Happy Tuesday! It’s day two of our “One Week Only!” idea roundup. Today’s teacher topic is shyness in the classroom.
As a kid I was labeled as shy. (You can stop laughing. It’s true!) At school I avoided being the center of attention at all costs. I didn’t ask questions and I did my best to not be called upon. In fact, I rarely left my chair. My shyness was the pits. But being called shy was even worse!
Thank goodness that, with the help of my parents and teachers, I became more confident over time, which minimized my shyness. That leads us right into today’s request. Looking forward to hearing from you!
Happily,
Diane
|
Tuesday’s Idea Request How do you help students feel comfortable and self-confident at school? What tips do you have for helping a child cope with his or her shyness? What is your best strategy for helping even the shyest child fully participate in your classroom? |
We want your ideas for other topics too! See Monday’s request, Wednesday’s request, Thursday’s request, and Friday’s request.
I try to wait them out, don’t draw attention to them or put them on the spot. Relish in all accomplishments with them. Try to get as much one on one time so I know they are were they need to be. I also try to pair them up with different kids that might help draw them out.
I try to find a “job” or “role” for each student in my classroom. For those student that are shy, I often offer a job that is less likely to put them on the spot or single them out. Those jobs could be setting the table for center times, decorating areas of the room for special events or presentations, handing out programs or calendars to families coming into the room, etc. I make a point to announce to the class who has helped with these things so that they get recognition without embarrassment. Eventually, I ask if they would like to invite a friend or two to assist them with these jobs. This allows the shy child to enlarge their circle of friends slowly and on their terms.
I usually have a shy child in my preschool class yearly. I typically will sit down next to the child as they play with something for example playdough. Generally other children will come over and begin to play at the table. As we all play I start a conversation about pets or anything the children relate too. I make sure I include the shy child in the conversation. When the talk starts to flow I back out and observe the child making sure they are comfortable.
Sometimes I have to do this for a few days but it generally works.
I have a “Student Teacher” in my classroom. The “Student Teacher” is chosen randomly at the end of each day in a drawing. Everyone gets a turn and then the names are returned for the next go-round. The kids love it because they are the teacher’s helper all day. They sit in a bigger desk,lead the pledges, take care of the pets, pass out papers, run errands, etc. Even the quietest child looks forward to being our “Student Teacher”. The other kids look to that person for direction and it helps everyone become acquainted and builds self-confidence.
I seem to have at least one shy child in my class each year. I let them be my special helper until they get use to me. When the other children come to help we start talking about things they like to do. Pretty soon everyone is sharing and they forget about being shy.
Shyness isn’t always something that needs “fixing”. It’s okay for people to be introverts!
I make sure to say good morning to every child and make a point to have individualized writing and reading conferences with each one weekly. One of my English Language Learning kindergartners did not speak at school until January. I accepted he shyness and encouraged her other talents, allowing her to respond non-verbally with a thumbs up or drawing her answers. She slowly developed a small circle of friends and began testing her new language skills in the classroom setting. Now in 4th grade, she is still shy, but absolutely flourishing!
I make sure every child receives some one on one attention throughout the week. I try to form a positive relationship so that each child knows they can talk to me when needed. As each child succeeds at something I acknowledge the accomplishment in a positive manner that reflects each students personality. Some students enjoy public praise, others a quiet note or comment.
There are several ways I try to help my K-1 students overcome shyness. During the morning jobs, one job is the weather reporter. They have to record the date and check a box for the weather. When I call on them to give their weather report, they are given a microphone and a puppet to help them. If they are really shy, I say the weather report while they make the puppet talk. Our most recent theme was the ocean so we used a cute fish puppet. You can purchase blow up microphones from party supply stores.
Another way to help students overcome shyness is to have show and tell. We do ours sitting in a small group on the rug so they dont’ have to stand in front of the class.
Later in the year, I have students create plays with themed puppets. They all have to have a speaking part, no matter how small. The plays are usualy very silly and everyone enjoys taking part!