I have a shy student?

Question

I'm a pre-calculus teacher and I have a 16 year old girl in one of my classes. I had her last year as a student as well. Last year she was very quiet, but this year she seems even more quiet and is very shy. She won't talk to anyone and when someone tries talking to her she replies, but very quietly and she looks really nervous to talk to anyone. Whenever I glance over at her she always looks very distressed. But she's a very hardworker and gets all of her work done and is very thourough. I just don't know why she's so scared around people. What do you guys think? I decided to ask this in adolescent since teens may be able to give me some insight.

Answer 1

Quiet and shy personality usually results from lack of confidence and low self esteem. I believe many factors could have contributed to this type of personality like:1. at home, maybe her morale is not boosted by her parents or siblings 2. in school, she may feel inferior towards her peers
3. traumatic experience that caused her to be anti-social.

I believe you can help her by:
1. initiating a casual conversation with her (by gaining her trust) - then she can open up to you
2. activities wherein she can learn the act of assertiveness.
She needs to learn to assert herself in order to gain confidence
3. compliment her or express that her hard work and good job as a student is paying off. In this way, she can gain some morale boosting and uplift her self esteem

Hope this will help. Good luck kind teacher!

Answer 2

This is how I was in school. I had very low self-esteem and was afraid of talking to people for fear of being made fun of or not being liked. I am a perfectionist and always made sure my work was perfect as well. I am now 20 and graduated in 2005 and I wish I was not as shy in school, but I am doing very well in life but still don't have much of a social life due the the fear of not being as fun to be with as everyone else. My younger sister is now in high school and is having the same problem...she is just afraid to talk to others but has a couple friends and only a couple, just as I did. My sister was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Maybe your student also has one. I bet that she is a perfectionist with low self-esteem. My math teacher did this thing called "group meetings" The class would sit on the floor in a circle (yes like we use to when we were in elementary school) and he would ask a question or our opinion on certain situations and we would go around and share our thoughts on things. It would be random things that had nothing to do with anything at all. EVERYONE had to share there thoughts. It may get the other students interested in getting to know her and she might open up a little :)

Answer 3

I'm not a teen, but it seems like it hasn't been that long ago since I was :)

Perhaps she is very insecure? That would be my first instinct. Otherwise, maybe something is not going right at home. Does she seem like she might come froma home of abuse? That could lead to the insecurities and also casue the distress.

I would make more of an atempt to get through to her. Yu sound like a teacher who genuinely cares, so why not try reaching out. You could end up making a big difference in her life.

Answer 4

I guess it's just her personality, very introverted and very 'put your head down and do the work'. It was sorta like me in some situations especially when I don't know anybody from that particular class. I don't think its abuse like others said and I think they simply don't understand the problem.

It's gonna take someone else from that class to try and be friends with her and then she may become less shy as time goes on. Because of her introvertedness, she's most likely insecure which plays a part on her behaviour.

Answer 5

maybe talk to her first? usually aversion to public speaking is rooted in being told to "shut up" a lot as a child. Just a thought. Maybe she really is scared and has a reason to be? Has she shown any interest in anything? Another class maybe? Use that as an in....and THANK YOU for taking the time to worry about a student who is doing well and is not disruptive. This is what "no child left behind" should be about! You are an amazing educator!

Answer 6

Some people are just very shy in the classroom, I dont know why. I have met girls who barely say a word once they walk through the door, but after they leave you can hear them shouting down the hallways at their friends. Either that or maybe she doesnt know anyone in the class, or she could just be shy. Everyone is different

Answer 7

She might be abused at home, or involved in some other "rough" home situation.
Notify the school counselor about her, so maybe (the counselor) can have a one-on-one talk with her to see what's going on.
Talking with one person will be less intimidating than talking in front of 20 other students.
Maybe keep her after class, and simply tell her that you are there to talk to if she EVER needs anything.
If she sees she has someone to trust, there is no telling what she might tell you.

Answer 8

You should try reading the book "Speak". We're reading it in English, and it's about a girl who doesn't talk, but it might not be for the same reason. Anyways, try talking to her parents about it - there might be an emotional, physical, etc. reason that they know of.

Answer 9

I think that being her teach and her role model
you say she does her work so that s good
she may have never had anyone show interest in her talking
just ask her make her you teachers pet and get her inolved this way

Answer 10

Many teens are just trying to fit in. She is only nervous.