What do teachers think of quiet and shy students?

I had recently been to my nephew's school, and while interacting with his teacher, I came across an interesting insight, she said that my nephew might be an 'extraordinary' kid given that he is quite shy, distant and silent in the classroom keeping to himself mostly, yet manages to do amazingly well in his studies. It actually triggered the above question in my mind, do all teachers think so or have this viewpoint about quiet back-benchers?! What could be the possible reasons for students, especially some of our younger (generally gregarious) generation being so?

If such introverted young minds are fortunate enough to have 'understanding' teachers then its all good for them, but what if they don't? Because more often than not, such students are generally judged as being annoying, having no personality or just plain emotionless by their teachers and peers alike. They are not seen to be answering questions or actively participating in classroom discussions; mostly keeping to themselves, unless nudged by the teacher.

In such cases I think its best for the supervising body (in this case-teachers, parents or guardians) to be open, understanding and supportive. Forcing things can be counterproductive rather than helping the situation. While it is important to know the reason for such behavior (whether its just their nature or something serious as emotional or physical abuse etc), patience is the key along with establishing a requisite trust. Keeping the lines of communication open can also go a long way. After all you never know, we might be dealing with the future Albert Einstein, George Orwell or a Larry Page.

So what do you people think on this, please do share your ten cents in the space below😀