A few weeks ago, I went into Chase's class for help. I e-mailed Chase's teacher one evening and said, "My son keeps telling me that the thing you're sending home is math -- but I'm not sure I believe him. Help, please." She e-mailed right back and said, "No problem! I can help Chase after school anytime." And I said, "No, not him. Me. Hegets it.Help me." And that's why I stayed with Chase's math teacher. We talked about teaching children. We agreed that subjects like math and reading are not the most important things that are learned in a classroom. We also talked about something else ---- kindness and bravery. And then she told me this. Every Friday afternoon Chase's teacher asks her students to take out a piece of paper and write down the names of four children with whom they'd like to sit the following week. She also asks the students to nominate  one student who they think is the most popular student that week. They needn't write down their names on the paper. After the students go home, she takes out those pieces of paper, and studies them. In fact, Chase's teacher is not looking for a new seating chart or "popular students." She is looking for lonely children. She's looking for the ones who are unwilling to connect with others. She is discovering whose gifts are not noticed by their classmates. Then she gets to know who needs help. After watching Columbine the wise woman realized that all violence  comes from loneliness. So she decided to start fighting violence early and often, and what she is doing is SAVING LIVES. And she finds the lonely kids through those lists and tries to help them. It's math to her. All is love - evenmath. Why does Chase's teacher ask her students to write down some names on paper?
Because She is looking for the popular student. Because she is looking for a new seating chart. Because she wants to help her students learn math. Because she wants to find the lonely children.