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TAKE THE FIRST
STEP In class, if you
need to choose a group and you don't have a partner or group, you
should take the first step and ask someone to be your partner. They most
likely will say yes because they are having trouble like you are and are
relieved that you asked. If they say no, don't take it personally. They
could be having problems just like you are and are having trouble
dealing with them.
Example: In Family Consumer Science class,
we had to choose a partner for a project. This girl Mary had no partner
and neither did I. Instead of going to the teacher and asking her what I
should do, I asked Mary if she wanted to be my partner. Now Mary and I
are friends, you never know what one class project can lead to in the
future.
SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE YOU If you are in
a class with or without friends and you see someone sitting alone,
they could be intimidated by you so you should ask them to come over and
talk. Maybe they want to talk to you but don't know how. We all know
that NOBODY likes to be alone.
Example: On an overnight school trip, we had
gone to the mall for dinner for a few hours. A friend and I were
thinking about asking a boy to join us because he was all alone. Before
we could get the chance, another boy (Derek) had come over and asked him
to join him and his friends. You could see the happiness on his face
when Derek asked him.
TAKE AN AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITY Join a
sport or take an after school class when available. If your school
doesn’t have these, or if they don't appeal to you, then take a class
outside of school that has more then just a teacher. One-on-one
activities with an adult might be ok, but they’re not going to give you
the chance to make friends. With new people, it’s good to use the tips
listed above and throughout this site.
Example: I joined a henna class at school
last year and used some of the tips above and what came out of that is a
new best friend and a great interest for art which led me to other
friends.
Do
you have a suggestion for this column or a question for Kate Venditto? Write
to: kateatshykids@yahoo.com
Note: Although all
situations in this column are based on real life, the individuals' names
were changed for purposes of privacy. |
