You Don’t Have to Be Loud to Make Magic

It began like any other Tuesday. We had just wrapped up a day of inspiring young minds and keeping glue sticks from being consumed. My teaching partners and I entered the staff meeting and found our seats. I looked around the room; the expressions were a mix of “I’m here so I won’t get fired” and “How bad would it be if I just put my head down for a short nap?”

That’s when the principal entered. And when I say “entered,” I mean he leapt onto a table like a pirate, drawing an imaginary sword and shouting something about engagement. Half the teachers laughed. A few cheered. One brave soul took out her own imaginary sword. But the rest of us? We shrank into our seats, hopeful that we could disappear.

At that moment, I realized a majority of us didn’t find the principal’s larger-than-life teaching style appealing. At the same time, I came up with what I thought might be the title of my book: The Dead Poets Society Classroom for the Not-So-Robin Williams.

Volume Is Not a Metric

In a country where 33 percent to 50 percent of the population are introverts, according to studies cited in Susan Cain’s 2012 book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, the odds are that your building includes more than a few educators whose idea of high engagement is handing out color-coded rubrics or silently cheering to celebrate student learning. Before you install a trampoline in the staff room or require karaoke as a team-building activity, let’s talk about introverted educators—who they are, how they thrive, and how you can support them.

Not every teacher wants—or needs—to channel Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society. Some educators are more Mr. Rogers than Mr. Keating. They create magic in quiet one-on-one conferences, small-group discussions, journals filled with student thoughts, and safe corners where reflection is encouraged over reaction. They might not recite poetry while kicking a soccer ball, but they know how to build classroom communities where all students—even the introverted ones—feel seen.

As one teacher told me for my recent book, The Introverted Educator: Redefining Participation and Creating Quiet Magic in the Classroom, “Sometimes you can create this magic with these small pockets in the classroom. Those were more magical moments than anything else.”

So, administrators: When you make your way through classrooms looking for engagement, remember that volume is not a reliable metric. Sometimes the quietest classrooms are doing the deepest thinking and are equally engaged.

Don’t Call on Me

We know that communication and participation are essential to engagement. But here’s the catch: If your professional development insists on spontaneous verbal participation, you’ve just left half of your staff out of the conversation. Introverts tend to process internally first. Give them time, and they’ll have something insightful to say.

Help your teachers redefine participation beyond “shouting it out.” Try these instead:

• Reflective journals
• Anonymous notepads
• Google Docs for ongoing, quiet collaboration
• Feedback or exit slips

If your meetings resemble improv night at the local comedy club, you might be leaving some incredible minds on the sidelines. You know the type: thoughtful, experienced, but maybe won’t speak unless you call on them by name. You ask them to share and wait 10 seconds in awkward silence. That is not disengagement; it’s deep thought and possibly a fear of speaking in front of their peers.

We’re not saying to kill classroom discussions or staff meetings, but maybe offer time for reflection and alternative ways to contribute. Allow written responses, team summaries, or even an optional post-meeting email for those who need time to gather their thoughts. They’ll appreciate it, and you’ll get better, more reflective input—a win-win. Also, if you ask for input and introverted teachers actually give it, guard it with your life. Nothing shuts down thoughtful people faster than ignoring well-crafted suggestions in favor of flashier, louder ideas.

Introverts Recognize Introverts

Many introverted educators possess a secret superpower: They see their introverted students in ways others might not. Where others might label a student as disengaged, they recognize a quiet brilliance brewing beneath the surface.

They create environments where silence is not a void but rather a signal of processing, safety, and potential. And they build relationships with students, one soft-spoken conversation at a time—sometimes with a smile or a sticky note left on a desk but always with intention.

“One time, I was eating lunch with three kids,” Sara, a fourth and fifth grade teacher, told me. “Two were getting their lunch, so it was just me and one student. This was one of my quiet kids. And we sat there for seven minutes in complete silence. And that seven minutes of silence was perfectly fine. We were comfortable. My gift may be to see the real child and help them feel safe enough to take a risk with their own ideas.”

Introverted teachers often shine in small groups and one-on-one interactions. Give them the freedom to build those vectors of communication. You want evidence? Look at the kids who finally raise their hands after months in class because an introverted teacher took the time to know them.

Not Everything Is a Pep Rally

This is the part where I gently ask educational leaders to rethink mandatory team-building exercises that involve blindfolds, trust falls, and human pyramids. These events—while fun for the extroverted crowd—can feel like a hostage situation to your more reserved staff.

Let’s be real: There’s always that one teacher who takes team spirit way too seriously and leaves the rest of us wondering if we should have worn shin guards. Instead, offer options such as small-group chats, quiet reflection time, book clubs with no forced discussion, and anonymous shout-outs and suggestions.

Everyone needs a place to recharge, too. For extroverts, it might be the staff lounge with multiple informal conversations and a Keurig. For introverts, it might be a moment alone in a dim classroom and zero human interaction. Support these choices and allow for quiet planning periods when possible. Don’t assume that silence equals loneliness or disinterest. Some of the most creative planning happens in solitude—ask any introvert.

Extend Quiet Time to PD

Professional development (PD) doesn’t have to feel like a party hosted by the drama department. Build in more reflective options. Include journaling, partner shares, or asynchronous discussions before a big meeting. And if you want real engagement from introverted teachers, start by validating them. “You don’t have to stand on a table to be effective” might become your staff’s new motto.

Here’s a radical idea: Allow introverted educators to have boundaries. Empower them to say “no” or at least “maybe.” Let them opt out of being the emcee at the school assembly. Let them submit a pre­recorded presentation rather than a live presentation. Let them contribute to the curriculum behind the scenes. Empower them by honoring their preferences, not pushing them toward extroversion. They are not broken; they just engage differently—and sometimes better.

Amplify the Quiet Voices

As administrator, you set the tone. You don’t need to quiet the extroverts; we love them for all of their pep talks and glittery bulletin boards. But you do need to amplify the quieter voices, because while the loudest teachers might fill the hallways with sound and energy, the quietest ones often fill their students with confidence, courage, and calm.

Value the caring, relationship-building approaches that introverted educators often use to create powerful one-on-one moments that spark student growth. Those soft skills can be foundational to student success.

“Being a quieter person, I love to connect with kids personally,” Jasmine, a K–1 teacher, told me. “I think that going out of my way to make small, quiet connections with kids is invaluable. In my experience, it pays back tenfold to take that 15 minutes at the beginning of the day to hear stories about their dog, or their sister, or the dream they had last night, or how they are feeling about something. Seeing that you care and giving kids a chance to share something important to them builds that student-teacher rapport, making students want to work for you, want to succeed for you, and want to meet your expectations.”

The next time you consider jumping up on a table, maybe invite your introverted educators to support the training from a comfortable chair, with absolutely no audience participation required. They’ll thank you for it—and your students will benefit, too.

Rochelle Green is director of the organizational leadership program at the University of Wyoming at Casper and author of The Introverted Educator: Redefining Participation and Creating Quiet Magic in the Classroom.