Actors and act-ers: Enhancing inclusion and diversity in teaching and teacher education through the validation of quiet teaching

We find that Teacher Education attracts, in addition to those outgoing students who are at ease in front of a group of people, a number of student teachers who are often quiet, reserved, shy, or not at all comfortable being the center of attention. Many times these aspiring teachers have gifts and talents that are not readily apparent, yet comparable to their more outgoing peers. Often, they are caring, passionate, and reflective.We will attempt to clarify the elusive concept of personality within the context of teaching and challenge commonly held assumptions of a “quiet” or introverted person. We will explore ways for teacher educators to validate the abilities of student teachers who seem quiet.Toward these goals we will examine the pertinent literature to provide a perspective in which we can frame our revision of the conception of the "introverted" student teacher and the responsibilities of Teacher Education to them. Complexity Thinking1 will serve as a lens to assist our understanding in this area. We will gain insights from those with “quiet voices”, that is, the student teachers, teachers, administrators, and teacher educators themselves who have addressed their own issues of quietness within the context of teaching.