Better classrooms for introverted kids

Here is an interview with Susan Cain the author of Quiet Power: The Secret Strengths of Introverts. The interview focuses on how we could make classroom better for introverted kids. 

This topic is close to my heart because I was always on the introverted end of the spectrum. I did/ do well in small groups and was/ am pretty terrible in large group settings. 

Some of the most important things that stood out for me in this article: 

1. How we structure groups is important in group learning/ project based classes. I think asking kids to think of roles and have each person be responsible for a major part of the project would help each one be responsible for a role. We could even do lead and co-lead for each role, where each kid gets at least one lead role and at least one co-lead role. This way, a hard task won't be just upto one person. I think this is important for any project based learning classroom for young adults. 

2. I really liked the idea that the teachers give a minute to think when ever they ask questions! I've always liked this and I think we should train all our teachers to do this! This way we won't be putting kids on the spot nor give the chance only to kids who think on their feet.

3. I also really like the idea of discussing answers with a partner after a minute of think time! Again, I've loved this technique, when I've been on the listening end. Never knew why I was so much more comfortable doing this. 

I think these are all very actionable ideas for all teachers and teacher trainers!