Sustainable Teaching Practices for Introverts
Teaching seems to be a profession in which extroverts naturally excel. I have met my fair share of extroverted teachers over the years, all of whom appear to be energized by dynamic, high-energy lessons, who embrace the loud, bustling chaos of the school building, who leave work on Friday afternoon and still have enough energy to go out and socialize.
Personally, I am none of those things. As an introverted teacher, I find high-energy lessons to be draining and mentally exhausting; the chaos of the school building is stressful and enervating to me; and I leave work on Friday afternoons ready for a peaceful and quiet weekend.
Because my natural tendencies as an introvert clash with the inherently social structure of the school building, I have had to find ways to preserve and conserve my energy so that I am able to show up for my students as best as I can while simultaneously attending to my own mental health needs as an introvert. In this blog post, I will share some teaching practices that have helped me maintain my peace despite the often chaotic nature of teaching full-time in a school.
But first… a quick word on introversion
Some folks erroneously equate introversion with shyness and reservation, but introversion is simply a tendency to prefer quiet over noise, peace over chaos, and opportunities for rest and solitude over social gatherings. Think about how you recharge your batteries after a long day: do you prefer to go out and socialize (extroversion) or stay home and engage in a quiet hobby (introversion)? The teaching profession can be incredibly draining to introverts, because we are constantly surrounded by other human beings (e.g. students, co-workers, administrators, parents, etc.) in social contexts that can leave us feeling overstimulated and mentally exhausted.
Because of this, it’s so important to develop teaching practices that reduce overstimulation and overwhelm. You cannot change your environment, per se, but you can indeed change how you show up and interact, as well as the classroom protocols you implement.
Think about ways to reduce “teacher-centered” time
I teach 82-minute blocks. If I had to be “on” for all 82 minutes, I would burn out by the end of September. If you’re an introvert, you should not be up in front of the class presenting for the majority of your instructional time. Think about modifying your instructional routine so that you provide students with more opportunities to take initiative and ownership of their learning.
For example, I’ve converted most of my “lecture-based” lessons into digital ones. I spend very little time in front of my students teaching from a Google Slides or Powerpoint presentation; instead, I’ve recorded myself presenting the same lessons in quick, 5-10 minute videos. This practice has greatly reduced the amount of teacher-centered time I need to devote to my teaching, gives me more space for implementing creative ways to have students absorb content, and frees me up to better assist my students individually.
Additionally, encourage student-led discussions or group work. This takes some pressure off you and fosters student engagement.
Three Before Me
This has been an absolute game-changer for me in terms of reducing the number of questions that I get asked by students on a daily basis. As much as I love to help my students, many of their questions do not actually require my assistance. For us introverts, being asked a thousand questions a day is super taxing, even if, at our core, we enjoy helping our students.
The “Three Before Me” rule means that whenever students have a question, they must think about it for at least three seconds; then, they should ask three classmates for assistance. Oftentimes, the self-reflection piece followed by peer assistance is more than sufficient to get a satisfactory response to their question(s); if not, they are free to ask me, and I’d be more than happy to help. This practice helps students to be more self-sufficient, utilizing their resources more productively and intentionally before running up to the teacher to ask for help.
Find Ways to Reduce the Constantly Recurring Questions
There’s this saying that teachers make more second-to-second decisions than brain surgeons. I don’t know if this idea is actually true, but I do know that teaching is an incredibly mentally taxing job. In any given class period, we are responsible for taking attendance, teaching content, asking and answering questions, assessing student learning, responding to interruptions (phone, emails, knocks at the door, etc.), providing feedback, assigning work, explaining directions, clarifying misunderstandings, addressing misbehavior, redirecting students, implementing technology, and more!
If you can find ways to reduce some of the constantly-recurring questions like “Can I sharpen my pencil?” and “Can I go to the bathroom?”, you’ll free up a lot of mental bandwidth that you could save for later or spend on more productive tasks. How do you do this? Policies and procedures! I have a basket of manual pencil sharpeners in my classroom that students can use at any point during the lesson—they do not need to ask permission. I also have a bathroom policy that allows one student to leave the room at a time: they sign out, take the pass, and go. When they return, they sign themselves back in, put the pass back where it belongs, and the next student may go.
This bathroom policy has worked well in my middle school classroom for the last few years. Students who violate the policy lose their privileges, but each year I only have a small handful of students who end up losing their privileges. Maybe this wouldn’t work in your teaching context, but can you think of ways to reduce or eliminate some of the constantly recurring questions you get on a daily basis?
Embed “calm points” into your lessons
Think about moments in your instructional routine when you can transform your classroom into a quiet space… a “zen den,” if you will! Perhaps this is at the beginning of class when students arrive, or perhaps it’s toward the middle or end… or maybe during a daily Free Voluntary Reading practice. Either way, think about moments when you can create a calm, quiet environment in your classroom to help reduce noise and promote peace and relaxation.
Trust me… you have students in your classes who are also introverts and would benefit greatly from dedicated quiet time. Schools are tough places for introverted students, and knowing they have time in your class to catch their breath and re-energize can be incredibly calming to them.
Toward the end of the teaching period, I give students time to work independently or with a partner. I play some calming music, and they work quietly on the given assignment. I’m okay with them whispering, but nobody should hear their voices! I tell them to use “inside library voices.” I’ve been told by some of my quieter students that this time of the class is so appreciated…and for me, it’s a time to calm down my brain from the overstimulation of World Language teaching (especially if I’ve told a CI/TPRS story or have had the students do some interpersonal speaking activities, where the volume has been high for most of the period).
Being an introverted teacher in an extroverted world is not without its challenges, but it is entirely possible to thrive by recognizing your own needs and adapting your approach. Teaching doesn’t have to drain you—it can be fulfilling and aligned with who you are. By creating a calm classroom environment, setting boundaries, and finding moments of solitude to recharge, you can continue to give your best to your students while protecting your mental health. Remember, introverts bring unique strengths to teaching—patience, empathy, and thoughtful reflection—that can deeply impact the lives of students. Embrace your natural tendencies and find balance in a way that works for you.
Happy language teaching,
~ Michael
