Spark
a guide to redefining classroom participation
Personality Spectrum
There's a lot written about different personality types, Myers-Briggs identifiers, and the like. We don't contend to be experts in this domain. Instead, we seek to offer a brief description of the introvert-extrovert personality spectrum we considered when curating the strategies you find on this site.
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When we think about personality, we think of it from the perspective of one main question:
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Where do you get your energy?
For extroverts, energy comes from outside stimuli. They generally thrive in fast-paced environments that allow them to embrace the world, surrounded by many people with lots going on.
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Extroverts, in general, gain their energy from socializing, thinking out loud, and prioritizing action over contemplation.
For introverts, energy comes from within. Introverts typically need a low amount of external stimuli to thrive, having a fondness for alone time and small rather than large groups.
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Introverts, in general, gain their energy by being alone with the physical space and time to think deeply.
Most lie somewhere in the middle - mixing attributes of extroversion and introversion in their personas depending on their mood and the situation.
Introvert
Extrovert
Meet Sarah
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10 years old
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Only child with two dogs
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Fourth grader at Ridgewood Elementary School in Reading, MA
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Sarah’s favorite time of the school day is right after lunch, when her class has silent reading time. She is currently reading A Wrinkle In Time and likes it so far.
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Sarah’s least favorite time of day is social studies. Sarah hates social studies because her teacher has made oral participation a part of each student’s grade. He expects everyone to raise their hand, and when there are no volunteers, he’ll call on anyone. Every day, Sarah gets nervous the moment class begins (unless there is an exam, when she knows she is safe from getting called on). Her heart beats very fast and she has trouble recalling relevant facts.
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Sarah promises herself each day she’ll contribute, and she feels disappointed in herself each time she fails. "Every day before class I promise myself I’ll raise my hand. Every day after class I feel bad because I didn’t.”
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At parent-teacher conferences, Sarah's teacher commended her on her academic performance but raised concerns about Sarah's reticence. Sarah's mother Eileen was shocked. It was only at this conference that Eileen realized how school brought out a side of Sarah that she had rarely seen.
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"I guess she's a little quiet from time to time, but Sarah doesn't stop talking at home!"
Meet Brandon
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10 years old
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Has an elder sister and a younger brother
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Fourth grader at Ridgewood Elementary School in Reading, MA
Brandon loves school. Brandon’s friends meet him at the school entrance and they laugh and crack jokes and start horsing around as they make their way to class.
Brandon's teachers believe that Brandon is an intelligent child but has very high energy levels and often has difficulty paying attention in class. He’s the life of the class and the one who usually gets into trouble for being distracted and then distracting others. "I was just being myself. I don't know what I did wrong."
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Brandon’s favorite subject is social studies. He enjoys the classroom discussions and the fact that he gets to contribute in class. He doesn’t have a favorite time of the school day because he loves every moment of it, that is, excluding math. He has trouble solving math problems and often doesn’t have the patience to really get down to understanding the basic concepts.
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At home, Brandon is like a different kid. He spends hours alone in his room working on his math homework. When his mom comes in to bring an afternoon snack, he usually asks her to leave right away, and on days when he has to study for a math test, he refuses to play basketball with his friends, opting instead to get home earlier.
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"My bubbly son gets very quiet and very anxious when it comes to math."
