Teachers say they’re not equipped to deal with grieving students
Seven out of 10 teachers nationwide had at least one student in class who has lost someone close to them in the past year, according to a survey by the American Federation of Teachers and the New York Life Foundation. On average, teachers reported interacting with eight students who’d experienced a loss in the past year.
Of those who had grieving children in their classrooms, 67 percent reported the loss in a child’s life translated to poor academic performance, and 87 percent said the kids had trouble concentrating in class.
Yet only 7 percent of teachers who responded to the survey say they have ever had training in how to deal with a grieving student.
More than two in five teachers said their school pays more attention to how kids are dressed than to students who are grieving, but 93 percent said they would attend training on handling bereaved children if it were offered.
“The fact is our society is uncomfortable with death and uneasy with grief, particularly when it’s a child who is grieving,” said Dr. David Schonfeld, director of the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement, who was a consultant on the survey.
Schonfeld said when kids don’t have the tools to express their grief, it can result in emotional, psychological and behavioral issues.
The survey of 1,253 teachers, guidance counselors and school staff was conducted this fall. The AFT, the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement and the New York Life Foundation together are working to evaluate a program for providing bereavement training for educators.