Monday, July 1, 2013

Quiet

I suggest adding the book Quiet by Susan Cain to your summer reading list.

I read it at the suggestion of a former student. It is well written, researched, and short.

It is not specifically about education but it is about assumptions our culture makes about quiet people. We all have quiet people in our classrooms. She challenged many of the assumptions that I had made about quiet people and forced me to rethink some of my long held beliefs about structuring my classes. She raises some interesting and profound ideas about things like group work, whole class instruction, brainstorming, problem solving, calling on students, and the role each student plays in the dynamic of the classroom.

I also found it insightful with regard to interactions with friends, neighbors and colleagues.