Helping Shy Students Come Out of Their Shell

How many of you have that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach when you have to get up and talk in front of others?

How many of you feel sick just thinking of that feeling of not knowing anyone?

All of you that agreed, we feel the same way!

Now what happens when we have students that are very shy?

We have experienced that this year. We have a few actually. Here are some helpful pointers we have learned this year while helping our shy little learners along.

1. Calm is Key

     We both have very peaceful classrooms. While there is always a lot happening, we like to keep everyone comfortable but productive at the same time. One thing we like to use to keep everyone calm is music. We use Pandora to play different tunes. Our classes refer to the music as "calm music" or "relaxing music". Both classes love the Soundscape Radio.

2. Keep it Quiet

     And no. We are not just referring to the students. We are both naturally quiet people. We do not yell or shout in our classrooms. Keeping your tone calm will allow those shy ones to feel more comfortable participating in class.

One thing to definitely take into consideration with shy students is fire drills. They can be VERY frightening to certain children. One of our little lovelies this year (who is also very shy) is terrified of anything loud. Fire Drills sent her into hysterics. A certain spot was set aside in the room, close to her seat, that held her earphones. She puts them on just prior to the drill. She called the earphones her "happy ears". To her, that was her sense of safety in a time of uneasiness. Even if we have an unannounced drill, just knowing they are close by puts her at ease.

3. Create a Classroom of Respect

     We used Bucket Filling this year and absolutely love it! To be a Bucket Filler, you might say something nice to another student, help another student out, or simply tell someone thank you. Sometimes all it takes for that shy student to come out of their shell is another student's kind words! We introduced Bucket Filling with the book How Full is Your Bucket? by Tom Rath and Mary Reckmeyer to introduce the concept at the beginning of the year.
You can get a copy for your classroom by clicking {HERE} or on the picture of the book.

What about all of you? What do you do to help shy students? We would love to hear!