On the Shoulders of Giants

What Do We Know About Our Introverted Students?

I just got back from a weekend at EduCon. The conference created a great space to think and collaborate on pushing progressive ideas and tech integration further.  One of the sessions I went to gave me something entirely new to think about: my introverted students.  Tony Baldasaro (@baldy7) gave a lot of food for thought on the subject.  Here's what I learned.

• There is such thing as an introvert.  We are all somewhere on the spectrum, between extrovert and introvert, but introverts tend to be people who are shy and don't like to talk much, especially in large groups. 

• Extroverts are almost always up for talking about something. They talk to think. They come up with many of their best ideas in conversation.  When stressed, tired, upset, they tend to want to hang out with friends, talk about the problem, etc.

• Introverts' thought processing is actually neurologically distinct, according to new research (I don't have a source to cite, but Baldasaro recommended Quiet by Susan Cain).  Their problem solving process takes a longer pathway, involving recall of long term memory.  They need time to formulate their thoughts carefully this way and tend not to want to speak up until they have worked through the process. 

• When stressed, tired, upset, etc, introverts tend to want to be alone.  However, being alone doesn't mean something is wrong. They might just be thinking.

• Introverts are energized by solitude. Extroverts are energized by interactions with others.

How does this play out in school? At the conference we discussed whether school favors the introvert or the extrovert. 

I think traditional school doesn't particularly work for either type.  Extroverts are forced to be quiet and work independently most of the time.  Introverts are forced to formulate thoughts and answer questions on the spot without the time they need to process their responses.

Progressive education can often favor the extrovert because of the emphasis on cooperative learning and class participation. Do we have a responsibility to help introverts be a part of this kind of work?  Probably.  Do we also have a responsibility to make adaptations so that it is more comfortable for all students? I'd say so.

I came away with a few good suggestions from Tony and members of my discussion group.

1. Let introverts know in advance if you want to talk to them about something, or if you will expect them to speak about something in class. This is to give them time to work through their ideas.

2. Many introverts will speak up when asked to, but not always take the initiative themselves.  Invite introverted students to share their thoughts.  Especially if there's advanced notice of the discussion, find ways to equalize the airtime time, so that the extroverts don't dominate the conversation by their ever-willingness to raise their hands.

3. Many introverts take a while to get started on in-class writing tasks. Don't rush them, or assume they are being lazy or defiant.  They are probably thinking.  Fine to check in about it, though. And when possible, be generous about allowing extra time.

4. Many introverts in the session suggested allowing students to opt out of working in a group and complete the project on their own.  I don't think this could always be possible, but it's certainly something to consider when assigning group work.  Ask yourself, is it absolutely necessary that my studets work in groups on this?  Do I have any reason not to allow some students to work alone?

5. Finally, research has shown that introverts tend to be much more comfortable participating in discussions online.  This is probably because online is not time-based and takes away some of the built up perceptions of social pressure they've experienced in face to face groups.  They can be alone and part of a conversation or community at the same time. Find ways to allow students to initiate or extend discussions online--and watch the balance of who's communicating shift. 

Thank you, Tony Baldasaro, for bringing this topic to light!   

[image credit: theparentszone.com]

 

Why Collaboration Works In Teaching

My TLN colleague, Marsha Ratzel, pointed me to this post by Ewan McIntosh, that claims, "Collaboration is the key influence in the quality of teaching."  At the same time, he argues that most collaboration doesn't work.  

In my experience, collaboration works, because teachers who engage in meaningful--not surface-level--collaboration, are part of an intellectual community of teachers, even if that community involves primarily just a few people.  Teaching is both art and science.  Looking to both those disciplines, we can see that very few scientists or artists would really be successful without being involved in communities built around the work being done in their fields.  

Scientists know other scientists' work and build on it.  It's not about, "Hey wouldn't it be cool if we worked together on this project so we can say we worked together?" It's more like, "Hey, didn't you try something with this type of material in this type of environment before? How did it turn out, and what would you recommend I use for my project?"  Scientists benefit from each other's experiences and thinking.  This sharing happens both in person and through the reading and writing of articles and research studies in the field.  

Artists I know are interested in other people's art and build on one anothers ideas, both intentionally and without realizing it. There's a conscious discourse going on among artists and including art critics. Artists inspire and support one another, even though they often make their actual art alone. 

Teaching in a collaborative setting has teachers work in relation to one another in discussion, sharing of experience, resources, criticism, failures and possibilities. As long as we have a means to communicate, we do it naturally, because we share common ground and we are interested in exploring our differences. 

 

[image credits: nature.com, greenprophet.com] 

 

 

Seven Great Suggestions for Teacher Preparation at Teaching Ahead

At the Teaching Ahead Roundtable this month, seven teacher leaders, including me and fellow TLN blogger Dan Brown, have shared their suggestions for improvements to teacher preparation in individual posts.  I focus my piece on preparing new teachers not only to teach but to become members of their school communities.  These thoughts come out of a series of discussions over the last year with Bank Street alum and faculty about the future of teacher preparation.  It's clear that teachers who understand their students and have established identities in their school communities have a leg up on new teachers who come with a blank slate--this reality shouldn't be ignored by organizations charged with preparing teachers.  Gaining knowledge of students and their communities takes time, and the process should start before teachers begin the intense work of daily teaching.  

I've written about the ideas of my fellow Bank Street alums on entering a school community before, here. In the Teaching Ahead piece, Teacher Preparation with Strings Attached, I emphasize that if we value the knowledge teachers gain about their students & families, and their school and neighborhood, then a teacher's commitment to a particular school becomes more significant... check out the conversation!  

[image credit: fineartamerica.com]

2012 Education Policy Wish: No More Doublespeak

My wish for 2012 is that there will be no more education policy doublespeak:

It will no longer be acceptable for policy makers to say that they respect and value teachers, who are the most important factor in the education of our children--and then enact policies that fail to adequately train, support and retain teachers.  

It will no longer be acceptable in the education policy world to claim to value teacher leadership and teacher voice on policy issues--and then not utilize their input in crafting policies designed to improve education. It will no longer be acceptable to say that teachers should be well-compensated professionals, and then invest millions in new tests, data systems, and scripted, "teacher-proof" curricula, rather than writing policies that make teaching into a real profession.  

It will no longer be acceptable to say we should have less high stakes testing, because high stakes testing is inappropriate for children, and then continue to make the stakes higher.  It will no longer be acceptable to say that teachers should work in teams and colloborate professionally for the benefit of students, and then create policies that have teachers in the same building compete for bonuses for raising test scores, or pit schools that serve similar populations against one another over test scores, which discourages the sharing of best practices. 

It will not be acceptable to say that our nation's children need a well-rounded education, and then allow arts programs to be cut or non-existent across the country, including in cities like New York, famous for their arts and music. 

It will no longer be acceptable for education policy makers to select schools for their own children that emphasize critical thinking, discussion, project based learning, and the arts; schools that celebrate and trust their expert, veteran teachers--and then advocate for anything less than this for children of the poor. 

[image credit: litpark.com]