It was very sad to hear about the tragic loss in the life of the person Olivia and Dan are tutoring. It is even more disheartening to see the effect it has had on him. He feels like he is alone and doesn't feel as though he has support he needs to get through this difficult time. As a future educator, I want to make each and every one of my students feel like they are not alone. I want to foster a community where everyone feels like they can count on each other to make them feel better about themselves, especially when they are going through a tough time.
One of my ideas for fostering a positive community in my classroom is doing an activity called, "You Are Not Alone" where everyone in the class shares something they are going through, or have gone through. Chances are, someone else in the class has shared a similar experience or can understand what they are feeling. Thus, it will validate for them that they really aren't isolated because someone else is, or has been, in their shoes.
That experience of "aloneness" versus "belonging" is so important for young people. Belonging isn't an event, but takes continued effort. You might be interested in Norman Kunc' article "The Need to Belong: Re-Discovering Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs."
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