Have you found yourself using these statements to describe children in your class?

• “He’s just quiet”
• “She’s just not very talkative”
• “She takes time to warm up to others and activities”
• “He’s starting to come out of his shell and participate”

If you are, then there’s a good chance that these children are introverts. Introversion is part of who they are – it’s not something they’re going to outgrow!

Not too sure how to describe an introverted child? Well, they:

• Recharge their batteries through “alone time”
• Need to think through a question before answering
• Learn better through watching
• Prefer one-on-one interactions
• Are strong listeners
• Are quiet and thoughtful

Take a look at this interesting video on the power of introverts:

Embracing an introverted child

Here are some tips for teachers to help them bring out the best in their introverted learners.

• Accept them as they are and don’t make them feel there is something wrong with them. Don’t get alarmed when they zone out a little or are not as involved as the other children. They are watching, they are learning!
• Make it a general rule in the class to pause before answering questions. Introverts need to be given the chance to think the question through first.
• Group work is not always the best choice. Assign individual tasks and you will find that both introverts and extroverts will benefit from having to think for themselves!
• Give introverts the option of communicating one-on-one or speaking to you in private.

And lastly….

If you think it’s your mission to bring every introvert out of their “shell” and make them more outgoing… dream on! Don’t miss the beauty and uniqueness of your introverted learners. Their quietness, thoughtfulness and sometimes insightfulness adds something special to your classroom.