that works for me. You cannot motivate without a degree of rapport, nor will the students learn as well. On the other hand, this is also a situation that students will probably face at some time in the work world, and they need to learn to deal with it.
I have also found that doing group projects can really help the introverts "open up" and participate in the class more. The other approach is to talk to them on a personal/casual level once a good rapport is established with the entire class. A relaxed yet structured environment can sometimes help.
Hi Andrea,
This has been interesting for me to learn as I have watched such students come into their own and start making contributions to the online class. They get a feeling of confidence and soon are chatting away on the various topic areas.
Gary
With teaching online, I have found that students who are introverted tend to come out more in an online environment. And, when holding chats I ask questions and opinions to engage those in the online chats.
The online university provides a totally different environment and can really open up empowering doors for introverts.
I think it is important to have the introverted students participate in class. In a lot of jobs, they will be called upon for meetings and discussions with clients. I try to lead by example and discuss my struggles I have had in the industry and how I have over come them.
That's a great idea. I try to make sure that people do not dominate the classroom...and I specifically call on some of my introverted students to get a response if I think that they might have something to contribute. It puts them on the spot a little bit, but also shows them that I value their participation.
I strive very hard to get my extroverts to become more introverted and my introverts to become more extroverted. I will group them together and have the intoverts start a discussion and the extroverts have to discuss it among them selves before answering.
introverts can be deceiving. They can be outward but have difficulty working in a team.
Hi Sarah,
You and your college are working in the emotional/personality area of learning. I think this is a great way to better understand students and learn how to get them invested in the learning process. The idea of bringing value to the setting no matter the kind of personality you have is very important to student success.
Gary
I agree that it is important to try and bring those students out of their shells. The field my students have chosen as their careers is public orientated. The introverted student will not be as successful if we do not make an effort to show them the otherside of the spectrum.
