I’m an extroverted introvert.

From http://yinrenaissance.wordpress.com/2013/09/03/the-inverted-introvert/

From http://yinrenaissance.wordpress.com/2013/09/03/the-inverted-introvert/

First John and then Trevor wrote about introverts. So I thought I would weigh in also. We were joking at lunch the other day about the fact that we have a large number of introverts on our staff. My principal asked everyone who thinks that they are an introvert to raise their hand. A bunch of us did, including myself. I felt like some people were looking at me funny, like you are not an introvert.

I feel like extrovert and introvert is a false dichotomy. The truth is that sometimes I like to be with others and am loud and opinionated. Other times I crave solitude and my own thoughts. How I act is much more dependent on mood and situation than my personality.

I am a morning person, but I like it to be quiet. In college my roommate and I would get up at the same time, get ready, go to the cafeteria and eat breakfast together. The first words spoken were “See ya” when one of us left for class and that was perfect. Generally I get up and am out the door before my family gets up. On days when they are up I feel stressed by the noise.

At parties or in unfamiliar situations I am silent and in a corner. I like to be around people, but don’t like small talk unless it is about sports. I would prefer to talk about deeper issues like justice, ethics, or philosophy, not exactly dinner party topics.

But in my classroom or with friends and family I am very talkative and sometimes even dominating. I should probably step back and listen more.

I feel like most people are like this. Rather than extroverted or introverted I think most people swing between the two depending on their mood and the situation. I agree with Trevor though that we need to make spaces in our classes and schools for both situations and realize that some students may need a different environment dependent on the day and what is going on in their lives more than their personality.

3 thoughts on “I’m an extroverted introvert.

  1. Caitlyn Barton

    Hi, my name is Caitlyn Barton and I am a student at the University of South Alabama. I am in the EDM 310 class.

    Sometimes I also feel like I am an introvert in certain situations. But at other times I am very outgoing and I love to talk. I guess it just depends where I am and how comfortable I am with someone. Your post really opened my eyes about how I should think about each student and their ways. That way I can more easily connect with them based on how they are.

    This was a great post! I am leaving you the link to my blog in case you want to check it out! http://bartoncaitlynedm310.blogspot.com/

    1. Michael Kaechele Post author

      Caitlyn,

      Thanks for stopping by. As you enter the classroom I would encourage you to think about the design of the furniture and space of your classroom to accomodate different learners and different activities.

      Mike

  2. Kelly Campbell

    I LOVE this post. I have never really thought about this topic. But I also agree with Trevor. My mood depends on what activities I will be doing. In the morning I am just like you. When my family talks to me I get stressed and that causes them to get frustrated at me because they think I am mad. But in reality I get overwhelmed by a lot of noise in the morning. Being a further educator in a special education classroom, I need to change my train of thought and be willing to communicate with others in the morning.

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