gefen, actually no, I never raised my hand in HS. I did in elementary school, though. A little. Teachers complained all the time. Getting good grades wasn’t enough, huh? HS was just a really bad environment for me, so any chance of getting over my shyness was not possible. I think it even made it worse. I never chose to present assignments! I was forced. One teacher gave me a hard time in ninth grade. But oddly, when I had to make a presentation in college, as shy and awkward as I felt, I really did a good job, so I guess I felt okay about it. I didn’t do it alone, though, and it was in a class full of non-Jews, and for me that made it better.
Thanks for your help.