'Progressive' teaching methods – used in schools for the last 40 or 50 years – put an emphasis on collaborative ways of learning. It is time to reconsider the idea that this constitutes best practice in the classroom. Collaborative learning appeals to those with extrovert personalities, but much less so to introverts. Extroverts are people with an outgoing or gregarious personality, who enjoy group projects and plenty of stimulation, whereas introverts prefer to work on their own and in a quiet place. Modern classroom environments embrace extroverted behaviour, through fast-paced lessons and social learning activities. These can foster an appealing classroom environment, of course, but over-emphasising them can undermine the learning of students who are inward-thinking and easily drained by constant interactions with others.