Curiosity and Introverts

I just finished watching the 60 Minutes interview with #Twitter founder Jack Dorsey. It was a very insightful interview into the creative history behind this social media platform. Two things came to mind while watching.

First, Dorsey shared that the idea for Twitter came from a childhood curiosity of wanting to know how things like trains and 911 dispatches worked. It made me wonder, “How are we fostering curiosity in our classrooms?”. How much time are we giving students for exploration of a topic they are interested in learning more about?

Second, Dorsey admitted at the end of the interview with Lara Logan that he would rather be alone with his thoughts than engage with someone face-to-face. While I am no expert on personality types, this sounds like the characteristic of an introvert to me. I bring this up because I wonder how much support we are giving introverts in our classrooms? I was very introverted growing up. Teachers would constantly ask me to “speak up” during class. That terrified me. Sound familiar, teachers? How many times have we asked students to communicate more? There are students in our classrooms right now that feel the same way Dorsey does. How are we creating an environment where introverts can thrive?

Collaboration and sharing are important to the sense of community in classrooms and in schools. However, we need to remember those who shy away from public interactions so that we can help these students feel supported and safe as well.