Teacher Finds a New Way to Fight Bullying

Bullying, whether on- or offline, is one of the biggest concerns in schools these days — one that parents and schools are working together to stop. One teacher, however, is taking bold steps toward a solution. During a conversation with her son's teacher, Glennon Doyle Melton, author and founder of Momastery, learned about a little activity that could have a large impact.

Every Friday the teacher, whose name was withheld in Melton's post, asks her students to write down the names of four children they want to sit with during the upcoming week as well as one student whom they believe is, "an exceptional classroom citizen." However, she does not do this so students can sit next to their BFFs. Rather, she analyzes the papers for patterns. She looks for the names that are not being requested, the ones that go from several requests to none, and the ones who leave their sheets blank. She looks for the lonely children, and then rearranges the seats to help them connect with their classmates and, hopefully make some new friends.

The teacher began this activity 14 years ago. More specifically, the day after the Columbine High School shooting. Realizing that "all violence begins with disconnect," she has found a way to break the pattern and, hopefully, save several lives.