The power of introverts
Although parents may worry about
their introverted child – especially
when they are struggling with school
interviews – lawyer and writer Susan
Cain has encouraging news. Earlier
this year, she delivered a Ted Talk
called “The Power of Introverts” which
introduced her book:
Quiet: The Power
of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop
Talking
. Besides revealing some positive
studies about how introverts perform
in school (in general, they have higher
grade-point averages, SAT scores and
intelligence test scores), Cain also talks
about the underutilised abilities of
quiet types. She argues that introverted
students’ strengths are not realised
because today’s classrooms are better
suited for extroverts. For example, she
points out that some children prefer to
work independently and to engage with
just a few peers at a time, which can
make the extroverted climate of schools
difficult for them.
In
Quiet
, Cain also highlights
studies showing that the experiences
people have with public speaking
during childhood affect how they feel
about the skill later on. As a teacher
of public speaking, it made me realise
how influential the environment
that I create for my students can be.
I hope that by being sensitive to the
challenges of my quiet students, I
will help them to feel more confident
in their own abilities. That way,
they will speak up when they have
something important to say to
the world.
As a teacher, I know first-hand
that the best classrooms will have
a range of personality types – from
kids who are quick to express their
ideas to students who work best on
their own – because diversity, even
diversity of sociability, encourages
learning and growth for all kids.
And while it is important that we
teach our children to adjust their
behaviour to meet the demands of
certain social situations, it is also
equally important that we embrace
our children for who they are. We
may be a long way off from having
schools that embrace quiet kids, but
for those children to be supported by
their families is invaluable. Children
who have been encouraged to love
themselves have a much greater
potential for success in the classroom
and beyond.
*Names have been changed to protect the
identities of the families.
Michaela Steinbach is a Senior English
Teacher at the Kelly Yang Project (www.
kellyyang.edu.hk), a leading after-school
English writing programme for kids aged
four to 17 in Hong Kong. At KYP, Michaela
teaches Creative Writing, Public Speaking,
Critical Reasoning and Grammar and
Vocabulary. She enjoys helping her creative
students improve their writing skills.
October 2014
59
