Causes of shy out students

Some students seem naturally shy, while others may revert to being shy because they are scared, ashamed or simply conditioned by past experiences to do so. A lack of confidence can cause a child to become shy, especially if she has been given reason to doubt her abilities in the past. This may lead to a student not participating in the classroom or having difficulty connecting with other students.

Small Classes

Shyness can cause problems in classrooms that have small numbers of students, especially when the classroom depends on student participation, such as in a literature class. In these classes, students often learn by discussing ideas and comparing experiences when interacting with the course content. When students do not interact, time is wasted on periods of silence.

Lost Discussion Skills

Students who do not interact with others in the classroom miss opportunities to learn crucial interpersonal skills. Also, students miss opportunities to develop debating skills. Students must learn how to be a part of a group discussion, which is commonly used in college classrooms and corporate boardrooms.

Lost Assertiveness

Shy students may be less willing to mention when they are struggling with class material, causing them to not receive the help they need. People often interpret timidity as a sign of being stuck up, which can put off many people who would otherwise give the student learning opportunities.

Lost Participation Points

Many classes require that students participate. Teachers take off points from the final score of students who do not participate regularly. Students may also fail to answer correctly when called on, since fear distracts them. This can lead to lower grades, which can cause students to have fewer academic opportunities in the future, since they may have a difficult time getting into better colleges.

Low Self-Efficacy

Shy children often develop low self-esteem and a lack of confidence, which reduces the chances that they will have the confidence to pursue challenges that give them learning opportunities. Shyness can also create an unfortunate cycle, as timid students do not develop effective communication skills. The lack of social skills leads to negative social experiences for the shy out students, which increases the anxiety she feels, leading to more shy behavior.

Lost Opportunities

Shyness is often caused by an exposure to new activities. Since students do not have as many experiences as adults, they experience more new activities, which can emotionally overwhelm those who have not yet developed coping skills. When students do not have enough experiences, they miss many opportunities to learn. Students who are very shy may be distracted from classroom material because of fears of social interaction or being called on in class.

Students often get ignored

The research is mixed on when and why quiet students are academically challenged. Previous, separate studies by Mr. Coplan; fellow Carleton University psychologist Kathleen Hughes; Mary M. Reda, an associate professor at the City University of New York; and others have found that quiet and shy students often have difficulty with class grades, but that largely comes from lower levels of class participation and oral skills.

Whether shyness is learned, cultural, or genetic, it can present problems for both students and instructors, most commonly in smaller classes in which participation is expected/encouraged. However, not all silent students are shy: not participating can mean many things, from a simple unwillingness to speak to the fact that the student is a “reflective” learner.

Most classrooms have one or more students who struggle with making themselves heard or participating in class discussions. These students are usually called "shy" because they may speak softly, prefer to work independently or refuse to speak up at all. Often these students flourish with written assignments or tests, but fail in areas that require participation with classmates or presentations in front of other students. For shy students, keep some considerations in mind.