For Teachers

CLASSROOM CONCERNS FOR GRIEVING CHILDREN

Your role in a grieving student's life matters. Children see you as a role model as well as a teacher. Grieving children are emotionally vulnerable for years after the death of a parent. With an understanding of childhood grief and how you treat yourself during a loss, you will have the tools to provide effective educational leadership even during critical times of loss in a student's life.

Children and teens who are grieving the loss of a loved one may want to come back to school shortly after a death loss. Some children even prefer to attend school the day they learn of the death. School offers predictable routines that can be comforting to children. Others may need a break for several weeks, which creates a challenge for "catching up" with the rest of the class at a time when concentration is often impacted by the loss.

As a teacher, if you haven't yet, you are likely to have a grieving child in your class. Grieving, traumatized children often have the following difficulties:

Sitting Still
Concentrating
Remembering
Focusing

Grades may change. Behavior may change. This may continue for years, or even follow a cyclic pattern.

When a child loses a parent or other significant caregiver, you may find it difficult to reach the child in order to assist with academic achievement. Creating a feeling of emotional and physical safety in the classroom is helpful. Giving the child or teen small choices may also help to re-establish a sense of control that is lost when a loved one dies. One of CGEA's Newsletters addresses cognitive challenges ( How Grief Affects Thinking and Learning ) that accompany loss and how learning theory applies.

CGEA's Online Graduate-Level Course, Navigating Children's Grief, is designed with you, the teacher, in mind. It provides insight into the challenges grieving children are faced with and give you tools to encourage the child toward healing through appropriate communication and support. Check your State requirements for Continuing Education Credits for your Licensure.