Speaking Up for the Introverted UKED Magazine / UKEDchat Exclusive Feature “Sshh. Quiet please. Just for a minute. Some of us need time and space to think. Some of us hate the thought of having to speak to groups of people. Brainstorming? No…just NO!” Welcome to the world of the introvert - a personality strength which many people stifle, hide, or are too embarrassed to admit to. It can be seen as a sign of weakness, but many of the traits of extroverts have become celebrated in many Western societies (mainly shout about and advocated by extroverts), with the behaviours and ideas witnessed in business dripping down into the educational stratosphere. A lot of attention has been given to the subject of introverts, mainly thanks to the American writer Susan Cain, whose book “Quiet – The Power of Introverts in a World that can’t Stop Talking” highlighted the vast divergence between the two personality attributes.
Why western societies celebrate the mannerisms of extroverts is not fully understood, especially when you look at successful and famous personalities who display introverted characteristics, such as: JK Rowling; Bill Gates; Christina Aguilera; Albert Einstein; Steve Wozniak; Emma Watson; Keanu Reeves, to name just a few. Celebrating the qualities of introverts in education can be a challenge. Can a teacher be an introvert? When do the traits of introverts start to appear with children? What are the signs that educators should look out for to identify the extroverts/introverts in their classroom? Is it really possible to group/label students under such categories? Let’s take a closer look at these issues. Looking at the table, as a teacher you need many of these attributes, but most colleagues go into ‘show’ mode when they are teaching,
Recognising the personality traits Introverts tend to be more quiet, reserved and introspective, having to expend energy in social settings. On the other hand, extroverts gain energy from social interaction. Other main contrasts include being:
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