Useful Teacher Quality #2: Extroversion, or energy from interpersonal interactions

The most useful definition of the terms extroverted vs. introverted, and the definition that’s relevant to this discussion, is this: An extrovert draws her/his energy from interactions with other people, whereas an introvert is more energized by an internal world of ideas. Obviously, nobody falls neatly into one category or the other, and whether you feel you’re introverted or extroverted may depend upon the situation in which you find yourself. But the distinction is important in a discussion of teaching because teaching, at least at the primary and secondary levels, involves packing an incredibly high number of what are supposed to be meaningful interpersonal interactions into one day. A high school teacher, for example, will often see more than 100 students come through her/his classes in a day, and ideally, a teacher will want to interact as much with each of those students as possible. Even when addressing the class as a whole rather than individual students, a teacher must in some ways always be “on,” always be performing. All of your students, including the ones who profess to hate you and try to ignore everything you say, will scrutinize you closely, and will notice any hint of fatigue or distress. Students respond to energy; a teacher who’s energized by interacting with students can energize them in turn, can wake them up, make them more interested and alert. A teacher who is exhausted by constant public performance can expect that weariness to be mirrored by students.

I in no way want to suggest that only people who consider themselves extroverts make good teachers; this is not true. But for people who are mostly energized by ideas, by theories or analysis or study, and not nearly as much by other people, teaching can be brutally draining. It demands that you give a lot of yourself to other people and leaves you little time to “recharge” by being alone during the day. It can leave you with less and less energy each day, until you feel you have none left.

Questions to ask yourself: Am I energized by large-scale social interaction, or wearied by it? (The answer to this may be, “Sometimes one and sometimes the other,” which is fair enough. Try to imagine the specific sort of interactions you’ll be engaging in as a teacher and how those would affect your energy level.) Am I happiest dealing directly with people, or theorizing about ideas? Do I need recovery time after I go to large parties or meet a lot of new people? Do I like to have a lot of time alone?

If you prefer working with ideas to working with people, TFA may not be for you; think carefully about your decision. On the other hand, if you think you’re strongly introverted but you’re positive you want to join TFA, don’t be frightened by this section. As I mentioned before, introversion in no way prevents someone from becoming a great teacher and in some ways can be very helpful. But be sure to take care of yourself once you begin teaching. Try to find some time, as much as you need, to yourself each day. Find ways to process your thoughts/feelings so that you don’t choke on them. And actually, this is good advice for any TFA corps member.