The concepts of extroversion and introversion were first put forward by

psychologist Carl Jung in his 1921 book Psychological Types. In a nutshell,

an extrovert is someone who thrives on external stimulation (e.g. social

interaction), while an introvert gets most of his or her energy from solitary

reflection

How can you tell if a group member is an introvert or an extrovert?

An introvert :

makes more and sustained eye contact

will appear to think before she speaks

may disappear during breaks, or talk deeply with only one person during breaks

may seem shy around the group in the beginning, until he gets to know everyone better

needs quiet time away from the group to relax and process

An extrovert : will appear energized by being in the group situation

jumps right into the conversation and thinks while he speaks

may prefer to talk with 3 or 4 people during breaks

will interact with everyone in the group, even in the beginning, because she loves to meet new people

may enjoy additional social time with the group after the official group meeting ends

How to Facilitate Introverts and Extroverts in Your Group or ClassAn introvert gains energy by being alone, and expends energy when in a group setting, like a mastermind group. Being an introvert doesn’t mean a person is shy; it means he needs quiet time alone to process the outcome of the group meetings and recharge his batteries before he wants to get back into the group-mode again.

An extrovert gains energy when she is out in the world, especially brainstorming with a group of people. She’s excited to share ideas and to process her thoughts verbally in the group. Sometimes she gets her best ideas while talking through a problem with other people.

How do you facilitate a group that includes both types?An introvert needs quiet time, even a minute or two, to collect his thoughts and reactions to a given problem or situation. Giving the entire group a few minutes to write down their ideas on their own, before sharing, can give the introvert the space he needs to process.

On the other hand, the extrovert needs time to talk out loud, to process her thoughts while she’s actively communicating with others. Knowing this, you can allow the extrovert a few minutes to explain her situation: she just might find clarity — or even solve her problem herself — simply by talking openly about it.

Between meetings, give each of these types a way to communicate with the entire group, possibly through an online message forum. The extrovert will appreciate the ongoing connection to the group and the introvert can take his time to process internally, then communicate at his leisure.

 

  

 

How can a teacher arrange his/her classroom so that it nourishes introverts and extroverts equally? Here are some suggestions:

 1) Build Quiet Time into The School Day 

Classroom activity can be highly stimulating, involving frequent verbal exchange between participants. While this may be beneficial for extroverts, introverts may need an opportunity to 'recharge' after so much interaction. A 15-minute quiet reading break during classroom time may do the trick.

 2) More Pair Work 

While large group discussions can cause introverts to hold back, and while solitary activity can repress the potential of extroverts, pair work can appeal to both personality types. This gives extroverts the opportunity to express themselves, while allowing introverts to engage in deeper, more meaningful conversations with one other person. You could even use pair work as a 'primer' for larger group discussions, since it may embolden introverts to share their thoughts.

 3) Rethink 'Class Participation' In assessing a student's class participation, teachers may end up favouring quantity over quality. Is a student who raises his or her hand at every opportunity really contributing more to the classroom than a student who makes one very thoughtful comment? There are also other, behind-the-scenes ways of participating in the classroom, such as helping another classmate during work sessions.

 4) Choice, Choice, Choice 

If there is one thing that this discussion has been emphasizing time and again, it's that there is no 'one-size-fits-all' solution to classroom learning. Give students

opportunities to choose the environment they'd like to work or learn in. Chances are, they understand their own natures better than anyone else. So provide learning areas containing more of an 'open-plan' and higher levels of stimulation, but also ones that are more secluded and quiet. Let the students decide for themselves where and how they'd like to wor

LEARNING STYLES OF INTROVERTS AND EXTROVERTS

Home There is a tendency for teachers to cater their teaching styles to extroverts.Typically, learners fall into two large groups – introverts and extroverts – and as a teacher, your primary concern is making sure the material in your lesson plan can be easily taught, understood, and applied. A good place to start is by understanding both groups and what motivates them to learn.

Educating Extroverts and IntrovertsThe first component of learning style dimensions is how learners interact with the outside world. Extroverted learners prefer working with others and bouncing ideas back and forth. Social and learning activities that benefit them include problem-solving with others, group projects, and learning through mimicking experiences.

Extroverted learners have the following characteristics: Very outgoing, they are “people” people Quite comfortable working in and being part of large crowds Have a wide base of friends, enjoy getting to know a lot of people Dive in without always thinking things through Feel sapped when spending too much time alone

Extroverted learners possess a social learning style. In addition, they have acute verbal learning styles as well, often communicating through stories or being the first to volunteer for assignments and projects.

Introverts generally have a shy nature, and students who are introverted have a solitary learning style, as they often prefer to solve problems on their own. Introverted learners like to brainstorm and seek theoretical exploration. They like to think out a problem and weigh options before moving forward.Introverted learners have the following characteristics:

Appear reflective or reserved Slow to take action – sometimes too slow Have a very small but close group of friends – preferring to get to know a

few people really well Feel most comfortable doing things alone and prefer doing things that can

be done alone Often likes the idea of things better than the actual thing Finds spending time in large crowds or groups to be exhausting

In many classrooms, a large portion of the school day is centered on group activities. In order to provide a balance that suits both extroverted and introverted learners, teachers can coordinate both small group and individual activities.

Also important to note: teachers should exercise patience, especially when it comes to introverted students. If they are called upon in class to answer a problem, it may take them a bit longer as they are probably carefully assessing and evaluating their response. Giving them the appropriate time to think quietly will help encourage the student’s logical learning style. Extreme introverts may benefit from help during sessions with a school counselor. If you want to encourage introverts and extroverts at the same time, one strategy that has proven effective is to have the class “think-pair-share” which means that after the teacher asks a question, students turn to their partner, sharing their answers with each other rather than having to speak in front of the whole class. In addition, you can implement a journal

time where students can write down stories and give them time to work independently.On the other hand, extroverts are typically energetic, social individuals whose energy source comes from being around other people. These students are expressive and tend to have many friends. It’s important to address their needs as well. Try group projects where 1-2 students lead, or try voluntary storytelling.

Extroverted children thrive when working in collaborative groups, and they enjoy class discussions as well. Class activities can help cater to this learning style. As students get older, middle school and high schools provide additional outlets for students of either learning style to feel more comfortable. Students are able to have more flexibility in their schedules and curriculum. So if the extroverted student wants to explore their verbal learning style they can take classes like debate. For introverted learners who want to focus on their visual learning style, they can take art or ceramics.