Lesson 1 - When a child feels lonely (pages 2-3)

Text from the book

How does she feel? How do you feel when you are on your own?

Learning objectives

Pupils will:

• reflect on ideas of being alone, being lost;
• explore forgiveness and the opportunity to make a new start;
• understand that each person can bring about change in their own lives;
• be aware there is always someone to turn to;
• be familiar with the story of the Lost Son (Luke 15.11-32).

Background

If life is a journey, then loneliness is the slow boat on that journey. Virtually all pupils will have experienced loneliness and one is often even more lonely in the presence of others. What emotions about loneliness lie in the hearts and minds of pupils? Loneliness is not about being on one’s own, it is a feeling of being unwanted and isolated in the context of other people’s friendship and sociability.

Ways of using the picture

• Discuss loneliness with the pupils. How do they feel? How do they cope with it?
• Do they see another person’s loneliness and how do they try to help?
• How can pupils (and adults) break into another’s loneliness sympathetically? How can we try to break the cycle of loneliness?

Bible references

Luke 15.11-32, 1 Kings 19.11-13

Key words

• Lost
• Reflection
• Alone
• Contemplation
• Silence
• Forgiveness

Activity

You will need

Pen
Paper
Journal/Diary

Sometimes you like to be with family and friends. Sometimes you like to be on your own. You like to feel quiet and have a thinking place.

Where do you go when you want to be on your own?

Sometimes you find yourself on your own when you choose not to be. You can be on your own in a crowd. How does it feel to be left out? What do you think?

What is missing when you are lonely? Is there somewhere you go when you feel alone? What is it like there?

Reflect carefully on these feelings. What do you see/hear/smell/taste/touch?

Write down six-eight words that describe your feelings on a piece of paper.

Put them into order of importance to you.

Shape the words into the form of a poem

Share with others if appropriate.

Assessment opportunities

The children can share their work with the class or with someone else. At a later date the work may show how much they have learnt/grown from situations like these.

Pupils could go beyond their poem to paint, draw, or find music, that expresses similar thoughts and feelings.

Learning outcomes

Pupils will:

• be aware of effects of change on themselves and others;
• have reflected on loneliness, expressing ideas through a poem.

Extension work

Read the story of the Lost Son. Discuss the attitudes and feelings of the father and his two sons. Nothing is said in the story of a wife and a mother. Would her feelings be very different from the father’s?

Web site links

http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/
Many of the issues that children face are explored at this web site. Many of the problems that can cause children to feel lonely, isolated or sad are covered here, from homesickness, going away, peer pressure or dealing with anger and bullies.

Being alone is also explored in George Robert Mackay's poem 'Uniseed' at http://www.poetryportal.co.uk/common/poems/uniseed.htm

The famous meditation by John Donne 'No man is an island' can be downloaded from the sites http://isu.indstate.edu/ilnprof/ENG451/ISLAND/ or http://www.global-language.com/devotion.html

© Alan Brown and Alison Seaman, 2002

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