Which one are you? North American society tends to celebrate extroverts. Those people that can captivate an audience and bring life to most social events. Children that love performing in front of large groups or those that feel comfortable striking up conversations with adults. Often, our first impressions of extroverts are that they are nice people. Usually because they are good conversation maintainers or readily share details about themselves. Our first impressions of introverts? “He’s a snob. Aloof.” Or, “Hard to get to know her.”

Is one better than the other? No. And it is important to remember that it is a continuum. Think of a line with zero in the middle and 100’s at either end. One end is extrovert and the other is introvert. We all fall somewhere in the middle and rarely is anyone 100% either. And where do teachers lie? You may be surprised to hear that more educators are introverts than extroverts. We would assume that standing in front of people all day long for an entire career would demand that you must be extroverted. Not necessarily.

Here is a quick self-test to determine which side of the coin you fall. At the end of a busy, even stressful week, what do you crave on Friday night? A quiet evening in, sipping tea and reading a book or would you rather host a party with friends and family. If you answered the latter, you are likely extroverted. If you want no more noise than your cat purring, you are probably an introvert.

We all need human interaction. We are social beings. And if we learned anything from the Covid pandemic, it is that we need face to face connections. Extroverts just need more. This is why teaching is hard. Extroverts can feel lonely at school. How you might ask? Just because we are interacting with students all day long, doesn’t mean we are getting our social needs met. Think about it. How many opportunities are there during a school day to have a meaningful conversation with a colleague or friend? Besides zero? There is none.

And things aren’t any easier for introverts. In fact, there are studies that have shown that introverted educators are more prone to career burnout. Being on stage, all day long, year after year is hard on introverts. Volitional change is the ability for one to adapt and manipulate their own personality traits to fit a needed role. We learn how to act extroverted. But it comes at a cost. Though introverts may be more in tune to the subtle needs that many students have, it does take a toll. It wears down your social battery. Over time, it causes stress and burnout.

This is why educators, both introverted and extroverted, need to prioritize their own well-being.

You’ve got this.