Quiet

Quiet, by Susan Cain

I'm thinking that my summer of reading is over. I still have a couple books on my shelf that I had borrowed from the library during the summer, and maybe I'll try to read them during the year, but I'm not sure how successful I will be, but I will give it a go.
The most recent book that I read was Quiet, by Susan Cain. I'm not sure how I ended up borrowing this book. I had watched her TED talk, and I think this book popped up on my "recommended" list when I looked up Lean In online, and I find it interesting learning more about personality types...anyway, I borrowed it, and I'm sure glad that I did.
Simply put, this book is about introverts. I liked the book because I feel like I better understand myself. Reading a little bit more about my personality, and why I do what I do and why I like what I like and enjoy what I enjoy. To learn a little bit more about culture and culture clashes (first-generation problems!). I found the book reassuring.
Of course, we are all a mixture of personalities. We might lean towards one side of the spectrum than another. I had a moment when I was reading the book where I wondered it everyone reading this book would find part of themselves in it, just like reading the horoscope. On any given day (or day after), I can read the horoscope of any star sign and see myself and events that have happened in the day. So is this book naturally preaching to the choir because everyone will be able to see themselves in it? Or maybe there is a seriously extroverted person who will read this book and be completely surprised by what they read.
I was also thinking about the message of this book with my profession. I'm in a field where the pendulum is swinging many perceive that a cooperative, discussion- and inquiry-based approach is advocated for. While there are many benefits for this approach, how does this support the learning of introverted students? Personally, I advocate for a diverse and balanced approach to teaching. Our students are diverse. Our students learn and thrive in different contexts, and I want all students to have to opportunity to feel success and be successful. At the same time, I want all students to feel challenged and have an opportunity to develop areas of weakness or learn to make the most out of contexts that are not comfortable. Who knows what kind of context they will end up in and/or whether or not they will have the ability to alter their context to one in which they will thrive (because hopefully they will know more about themselves).
I had a eureka moment when I read about Free Trait Theory, or in general, the idea that you can display a completely different personality in different contexts. It helps me to make sense of my 'different personalities'. I have consistently gotten the feedback that I present myself in a certain kind of way. That impression is completely contradictory to the emotions that I'm feeling in those situations. I was always a little bit confused as to why that was the case, what caused it, how I am able to have the strength to give that impression, and how come I can't channel that person more often? I still don't really have the answer, but I liked reading about it.
Anyway, I really liked this book. It was very easy to read and a nice contribution to my current phase of self-discovery.

- picture courtesy of www.chapters.indigo.ca