Nobody Left to Hate: Teaching Compassion after Columbine Book

Elliot Aronson is a social psycologist who gives a response to the Columbine shootings in this book, Nobody left to hate. He asks school communities to really think about how much they tolerate bullying and conflict in their schools. The accepted attitude that put-downs, clique-generated ostracism, and the isolation of the un-cool that has permeated school atmospheres must end. Aronson then presents a method called jigsaw to improve student acceptance of one another. This is a group work approach which makes each student an expert on part of the assignment and then the teacher of that material. This forces the group members to support each student because the students are tested on each other's material. He tried this approach in the newly integrated school system in Austin, TX with great success. He also encourages seeking out the isolated in each school to find ways to include them. This does not mean finding the students with poor grades since both shooters at Columbine had acceptable grades. It means being aware of each student's role in the school and how he or she is being treated by peers. It is a big challenge, but making the effort can saves lives so the challenge must be met. This book made me not only want to make the effort to speak to each student in my current school situation, and it made me reflective of my own role in my high school. I was the unnoticed loner. So why did I not shoot anyone? Family, church and out-of-school friends made the difference. A visit with a loner to see if his or her life is filled with support away from school could make all the difference. The school learns that the student is not really isolated and the student is a bit more included at school because someone, even if it is an adult, now knows them better. The message is: Reach Out so everyone feels noticed and accepted by someone. This is a short and quick 178 pages to read that really makes you think. I really suggest that you take the time to read this one.