• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Advertising
  • Write for Us
  • Job Board
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Consulting
    • Advertising
  • Shop
    • Books
    • Shirts

The Educators Room logo

  • Start Here
    • Impact Statements: Teacher Expertise
    • Newsletter
  • Browse Topics
    • Content Strategies
      • Literacy
      • Mathematics
      • Social Studies
      • Educational Technology
      • ELL & ESOL
      • Fine Arts
      • Special Education
      • Popular Topics
        • Teacher Self-Care
        • Instructional Coach Files
        • Common Core
        • The Traveling Teacher
        • The Unemployed Teacher
        • The New Teacher Chronicles
        • Book Review
        • Grade Levels
          • Elementary (K-5)
          • Middle (6-8)
          • Adult
          • New Teacher Bootcamp
          • Hot Button Topics
            • Menu Item
              • Principals' Corner
              • Charter Schools
              • Confessions of a Teacher
              • Interviews
              • The State of Education
              • Stellar Educator of the Week
            • Menu
              • How to Fix Education
              • Featured
              • Ask a Teacher
              • Teacher Branding
              • Current Events
  • Podcasts
  • Courses
    • Practicing Self-Care to Avoid Teacher Burnout- An 8 Week Course
    • Becoming An Educational Consultant
    • Teacher Branding 101:Teachers are The Experts
    • The Learning Academy
    • Books
    • Shirts
  • Education in Atlanta
  • Teacher Self-Care
  • The Coach's Academy
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Advertising
  • Write for Us
  • Job Board
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Consulting
    • Advertising
  • Shop
    • Books
    • Shirts
×

August 22, 2016 Child Development

Group Work and the Introverted Student

  • About the Author
  • Latest Posts

About Emily Madden

Emily Madden graduated from the North American Montessori Center in 2011 with her International Montessori Teaching Diploma in Preschool and Kindergarten Montessori. She is the Head of School at Conway Montessori where she has taught for 10 years and attended preschool as a child.
  • School Meal Programs: How can we be more effective? - June 12, 2018
  • Wolfgang Köhler and the Fight for the Psychological Institute - February 4, 2018
  • Stories of a New Administrator - October 19, 2016
  • Group Work and the Introverted Student - August 22, 2016
  • To Test or not to Test: That is the Question - July 13, 2016
  • Fostering an Independent Three-Year-Old - June 22, 2016
  • A Letter to First Day Families - June 6, 2016
  • The Benefits of an Individualized Approach - May 25, 2016
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

"As children, our classroom desks are increasingly arranged in pods, the better to foster group learning, and research suggests that the vast majority of teachers believe that the ideal students is an extrovert."  -Susan Cain Quiet:  The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking (pg. 6)

How often do we as teachers assign group projects and have all of our students pair up or form groups?  It is a common practice in today's educational system.  This can be a comforting and necessary exercise for the extraverted student, but what about for the introverts in the room?  For the shy, timid, child that tends to keep to themselves, the "Find a partner and work together" instruction can cause stress, anxiety, dread, etc.

Extraverted and introverted students are more than loud or quiet students.  Extraverts typically seek out social situations and gain their energy from their environment and from others.  Introverts commonly find energy in a more inwardly focused manner, preferring solitude and inward reflection.

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="yes" overflow="visible"][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" background_position="left top" background_color="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" spacing="yes" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" padding="" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="no" center_content="no" min_height="none"]Group Work and the Introverted Student Click To Tweet

Montessori has a very different approach to this idea of group working.  Dr. Montessori wrote, "The child has to acquire physical independence by being self-sufficient; he must become of independent will be using in freedom his own power of choice; he must become capable of independent thought by working alone without interruption.  The child’s development follows a path of successive stages of independence." (The Absorbent Mind, p. 257)  As one enters a Montessori classroom, desks and tables and work spaces are provided that allow the child to work independently and uninterrupted.  In contrast, if a child desires to work with a partner, they are free to do so.  The beauty of a Montessori classroom is found in the mixing of ages, allowing students to take charge of their own learning and help each other grow as learners.

We know that all students can benefit from group work.  While it might cause stress for our introverted students, we must consider what is gained from these types of exercises.  Students learn to be team players through cooperation and collaboration.  They learn that, in the real world, they cannot always do everything alone.  They learn to talk to other people in order to accomplish a common goal.  All of which are necessary skills for future employment.

They learn to talk to other people in order to accomplish a common goal. Click To Tweet

I myself am an INFP on the Myers-Briggs scale.  Small talk and prolonged interaction with others is exhausting.  My role as Director and teacher requires me to be friendly, outgoing, lively, and animated with my students, their families, and my faculty.  Being introverted can make this a difficult task.  Just because I am introverted does not mean that I am shy or timid and it does not provide an excuse to avoid interactions.  Contrariwise, I balance my duties at school with periods of rest and solitude to rejuvenate myself for the next day.

Therefore, group work forces children to step out of their comfort zones.  When forming groups, educators should consider the extraversion and introversion of their students.  As teachers become familiar with their students, it becomes easier to pick out which students exhibit which personality type.  Picture giving your students a choice to work as a group or to work independently.  Or, create a plan to organize students based on their type, allowing extraverts to work together and introverts to work together.  Allow your students the freedom to learn in a manner that helps them develop as learners.

Take a moment to think of the last time you assigned a group project and let the kids pick their partners.  You can observe one person doing all the work for the rest that are conversing.  Pay attention to the group that assigns roles and quietly gets straight to work.  Observe the group that tries to include the student that looks away and is the last to leave their seat to find a group.   Personality traits emerge and start showing up in the groups.

I think that we, as educators, need to spend time observing our students and their traits.  Teachers must find ways to foster their students' needs and meet them where they are.  We hear incessantly about teaching to all of our students learning styles.  However, that only takes into account the realms of visual, aural, verbal, and physical learning.  The complexity of our students and how they learn go far beyond these broad learning styles.  Therefore, when considering assigning a group project, take a moment to consider the traits of your students.  We owe it to our students to help them grow into the best person and student they can be.  As Dr. Montessori pointed out, "Free the child's potential, and you will transform him into the world."

Group Work and the Introverted Student Click To Tweet

[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Related posts:

Default ThumbnailBeing a Parent and a Teacher...an Impossible Combination? Default ThumbnailWhat We Forgot From School Default Thumbnail32 Qualities of Effective Educators Default ThumbnailWhy I Thank GOD For Being a TEACHER
« Teaching Class (With Class)
Part 3: Adventures in Real Word English/Language Arts - Let Them Be Great »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

The Educator's Room was launched in 2012 to amplify the voice of educators. To date, we have over 45+ writers from around the world and boast over twelve million page views. Through articles, events, and social media we will advocate for honest dialogue with teachers about how to improve public education. This mission is especially important when reporting on education in our community; therefore, we commit our readers to integrity, accuracy, and independence in education reporting. To join our mailing list, click here.

What we do

At The Educator's Room, we focus on amplifying and honoring the voice of educators as experts in education. To date, we have over 40 staff writers/teachers from around the world.

Popular Posts

  • Special Education
    Special Education: As IEP Goals Evolve, So Should School Offerings
  • Reflection on 8 Black Hands Podcast: Dr. Charles Cole III Speaks on All Things Education
    Reflection on 8 Black Hands Podcast: Dr. Charles Cole III Speaks on All Things Education
  • Teachers are out for the Summer. Here are the Top Streaming Shows and Movies to Watch
  • Middle School Summer Reading List
    Middle School Summer Reading List

Featured On

Buy Our Books/Courses

How to Leave Your Job in Education

Practicing Self-Care to Avoid Teacher Burnout

Using Your Teacher Expertise to Become an Educational Consultant

Check out our books on teaching and learning!

The Learning Academy

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Accessibility Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact
  • Services
  • Media Kit
  • FAQ

 

Copyright © 2021 The Educator's Room.