How Can Teachers Support Introverts in the Classroom? 8 Simple Ideas to Follow

Introverted students are great listeners who observe a lot and think critically about the information presented to them. But the classroom isn’t always the best space for an introverted student to thrive. As a result, they might not reach their fullest potential.

Teachers work with students of all kinds, including ambiverts and extroverts; accommodating everyone every day is a borderline impossible task. Here are eight ideas teachers can regularly implement to ensure that their introverted students feel supported in the classroom.

1. Don’t Force Group Work and Group Projects

School is one of the primary places where students learn skills for the real world. Group projects and presentations, unfortunately for introverts, are some of them. In many professions, people need to have regular meetings, conferences, calls, or presentations. And they can’t avoid them. As unpleasant as these can be for introverts, they need to develop skills in group communication.

In the classroom, don’t make everything group-work related. Not every assignment requires working in teams. In fact, having introverted students work in teams often leads to a decrease in their quality of work.

They don’t thrive in these environments. Present the option of solo work when possible, or at least allow the introverted student to choose their group. It’ll also be helpful to not pair/group them with all super-outgoing extroverts. Focus on striking a balance.

2. Help Introverts in the Classroom

Introverts aren’t always fond of attention, so don’t be surprised if they don’t ask questions during a lesson when they’re stuck. They might hold their questions in until close to the end of class or during after-school tutoring sessions just to avoid attention.

A good time to inquire if the introverted student needs assistance is when the class is working on an assignment independently and quietly.

They’ll appreciate the one-on-one interaction more than having to raise their hand to ask. The personable experience will allow the introverted student to feel more inclined to open up about something.

3. Develop a Learning Strategy for Them

No two students learn the same. Some students’ methods of learning may seem similar, but their comprehension will still be different. Extroverts will receive information or learn differently from introverts.

For example, the extroverted student may learn best by volunteering to solve a problem and engaging with the class or teacher. The introverted student will learn better by internalizing the information and solving the problems on their own.

Consider giving out assignments that allow the introverted students to independently think the problems through. Allowing them time to focus on their work on their own will most likely yield much better results compared to being called on to answer.

4. Motivate Them

The introverted students will be the more reserved ones. Don’t confuse it with being shy. In their comfort zones, they’ll let their full selves shine when they deem it appropriate. That being said, introverted students are less likely to feel comfortable when they feel forced to say something.

Some examples of forced communication include:

• Randomly calling on the student to answer a question right away.

• Pointing out a mistake they made as an example for the rest of the class.

• Group work.

At times, these actions are needed when it seems like they’re not paying any attention to the lesson. But for the introverted students that are focusing, encourage them to engage with their strengths in mind. What does that look like?

• If teaching online/hybrid, involve online discussions with at-home readings.

• Allow the introverted student to have plenty of creative control of an assignment; don’t set overly strict guidelines for assignments.

• Make the lessons thought-provoking so the introverted students don’t zone out on what they believe would be trivial discussions.

• Depending on the subject, assign more open-ended homework questions instead of multiple-choice ones.

• Leave room for choice; don’t always randomly assign partners.

5. Monitor Behavior

When you’re in the middle of a lesson, take brief pauses to examine the room. How are everyone’s attention spans? Do you feel like most of your attention is coming mainly from the extroverted students? Are the same few students volunteering to answer questions?

If you answered yes, make close observations of how your introverted students are feeling. We’ve just mentioned how discussing something that seems trivial will lose your introverted students’ attention.

When you notice their attention fading, switch up the information to be more applicable to their lives or incorporate some problem-based learning. If their attention, focus, or quality of work improves, that means something about the lesson or work is getting their creative juices flowing.

You’ll know that they’re in their element when they begin to share their ideas out loud, whether with their peers or when solving an assignment.

6. Avoid Drawing Attention to Them

Because introverts tend to be more reserved or secluded, they won’t be fond of having the spotlight on them, whether it’s for good or bad reasons. This means presentations won’t go smoothly in the introverted student’s mind; they have to prepare to deal with all eyes being on the them for a brief moment.

If you need to point something out about or to the introverted student, do it in a one-on-one setting. Earlier, we said to do this when it comes to helping them on assignments. But another way that works is to leave comments on graded work, especially when they excel on an assignment. They’ll appreciate that you notice their hard work without putting them on the spot.

Another way is to ask them to stay behind briefly after class to discuss any concerns you may have about their work or in-class behavior.

Drawing attention to the introverted student would be more of a punishment in their eyes. Save this for the introverted students who are also troublemakers, classroom distractions, or aren’t focusing on the lesson. They won’t keep lollygagging if they keep being put on the spot.

7. Consider Reading This Book

A perfect way to better understand your introverted students is to take the time to learn about introverts in general. Of course, this blog is already a great resource. But another one to check out is the book Quiet by Susan Cain.

This book allows readers to explore some of the best traits of introverts, and how society tends to overlook them. Culture tends to pick charisma, high-energy environments, and flashy ways of living. While some introverts may have these qualities as well, that doesn’t mean they feel comfortable in every setting.

With this book, readers learn about many common settings, traits, or habits people have and see a breakdown of how extroverts handle things versus how introverts handle things.

A thorough read of this book will provide just the understanding you need to help incorporate a welcoming environment for the introverted students. It’ll also help you interact with your coworkers; there’s potential for building a strategy for the school year with your department so the semester cruises smoothly.

8. In a Classroom with Diverse Personalities, Make Space for the Introverts

Teaching is a challenge; having to accommodate multiple students’ learning styles and personalities can get tough. But with these tips, managing a classroom with a bunch of introverts should be a little easier going forward.