The other day, I was teaching my 9-to-12-year-old students about adjectives. I was having them use adjectives to describe themselves and their classmates. The adjectives were pretty simple, like cute, funny, exciting and kind.

One of the girls I’ve connected with the most this year was describing herself. “I’m kind, loud, and . . .” She paused, and then dropped the bomb: “alone.” She burst into tears, and it felt like my heart had broken into a million pieces.

I sat down in the chair next to her. “When do you feel alone?” I asked.

“In my day school.”

“Not here, I hope?”

“Not here, no.”

I reassured her that in my class she was never alone. The other students agreed, and she smiled and nodded.

In Thai culture, even from a young age, people don’t openly share their feelings. Becoming overly emotional in public, and especially crying, is not acceptable. So it was very significant that she felt comfortable enough here to share her true feelings in front of her classmates.

This experience resonated deeply with me because I also felt lonely in school when I was her age. Sometimes feelings of loneliness creep back into my life even now. But, I was filled with happiness knowing that my classroom is a place where she feels safe and loved.

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