Engaging Introverts in the Classroom

Introduction

Have you led a training session that felt quiet or disengaged? Perhaps one where conversation was dominated by a few voices? There is a reason for that! In this blog post we’ll talk about how introverts may respond to training environments differently from extroverts and how an instructor can accommodate this personality style to ensure full engagement and optimal learning outcomes for their class.

As an introvert myself, I found that many training sessions had an anxiety-inducing focus on leaving your comfort zone. This would include being asked to speak in front of the room, interact with new people constantly, and the ever-looming threat of being called on by the instructor at a moment’s notice. The stress from these factors would often lead to me becoming withdrawn and partially shutting down. The result were very long days of training and very little information retained.

As I’ve had the time to study more about the learning process, I’ve come to understand that there are ways to help participants stay engaged with the content and participate actively while mitigating the stress they experience during the session.

The Basics

In certain situations, introverts tend to be perceived as quiet and shy relative to their extroverted counterparts. This perception can present a problem in that instructors are unable to easily assess whether a participant is actively engaged or not. Introverts are not necessarily quiet because they are not engaged; they may simply feel stressed or drained by the social situation or level of interaction. Alternatively, they may simply be processing the information provided to them in the training. In this post we’re going to discuss how instructors can facilitate an inclusive learning environment for students who may be quieter and more reserved, ensuring they feel engaged and focused on the content.

Psychological Safety

A critical concept instructors should leverage to engage introverts and help them feel comfortable contributing is building psychological safety in the classroom. Psychological safety refers to how comfortable a person feels sharing or taking social risks. Training courses can be structured to build psychological safety by creating opportunities for small group discussion prior to larger classroom debriefs and providing ample opportunity for participants to work individually.

By allowing participants time to process information individually or in a smaller group, introverts have an opportunity to think through the content and develop their response prior to sharing with the classroom. This dedicated processing time can alleviate the stress they may experience if asked to respond on-the-spot and provide relief from the high level of interaction required in many traditional training sessions. The goal is to create a comfort zone within the classroom, essentially. Instructors should be mindful of how active participants are within their groups to ensure they are actively engaging in discussions.

Okay, sure, but how do I use psychological safety to encourage more participation from introverts in the classroom?

When teaching a room with introverts and extroverts, one of the biggest challenges is trying to facilitate discussion that includes as many individuals as possible. How do you encourage introverted participants to contribute without putting them on the spot? There are a few tools instructors can use to address this.

1. When posing a question to the class, have first individually reflect and write down their response prior to soliciting verbal answers. This technique allows introverts time to digest the question and formulate a response they are comfortable sharing.
2. Utilize group discussions followed by a rotating group spokesperson. This technique allows the spokesperson to share a response that has been discussed with their peers and incorporates more than one individual’s personal opinions (remember psychological safety relates to taking “social risks”). This type of discussion can also lead to more voices being heard within the room.
3. Be mindful of putting too much pressure on-the-spot when a participant is speaking in front of the class. For example, if a participant responds to a question but hesitates when asked a follow-up, have a plan to pivot the focus elsewhere quickly. This technique ensures the stress of the situation doesn’t leave a lasting impression that can impact a participant’s focus on learning throughout the remainder of the course.
4. Utilize anonymous engagement tools such as online quizzes or polls. These tools provide a fun break from slide decks and presentations while allowing participants a low-risk opportunity to actively engage with the content and the class.

Putting it all together

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to engaging classrooms, but instructors have tools at their disposal to balance the appeal of the session across a wide variety of participants.

The key to engaging introverts is recognizing that how they demonstrate engagement and participate in a training may differ from what an instructor expects to see. They may not speak up quickly to classroom-wide discussion questions or volunteer for an unknown activity or roleplay, but they may instead be critically analyzing each question asked of the class and sharing their thoughts and ideas with the people close to them.

Instructors should be considerate of balancing the types of participation they ask for to ensure each student feels comfortable in the learning environment. Doing so can lead to more productive discussions and better learning outcomes for all involved.