Picture the most painfully shy student in your class.

This is the kid who hasn’t raised his hand to participate all year. The one who brings a book with him to recess where he reads alone instead of playing with other students. The one who squirms uncomfortably when you announce a new group project.

As teachers we might jump to a conclusion that something is wrong with them. Maybe he has no friends or is depressed or antisocial.

The likelier explanation is merely that he is an introvert, a person who gains energy from being alone and can be exhausted by stimulating environments or excessive social interactions.

When it comes down to it, our schools are designed for extroverts. Students work in groups, eat in loud and crowded cafeterias, and move through bustling hallways. This environment can be exhausting and inhibiting for the introverted students in your classroom whose needs often get neglected.

Consider the following activities and teaching techniques to better suit the needs of even the most introverted students in your class so that they too can thrive socially and academically.

Activities to Help Introverts Thrive

Rethink Participation

All teachers know that raised hands do not always generate quality responses. Some students will raise their hand at every question just for the sake of saying something, while quieter students with great ideas won’t raise their hand at all. Think of other ways that you could have students participate through a group message board, class blog, or question box where even the most timid of students feel comfortable sharing their thoughts.

Differentiate Spaces

As much as possible, rethink how space is organized in your classroom. There’s a tendency today to group desks in pods to facilitate group work, but could you keep a row of individual desks at the back of the class for students who need a break from the social anxieties of a group? Do you have room for a reading corner or a couch where introverted students can retreat for independent work? While not every classroom allows for such spatial luxuries, we encourage teachers to get creative with the space that they have.

Build in Quiet Time

Experts recommend finding at least 15 minutes of class time per day that is designated as quiet time. Whether students are reading independently, getting a start on homework, or pursuing an independent study, this time can do wonders for helping introverted students recharge for more social activities that may lie ahead.

Allow for Independent Work

More and more teachers feel the need (and often feel pressure from administrators) to make teamwork a focal point of their classrooms. While there are undeniable benefits of having students work in teams, that doesn’t mean that independent work should be neglected. Independent work helps students figure out what they are capable of doing on their own, and can be a breath of fresh air for your introverted learners.

Utilize Conferencing

One of the benefits of blended learning is that it opens up the teacher’s schedule to conference with students about the work they’re doing in class. Introverted students often thrive with one-on-one interactions, making conferencing a great tool to assess understanding, correct misconceptions, or just check in with your shyer students.

Use Technology

If you haven’t figured it out by now, technology is a great way to differentiate learning for students and free up time in your day as a teacher. Introverted students will enjoy the solace of working on something independently for a portion of the day, and extroverted students can benefit from having a structured environment to learn on their own as well.

Think-Pair-Share

This technique is a teacher favorite for good reason- it meets the needs of nearly all students. The teacher poses a question and all students have up to a minute to think silently about their answer. They then pair with a partner to discuss their thoughts one-on-one. Finally, individual students can share out their thoughts whole group. The beauty of think-pair-share is that many timid students will feel emboldened to share out whole group after having the chance to talk through their answer with just one person.

Flip Your Classroom

This tech-based pedagogical approach can be great for introverts. Students use technology to learn new concepts at home via videos and webcasts and then spend class time discussing new material with a partner or group. This allows students to learn material independently, and then have a chance to deepen their understanding of concepts in a mode of their choice.

Mix-up Groupings

When planning lessons, check yourself: do your plans provide opportunities for group, partner, and individual work throughout the course of a lesson or project. Not only does a mix of groupings allow students to show mastery in different ways, but it also allows a social break for introverted students.

Renovate Recess

Recess may well be an introvert’s nightmare. Provide an alternative to the screaming, jostling, and running of the playground by keeping one classroom open where students can read, draw, or play board games with a friend. Just because some kids need time to release energy by running around, this isn’t the case for all students.

Provide Options

The bottom line is to provide more options to students so that they can choose scenarios in which they will learn best and feel most comfortable. Whether it’s letting kids choose where to sit, how they’ll spend recess, or how to participate in class, options are key for helping all students thrive and making sure introverts don’t get left behind.