As an introvert, talking can be hard at times. While I do not dislike talking to others, I can sometimes find it hard to bring myself to speak up. Usually, this does not affect me much, but one of the places that an inability to speak can be a hindrance to me is during class discussions in school. In these discussions, students are expected to be able to speak and add in their own thoughts and ideas. However, being able to speak up during these discussions is something that I and many other introverts have found to be difficult. This would not bother me much if it was not for the fact that lack of participation in these discussions can hurt one’s grade. This means that in order to prevent a lower grade, introverts must go out of their comfort zones, which I do not believe introverts should be forced to do. While I understand that being able to communicate with others is a necessary skill, I believe there are other ways introverts can demonstrate this skill outside of a classroom discussion that can keep them closer to their comfort zone.
Before discussing how to help introverts, it is important to discuss what an introvert is. While many people have a general idea on what how an introverted person might act, many people also confuse introversion with shyness. As Susan Cain notes in her article “Shy, Introverted, Both or Neither?,” shyness involves a “fear of negative judgement” (par. 3). This does not necessarily mean that shy people do not like being with others, but it does mean that they do not like being the focus of attention out of fear of being judged. On the other hand, Cain states that introverts have a preference for “quiet, minimally stimulating environments,” which means that they find extended interactions or interactions with a large number of people overwhelming (par. 3). While it is possible for a person to be both shy and introverted, it should be noted that by these definitions, it is possible for a person to be only introverted or only shy. For the remainder of this essay, the struggles of introverted people, or those become overwhelmed by large amounts of stimulus, will be discussed as well as ideas on how to help them, will be discussed. However, this is not to say that shy people cannot face the same struggles introverts have and cannot benefit from the solutions that will be proposed.
Class discussions are commonplace in many classes. In this activity, the class is given a topic of interest and the students discuss the topic with the teacher guiding the discussion and occasionally commenting. Students being given grades based on their ability to participate and contribute to these discussions is not uncommon. However, these grades can often be the bane of introverted students. Classes are often made up of 20 or more people, which means that during class discussions, introverts can become overstimulated and have a hard time speaking up. This can be especially harmful to the grades of introverted students, as noted by writer Emma Tranter, who states in her article “Points for Participation? It’s not so easy for introverts.” that grades given based on participation “may account for a quarter or more of a student’s final grade” (par. 3).
While many parents have complained to teachers who give grades based on participation in class discussion, some remain firm on their stance that the grade is necessary. In her article titled “Introverted Kids Need to Learn to speak up at School,” writer and teacher Jessica Lahey argues that participation grades for class discussions are important as they teach students “self-advocate by communicating with parents, educators, and the world at large” (par. 7) Lahey makes a valid point in the fact that the having the ability communicate with others is important. However, what the argument fails to recognize is that being able to communicate with a large group of people is not the same as being able to communicate with a single person. As previously mentioned, introverted people have a preference for less stimulation. This means that while an introvert may be uncomfortable speaking with a large number of people, like that of a typical class, the same introvert may be comfortable speaking with just one person, or maybe a small group of people. Class discussions, however, expect the participants to be able to communicate with a large group of people, which is not as necessary as being able to communicate with a smaller group of people. As a result, classroom discussions are biased against introverts and not only hinder their ability to get a grade, but also their ability to practice communication skills.
One solution to help introverts feel more comfortable during group discussion is to allow them to participate through an online medium. In a study conducted by Ina Blau and Azy Barak titled “How Do Personality, Synchronous Media, and Discussion Topic Affect Participation?”, Blau and Bark found that introverts showed more readiness to participate in an online text chat and “medium(s) low in transmitting social communication cues” (par. 20). Using this knowledge, teachers can implement discussion assignments online using a group chat or a forum. This could be considered just as good in-class participation, especially in today’s world where communication through technology is commonplace and an import part of many of our lives. As a result, were a teacher to allow discussion assignments to be conducted through an online chat or forum, introverted students would more likely be able to contribute to the discussion and could still be taken for participating in the discussion.
One possible argument to participation through an online medium is that communication online is different than communication face to face, the latter of which being important even in a world of technology. To teachers who worry about this, an alternate solution could be to allow students to discuss in small groups of people. As previously mentioned, one of the main reasons many introverted people become overwhelmed in class discussions is because of the large number of people participating in the discussion. However, by splitting the class into multiple groups, introverts can focus on communication with only a few people, which is less likely to overstimulate them. This not only allows the students to practice communication skills in a more comfortable manner, but it also allows them to practice communication face to face with another person.
I agree that even introverts need to learn to speak to others. It is hard to imagine someone living with other people and being unable to communicate with them. However, classroom discussions grades require introverts to perform under conditions that are not desirable for them. Not everyone is going to need to be able to talk to a crowd of people, which tends to be a task more difficult than talking to small crowds or individuals. Even if it were a required skill, asking introverts to change in order to be able to perform an extrovert favored task without asking extroverts to change is unfair. Both introverts and extroverts need to work together to find a solution that can work out for everyone, and grades for class discussions do not work for everyone.
Dylan A. Taheri English 1304 