How to Survive as an Introverted Teacher

Confession time. I’m exhausted. At the end of each and every day, I’m exhausted. I’m not just tired. I’m exhausted, spent, and done.

I’m introverted. I always have been introverted and I always will be introverted.

And, yet, I chose to become a teacher.

Before I got married, I had a ton of energy for my classroom. I always went above and beyond, attended workshops, presented professional development on the weekends, and gave my all to my students and classroom.

I was able to tap into the extroverted part of myself, teaching my students during the day and restoring my energy each evening and weekend.

Now that I have two little people at home (currently ages 3 & 5), my ability to get alone time each evening is slim and possibly non-existent. I go home each day to boy energy. One of my boys is introverted, we can already tell, but he’s still a boy. He enjoys his quiet activities, but also wants to play and interact with me when I get home.

I am not getting any downtime in the evenings or weekends that recharges me. I need to start scheduling a setting aside intentional time to refocus, relax, and recharge. This downtime is not just something that is nice to have. I’m realizing that I need it to survive.  Or at least survive with some sanity.

Here are nine tips on how to survive as a teacher when you’re introverted. I keep adding to the list, so I know there are more ideas out there that resonate with people. These are a few that have worked for me. Feel free to leave a comment about what works for you.

1. Get plenty of sleep

This has been a big one for me since having kids. I have been so drained for the past five years from a lack of sleep. Having two kiddos, one is generally up at night at some point. Two nights ago, no one woke up and I felt so much better that morning than I had in a long time, despite having to get up early for work. I know this is a somewhat temporary thing. There will be a time when I won’t be able to wake the boys up.

2. Decompress Each Evening to Meet Your Introverted Needs

I try to take about 20 minutes when I get home from work each day to unpack my stuff, go through the mail, and just settle into being home. I’m not met with that luxury every day, but a couple of days a week, it happens. It just helps me refocus and reframe my attention from work to school.

Each evening, I also sit in bed and read for a good 20 minutes before I go to sleep. I do this almost every night, despite how tired I am. Reading is an escape for me and it helps create a small moment of downtime.

3. Start Each Morning with Some Quiet Time

This one has been really hard since having kids and working full-time. Before kids, I used to wake up each morning, make coffee, and sit down with my Bible and journal. I haven’t done that too often in the past few years and I can see it taking a toll on my overall day and ability to handle life. This is one I need to re-implement into my daily routine.  It just gives me time to reflect on the day before I start the business of it.

4. Exercise

Again, another element that I need to re-establish. Generally, exercise can be an isolating activity. If I can find some time during the day, I just need to lock myself away for 20 minutes or go for a 20-minute run.  Despite the health benefits, exercising also gives me time to focus inward, think, and reflect.

5. Create an Ebb and Flow to the School Day

This is a key one for me. It took me a couple of years of teaching before I realized how important this was for me and my students. I intentionally create downtime during the day for my students to work on things independently, where I’m not teaching and talking to everyone.

I know that’s a shock, for a teacher not to be teaching all day long. However, what this allows me to do is observe my students. I can sit and watch how students are interacting with each other, who is getting along with whom, and who needs a bit more encouragement. This time also allows me to breathe a bit. I’m not talking about a lot of time, but ten minutes here and there throughout the day makes a big difference.

I also do a lot of small group work, rather than whole-class direct instruction. I don’t mean that I make student work in small groups, all the time, although they do work with partners some of the time, I mean that I meet with small groups more often than I do direct instruction. This allows me to better focus on individual students than I can when I see 24 bodies in front of me.

6. Take a Couple of Minutes at Lunch or Recess to be Alone

I am very conscious of my break times. I generally try not to keep students in at recess and lunch times. I’m a firm believer that children need to be outside playing as much as possible.  I also eat my lunch quickly and go back to my room for the last 10 minutes of my lunch break in order to set up for the afternoon or just sit and think. It really helps me get through the afternoons.

7. Schedule Time with Friends

One, if I schedule it, I can mentally prepare for it. I know it’s going to happen and have time to set myself up for it. I can plan downtime around it.

Two, if it’s not scheduled I won’t do it. I’m not someone who seeks out friendships right now. I did earlier in my life, before marriage and kids. But now, I just don’t have it in me to be a good friend and give of myself to someone else. I don’t have the energy to create new deep friendships. But, I do try to maintain some of my old friendships. This takes purposeful scheduling, though.

8. Plan Your Day

This is echoed through some of the other suggestions. The more confident I am in what I’m teaching (i.e.: the more that I’ve planned something), the less mental energy it takes to present the lessons. I don’t have to mentally prepare for the delivery of lessons and teaching becomes second nature. This has gotten better as I’ve taught for more years. However, I still plan as well as possible, so I don’t have to think about what I’m going to teach at the moment.

9. Find a Friend at Your School

Being introverted, I need one-on-one connections way more than I need group connections. It has really helped me to connect with one or two people at my school site individually. Having a friend to decompress with, complain to, or just talk to has helped me feel not so alone, even though I consciously know that I need the alone time.

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Have you seen this Ted Talk by Susan Cain? It’s not a new video, but really gives a good picture of introversion and how it is not valued in our society. However, 1/3 of our population is introverted, including students in our classroom.

Are you introverted and a teacher?  How do you cope?  What strategies have you found that work for you?

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You can also read all about it in this blog post.