Hello My Name is Deedra and I am an Introvert

Anyone that knows me well knows that I am the quintessential introvert. In my classes, I am extremely reserved and feel anxious if asked to speak in class. This does not mean that I do not know the material. It also does not mean that I am being rebellious in my refusal to answer questions or in my short responses.  Because of being an introvert, I feel that most of the time my professors see my lack of answering as a deficiency of knowledge or inattentiveness with the material being presented. This is far from the truth. Most of the time, I whisper the answers to a more vocal classmate or write the answer down on a piece of paper.   

A few weeks ago at work I was in a faculty meeting. During this meeting a well-meaning administrator asked me a question in front of the entire staff. While I could go into detail on the subject matter if asked one-on-one, I froze and could not say anything.  

This picture says it all…

Needless to say, I felt like an idiot after the meeting.

Thanks to Facebook here are a few myths that you should know about Introverts.

Myth #1 – Introverts don’t like to talk.

This is not true. Introverts just don’t talk unless they have something to say. They hate small talk. Get an introvert talking about something they are interested in, and they won’t shut up for days.

Myth #2 – Introverts are shy.

Shyness has nothing to do with being an Introvert. Introverts are not necessarily afraid of people. What they need is a reason to interact. They don’t interact for the sake of interacting. If you want to talk to an Introvert, just start talking. Don’t worry about being polite.

Myth #3 – Introverts are rude.

Introverts often don’t see a reason for beating around the bush with social pleasantries. They want everyone to just be real and honest. Unfortunately, this is not acceptable in most settings, so Introverts can feel a lot of pressure to fit in, which they find exhausting.

Myth #4 – Introverts don’t like people.

On the contrary, Introverts intensely value the few friends they have. They can count their close friends on one hand. If you are lucky enough for an introvert to consider you a friend, you probably have a loyal ally for life. Once you have earned their respect as being a person of substance, you’re in.

Myth #5 – Introverts don’t like to go out in public.

Nonsense. Introverts just don’t like to go out in public FOR AS LONG. They also like to avoid the complications that are involved in public activities. They take in data and experiences very quickly, and as a result, don’t need to be there for long to “get it.” They’re ready to go home, recharge, and process it all. In fact, recharging is absolutely crucial for Introverts.

Myth #6 – Introverts always want to be alone.

Introverts are perfectly comfortable with their own thoughts. They think a lot. They daydream. They like to have problems to work on, puzzles to solve. But they can also get incredibly lonely if they don’t have anyone to share their discoveries with. They crave an authentic and sincere connection with ONE PERSON at a time.

Myth #7 – Introverts are weird.

Introverts are often individualists. They don’t follow the crowd. They’d prefer to be valued for their novel ways of living. They think for themselves and because of that, they often challenge the norm. They don’t make most decisions based on what is popular or trendy.

Myth #8 – Introverts are aloof nerds.

Introverts are people who primarily look inward, paying close attention to their thoughts and emotions. It’s not that they are incapable of paying attention to what is going on around them, it’s just that their inner world is much more stimulating and rewarding to them.

Myth #9 – Introverts don’t know how to relax and have fun.

Introverts typically relax at home or in nature, not in busy public places. Introverts are not thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies. If there is too much talking and noise going on, they shut down. Their brains are too sensitive to the neurotransmitter called Dopamine. Introverts and Extroverts have different dominant neuro-pathways. Just look it up.

Myth #10 – Introverts can fix themselves and become Extroverts.

Introverts cannot “fix themselves” and deserve respect for their natural temperament and contributions to the human race. In fact, one study (Silverman, 1986) showed that the percentage of Introverts increases with IQ.

So, why do I bring it up… Often we work with gifted introverts that like me, find it difficult to communicate verbally in class. Use these tips when working with introverts in your life and in the classroom.

How to Care for Introverts

·         Respect their need for privacy.

·         Never embarrass them in public.

·         Let them observe first in new situations.

·         Give them time to think. Don’t demand instant answers.

·         Don’t interrupt them.

·         Give them advanced notice of expected changes in their lives.

·         Give then 15 minutes warning to finish whatever they are doing before calling them to dinner or moving on to the next activity.

·         Reprimand them privately.

·         Teach them new skills privately rather than in public.

·         Enable them to find one best friend who has similar interests and abilities; encourage this relationship even if the friend moves.

·         Do not push them to make lots of friends.

·         Respect their introversion. Don’t try to remake them into extroverts.

(Retyped from a picture on Facebook)

Here is an article about why introverts shouldn't be forced to talk in class. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/02/12/why-introverts-shouldnt-be-forced-to-talk-in-class/

Remember: Each person is different. You can’t treat everybody exactly the same, each person cannot be fit in the same box.

Prezi & Simplebooklets

WOW! It has been way too long since I last posted. IT IS SPRING BREAK for me!!!! While I would love to be spending my time in the Florida sun, the weather has not cooperated with this plan so instead I am using Spring Break as an opportunity to catch up on my blogging.
Here are two great resources that you can use in your classroom or office.
How many of you have ever given a project and asked your students to make a PowerPoint Presentation? While I SUPER LOVE PowerPoint, sometimes it does get a little boring seeing the same old same old all the time. That is why I love Prezi.com.

I love the way that Prezi zooms in and out. Here is a Prezi I recently created for a presentation in my Advanced Counseling Methods class on the subject of Family Systems Theory.

http://prezi.com/2hec9_qtlfbs/family-systems/?kw=view-2hec9_qtlfbs&rc=ref-23143655. Overall, prezi is pretty simple to use though it does take sometime to get used to all the different tools and options. As with any good Powerpoint presentation, it is best to have a idea of what you want to include on your prezi before you begin to create it.
Here is youtube video that shows the basics of prezi.

Another tool that can be used is simplebooklet.com. It is a virual flip book. This can be used to have students design their own childrens' book, explain how photosynthesis takes place, a brochure on a recently read book, basically anything that you would ask your students to do on a PowerPoint. Educators can sign up for an account upgrade for $10 a year which allows a teacher 30 student accounts and a separate gallery to view student produced work that is also ad free. This is not necessary since each simplebooklet can be shared. I would suggest having student send you the url and keep track of them in a excel spreadsheet. Like prezi, the tools can be a little tricky to get used to especially when you are accustomed to using Microsoft based programs.
Here is another tutorial that you can watch that will help you get started with simplebooklets.

Smore

Are you ready for smore? No, I am not talking about the yummy campfire treat made of chocolate and melted marshmallow, sandwiched between two graham crackers (though I am now in the mood for them). I am talking about the website www.smore.com. This website promises to help users create aesthetically pleasing flyers in a short amount of time. I created the flyer below in 10 minutes but could have been much less if I had all my pictures together first.

 

Currently, the site is in beta so that means new backgrounds, fonts, and colors will available in the near future. ♥

The user has the ability to post this flyer in a variety of ways including: facebook, pintrest, twitter, and craigslist. You can use a link like this one https://smore.com/8q7r  or email it to others. And of course you can embed it like I have done above.

What is neat about this website is that you can add different types of media. You don't have to use just pictures, you can add video too! You can easily add more layouts or delete layouts that you don't want.

So how can this resource be used in the education world... Besides making flyers for events such as open house, awards night, or fundraisers, you can also use it in content areas. For instance, history teachers could have students write a RAFT advertising for the Freedom March, a math teacher could have students create a store that sells parts of geometric figures (example: with a circle it has a circumference, diameter, radius, area), a school counselor could have students do a flyer about their strengths, reading teachers might have students do a flyer about a book that they read.

Do you have any ideas on how you could use this resource in the classroom?

Poll Everywhere

Have you ever been incredibly frustrated when students have their cell phones out in class? Rather than constantly battling students about cell phones, why not use them as a learning resource. Classroom response systems can be expensive; with polleverywhere.com your students' cell phones are turned into a classroom response system. The free version allows users to write unlimited number of polls with up to 40 responses per poll. You can save the polls for use in multiple classes. The polls can be embed into PowerPoint slides, can be accessed on a link, or can be posted on blogs or websites like I have done below ☺.

So how can this be used in schools...  This resource can be used in a variety of ways since it can be set up to have multiple choice responses or free responses. It can be used for quizzes, check for understanding, to get students opinions, start a discussion, to get to know your students, attendance, or just for a little fun.

This video shows some great ways that poll everywhere can be used in the education field and basic instructions on how to get started.

If you have any other questions regarding the use of poll everywhere, the company has a you tube channel that is extremely helpful.

http://www.youtube.com/user/polleverywhere

MATH TEACHERS! Poll Everywhere now has the capability to insert pictures and math equations!


Enjoy polling!

Live Binders

I have this great website for you. It is called Live Binders. This resource is great for saving virtual sources in one convenient place, while putting them in the order that you want. Instead of just giving a link, the virtual notebook will pull up that webpage. You can combine PDF's and Word documents in one binder. And the best part is that you don't have to print everything out. Save trees ☺. If you want you can then share all your documents in an easy presentable format including with a SMART Board. You can add the notebooks to websites or blogs so that others can access the information you put together. 

Plus there is a library of binders already created that you can access!

Check it out!

http://www.livebinders.com/

Word Splash

Has anyone ever heard of a word splash? A word splash is a differentiated instruction strategy where a student lists all the different words associated with a topic. For instance if a History teacher was covering the Civil War students might list Abraham Lincoln, 1861-1865, slavery, North & South, etc. A Geometry teacher may use it to go over the properties of a square. A Reading or English teach may use it after a student has read a novel. School Counselor use this strategy as well. Often in groups, school counselor will have students start a list of positive traits or characteristics of the other students.

Here is an AWESOME website that uses the word splash strategy in a creative way. www.tagxedo.com

These are some of the ways that I have used this website in the past few weeks.

This is a word splash that I used on my school's school counseling website. www.bit.ly/dhsschoolcounseling

I used this word splash on a poster I created for National School Counseling Week.

You can also use them for your personal life and even create t-shirts, bags, mouse pads, or even coffee mugs. The possibilities are endless.

So instead of just having your students write words on a piece of paper, have them go a step further and transform it into ART. You can then print them out and decorate your classroom or office or laminate them for students to keep as a memento.

The website itself is fairly easy to use.
Click "CREATE"
From there you will click "LOAD". This is where you list all the words associated with your topic.
"THEME" controls the colors of the graphic and "SHAPE" controls the shape. The program provides many shapes. If they don't have the shape you are looking for you can upload your own like I did with the paw print.

How will you use this site?

Welcome

Welcome to my BLOG! This is my very first blog, so please be patient as I navigate this new domain. Let me start by giving a little history about myself. I am a master's level school counseling student at Florida Gulf Coast University. I have the privilege of studying under Dr. Russ Sabella, who happens to be a foremost expert in school counseling and an advocate for the profession. I am also in a unique situation in that I am currently working full-time at Dunbar High School as a school counselor while also completing my final internship. Prior to this year, I taught math and psychology. I LOVE teaching and look at school counseling as an opportunity to continue teaching but in a different way. I am also a newly wed, celebrating a year of marriage. My husband is super supportive of me and all my endeavors and super cute I might add.

This year has been a year of transition. At times I have found it hard to give up being a math teacher and find myself intensely missing being in the classroom on a daily basis. I guess after 8 years of doing a job you love, these feelings are bound to pop up. Other times I feel that I have been thrown into the school counseling profession and have no clue what is going. Luckily, I have two incredible mentor counselors that I can go to for help. Regardless, I am counting down the days until I graduate so that grad school is one less thing on my plate. As of today, only 88 days until I walk across the stage. Yay!!!

I decided to start a blog because... I have to. This is an assignment for my Advance Counseling Methods class. While this is a requirement for graduate school, I do not intend to lackadaisically post in order to fulfill the basic requirements. My hope is that this blog will be a resource for students, teachers, administrators, and fellow school counselors. As I locate resources, I plan to share them with the blogging world.