Each child varies when it comes to how well they thrive in school and how they prefer things to be done. Some children flourish when they are working with a group and in a noisy environment. Others prefer to work on their own and in a quiet environment because they can focus better and it is their preference.
If the child prefers working on their own and in silence, these children are what we call introverts. These children are not necessarily shy, but they do prefer learning in a quieter environment and do things on their own. Those who prefer to work with groups and in an active environment are what we call as extroverts.
Whether you are a parent with introvert children or a tutor who is tutoring an introverted student, there are various tutoring strategies to help introverted kids flourish and release their hidden potential:
Create a Quiet Learning Space
As a tutor, you have to make sure that your student’s learning space at home is an environment they can work well without being distracted. The room should not have the usual distractions like TV, tablets, loud sounds and others; and it should have space for the student to lay their work and look into them in comfort. It should also be the only area in the house they will study and not be moved around because it will affect their learning.
For introverts, space should be quiet and does not have any distractions that would put them out of focus. When your tutoring is over, this space should also remain as it is so they can seek refuge on the place when they need a quiet spot to learn at their own leisure or do something on their own. Speak to the parents to help you build the space for the child and emphasis to them its importance if they do not have a space allotted at home.
Ask the Student What They Prefer
On your first lesson with your new student, ask them about their preference when it comes to how they learn well and change your teaching strategy to match it. You can ask them about their learning room and if you need to revise anything to make learning comfortable for them. You can even ask them how they want their tutoring to go if they want it fast or slow paced. Set the tutoring guidelines with your student since this will make them more comfortable while you teach them.
Wait for them to Answer
The most important strategy that you should apply when it comes to teaching introverts is by giving them time to develop their answer after you ask them a question.
Introverts tend to feel pressured when it comes to giving an answer immediately because they are not given enough time to prepare their answer. When they have time to answer, the child will be able to prepare their thoughts better and give you the right answer.
You can also use this technique in getting extroverted students who like answering questions or raising their hands to answer. This will help them focus on developing well-thought answers and not just answer haphazardly.
Use a variety of learning materials
You can also use a variety of teaching channels to get them to participate in your lessons. For introverts, they like any learning channels that would help them do the task quietly and on their own. By comparison, extroverts prefer doing it in a group or in a noisy environment.
Back to introverts, you can use mobile learning apps, videos, presentations or even online assessments, which can help your introvert student to focus better. For extroverts, you also use this method to see where they perform better.
Support them through Gestures
Even if an introvert is talented, they do not get recognized because they prefer to be on their own and they prefer staying quiet. They also do not get enough attention, making them feel unappreciated by their teachers and peers.
As a tutor, you can remove this feeling of unappreciation by focusing on their strengths and showing gestures of acknowledgment. You can give them small gestures of support like looking at their eyes directly, smiling at them and giving them small praise.
These gestures will definitely make your student feel appreciated even if they do not talk out much or stand out. You can also help them develop their talents and hone your teaching strategy to release such talent to make learning easier.
Allow Your Student to Ask Silly Questions
Since introverts prefer to be silent and do things on their own, make sure your student knows that you are open to being asked questions and that you are going to answer them. Even if the question doesn’t relate to the lesson at hand, be open to answering them because this will put your students at ease with your teaching.
You can even be surprised with regards to the questions they can come up because they are well-thought of. It also reflects how well they listen to your lessons as well or if they have done their own studying after their lessons at school.
Final thoughts
If you find yourself handling introvert students, don’t immediately give up in trying to teach them because of their traits. Take some time to get to know your students and learn how they do things. Once you discovered their learning quirks and their personality, you can use it as a basis for changing your lessons to fit their needs. When you do exert the effort, these students would definitely appreciate your effort and perform beyond your expectations.
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