Susan Cain said that we need to teach our students to be
able to work on their own, to “stop the madness for constant group work” and
allow them the ability to go off on their own and develop deep thought which
generally only happens in solitude (Susan Cain, TED talks). Some of the
greatest thinkers in history, Ghandi, Eleanor D. Roosevelt and ‘Dr. Seuss’ were
introverts, yet society expects, respects and pushes people to be extroverts
(Susan Cain). Elizabeth Barkley said that “it is not safe to conclude that if
students are talking to each other, they are learning. It is equally risky to
conclude that students are learning when they are listening to other students
talking” (Barkley, pg.16). Students who
listen attentively to self-questioning lectures are learning more than those
involved in some discussion (Barkley, 2010). Maslow argued that that when
students feel more connected to a community, learning takes place which
involves participating in collaborative activities.
Reflective:
The meaning in all of this for me is that I realize
extroverts are not always the most engaged learners and the introverted learner
may be having the greatest learning experience and I honestly hadn’t really
considered that. As a child, my report cards would in the beginning refer to me
as a daydreamer because I was quiet. I would often observe and take in more
than what was spilling out of my mouth (my Dad taught me you have two ears and
a mouth for a reason, so that you can listen twice as much as you talk), so I
did, but I learned that this was not appreciated in the school system, so I
became more extroverted and it won me praise. Having not thought of this for so
long, I hadn’t even considered my own experiences and how I teach. Amazing that
it never occurred to me since I had to develop ‘expected classroom behavior’
but it really wasn’t who I was initially. I conformed to the expectations of
what a ‘good student’ should be, not who I was or wanted to be. In some ways I
perhaps had my learning squashed and it is now apparent that is what I have
done to some of my students.
According to Barkley, sense and meaning equal retention of
learning (Barkley, 2010). If students are not allowed to go off in some sort of
solitude, make sense and meaning how can
they engage in deep thought? Where is the learning? Students need to make
connections with learning, it is an individual and dynamic process that
students need to develop, it takes time and in an environment that creates
harmony. Learning is more than thinking rationally, ‘body, heart and mind are
all involved in learning and are necessary for engagement’ (Barkley, 2010). So
is this likely to happen in the classroom environment? I am guilty of
facilitating far too much group work, I used to believe that ‘two heads are
better than one’, better to stimulate ideas within a group, learn from each
other, but I didn’t have it quite right. I also called upon ‘quieter’ people to
share their thoughts when I hadn’t heard from them, thinking I was ‘helping’
and sometimes because I thought they might be ‘tuned out’. I believed that if I
involved them in the discussion, they would be more engaged (learn more) and
feel more supported and their opinions appreciated. I am also guilty of thinking that the most
outspoken in the group are the most attentive and are actively learning, boy
did I get this all wrong. I probably had the opposite affect, in that while
someone might have been (quietly) engaged in learning, I put them under a
spotlight and took them out of their quiet comfort ‘learning’ zone, just so I
could see if they were engaged.
Interpretive:
The significance in this for me is that I cannot assume that
introverted students are not listening, nor can I assume that the introvert is
actively engaged in deep thought. While it continues to be a challenge to
evaluate the learning that takes place I will be less quick to assume the worst
(not learning). I must remember my young self a bit more and remember how I
wanted to learn and how I felt having to change into a different student did not
feel good. I will be more understanding of the introvert and also the
extrovert, recognizing that perhaps they are not as engaged as I thought. I was
surprised to hear Susan Cain report that 1/3-1/2 of people are introverts. I am
an ‘ambivert’ (Susan Cain) which is a new term for me. I am obviously very
extroverted at work, yet at home, I take on the quiet role, listening to
everyone’s day. I used to think that perhaps I was just tired of socializing,
after working all day, but perhaps it’s not as simple as that.
Decisional:
I will definitely have less biased opinions of my students.
I will call on the introverts much less, recognizing that that is perhaps how
they wish to be. I will also remember not to assume the quiet are learning and
the ‘noisy’ are too. Perhaps I never get it exactly right, but I can moderate
the amount of group work and balance it with individual work so that students
can learn the skill of working autonomously and also in a group setting. I will
keep learning, trying and asking questions, getting to know my students more
will help. I will focus on more of the transformational learning and mentoring
(Daloz, 1986). Allowing for more opportunities for the student to go off and
make sense of the learning through independent study times. Coming back
together for the ‘forming’, etc.
I will put more positivity on the introverted and support
them more now that I understand more. I must also remember that Adult learners
have established their learning style and I must be the one to adapt instead of
trying to assimilate everyone (Merriam, 2007).
It was also a wake up call for me to have more quiet times to be by
myself so I can engage in some deeper thought. When I am home, I am greeted by
my husband, 6 year old and 2 year old, not conducive to quiet, deep reflective
moments ;) but as much as I wouldn’t trade them for the world, I recognize the
need for solitude and to ‘get inside my own head’.
Definitely an enlightening video, and I hope I haven’t
squashed any future “Ghandi’s, Mohammed’s and ‘Dr. Seuss’s”.
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