"The Power of Introverts: An Essential Understanding for Teachers"
This was an interesting article that I found on my Edutopia RSS feed. The author, Edutopia blogger Elena Aguilar, shares what teachers should know about introverted students as well as considerations for introverted educators.
I could relate to this article because I feel that I am an introvert by nature. I like my quiet time and prefer to work on tasks in solitude. I am grateful that I work with a fairly small number of students on a daily basis. My classes of dental hygiene students are no more than 24 students and I feel that I can have a more personal relationship with them and engage them in discussion more easily than I could if I were teaching to a large lecture hall with 80 plus students. Aguilar states that for introverted teachers it is sometimes necessary to take a quiet break and refuel between tasks so that you can temporarily transform into an extrovert when necessary. I feel this is what I do everyday.
Aguilar also states that as educators we should be mindful of introverted students and "take time to cultivate them" instead of only focusing on the outwardly participatory students. I try to get each of my students involved during class discussion, but I try not to force them too much out of their comfort zone.
Reference:
Aguilar, E. (2013, November 25). The Power of Introverts: An Essential Understanding for Teachers. Retrieved from: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/power-introverts-essential-understanding-teachers-elena-aguilar.
I thought this article was very interesting as well. It is interesting that we have been taught to consider the different way students learn and to try to cater to each with ever lesson. However, there have been very few discussion on the different temperaments that students possess. I am starting so see how incorporating this knowledge could help me to reach a larger number of my students in a more meaningful way. Thanks for sharing! - Phil Gobel
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