Shyness in Children

We watched a video called “Shyness” in class and although it was outdated and slightly stereotypical I thought it also brought up some valid points and ideas. The video discussed shyness in children, possible reasons for shyness, and possible methods to help shy children. It featured three children who seemed shy. After study it was concluded that one of the children wasn’t in fact shy, he just enjoyed being alone and thrived that way. The second child was found to be very shy, and the third was discovered to have deep routed emotional issues that lead to isolation from others. I think that this was a good way to demonstrate that every child is different and will have different reasons behind their apparent shyness. No child is going to have the same reason for being shy, just like there is no exact method to cure a child of their shyness. I think the video demonstrated some good general ideas that teachers can use to bring a child out of their shyness. Finding activities that the child is interested in and excels in is a starting point. If the child excels in a certain activity they will be more comfortable and comfort can lead to less shyness. Every student will be different, and shyness doesn’t go away overnight, but I think that teachers can help them towards being less shy.  There was one idea that I pulled out of the video that I thought I could apply in my own teaching. That was the idea of having a set time period where the children were able to discuss whatever they wanted. I think that this in small doses would be good for students; it would give them a voice and make them believe that their opinions mattered. It’s a good idea in theory, but it also may not be applicable in today’s society possibly leading to conversations that don’t have any merit. I could possibly test an idea like this in my own classroom.