Loneliness

All students have different personalities; some prefer to be alone, while others enjoy many friendships. It is important to encourage all students to interact positively with each other and to work and play as a team. A classroom that is inclusive, tolerant and respectful will not have students who feel lonely due to isolation and bullying. Here are some things to watch out for:

1.	Watch where children sit. Notice whether children who are feeling lonely are isolated in their seating. Mix up your seating plan. Put students together that might not otherwise mix. Consider incorporating cooperative education strategies into your lesson planning. Give the students roles to play in their team to support each other. Some of these roles might be: Leader, Summarizer, Gopher, Supporter, Listener, Organizer, Planner, Decision Maker etc. Give each student an opportunity to play each role by rotating through the roles on a weekly basis. Reward the students for working together. Have a monthly 1/2 hour free time for students or a special day where the class can wear hats or enjoy a small snack in class. Let each group earn the privilege by working as a team and earning points together.
2.	Monitor of your own attitude. We all have some students who don’t match our personalities. Check yourself to be sure you are treating each child positively and respectfully. Some students can be challenging and it is important to avoid inadvertently giving the signal that it is okay to ignore a child. Plan some positive things to say about each of your students. Let the quiet or lonely children share a talent or skill they have. Let them lead the class or have a special job.
3.	Be aware of the changing dynamics in your classroom. Hold class meetings to clear the air and help students realize they don’t all have to be friends but no one in the class should feel sad or lonely. You might use a "talking stick" for the students to hold while talking. Each student passes it to the next student in order for them to speak. A student may choose to pass. No-one else speaks when someone has the “talking stick” in their hand (including the teacher). The “talking stick” often gives quiet, introverted students the power to speak to the class.