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A friendship bench, also known as a buddy bench, is a special place in a school playground where a child can go when they want someone to talk to
Friendship benches may be distinctively different from other seating in the school and may be specially designed by an artist or with the help of the children themselves. They are rainbow colored and were originally created by C.R Plastics, a Canadian company that creates recycled plastic outdoor furniture. Such benches are situated in open and well-travelled areas of the school so that any child using the bench will be noticed quickly.
When a child feels the need for a friend to talk to, he or she can show this by using the friendship bench. Other children and staff will recognise this as a sign that some help, support or comfort is needed and will come to talk with the child.
From Wikipedia
shouldn’t yeshivas start it also?
Is this like a “safe space” in universities where, like, guys who are upset Clinton lost the election can go to to vent?
Does it work?
I feel like a lot of kids would be embarrassed to just sit there waiting for someone to talk to them.
Meno – You have a good point, but I wonder if it would depend on the school? I can’t see it in a public school, but maybe in a Frum school which emphasizes Middos, I could see it possibly working. I wonder?
I’m also wondering if they tell the kids that that’s what it’s for or if it kind of naturally gets used that way.
The school district I work in has these. The kids were told it was a place to sit if you are looking for someone to spend recess with as there are often ‘closed games’ and it’s hard to match up two or more people who are looking for something to do. A kid could sit there if he’s lonely or in need of a friend, or he could just sit there if his friends are playing four square and he’s a fifth and bored. The bench is on the playground.
One of the schools, who is generally a bit more clueless in the social skills department, has the bench outside the office near the front door. It is used as a place to sit while you wait for your mom to pick you up or for adults waiting for a meeting. Talk about missing the point….
I feel like a lot of kids would be embarrassed to just sit there waiting for someone to talk to them.
I agree, and I think it would be true in yeshivos as well. I can’t imagine a bigger reason to consider a kid a “neb” than his sitting on a “friendship bench”.
it’s not like that. it’s the equivalent going up to someone and saying, “wanna play/do something?”
We’re discussing elementary school aged children here (i.e., ages 5-11), right?
I think it is a cop out so the supervising teacher(s) dont have to get involved and teach proper behavior.
If the kid is able to go up to someone and say “wanna play/do something” then he does not need to sit on a bench. Seems to me it will be the kids too shy or too afraid of rejection who will be sitting on the bench, and then they will risk be labeled nebs.
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