Grief touches all lives, including the lives of transition students. It is an inescapable reality. According to the American Psychological Association (2023), grief is “the anguish experienced after significant loss” and can manifest as physiological distress, separation anxiety, confusion, and apprehension about the future. Students going through transition may begin to grieve the upcoming loss of high school, teacher connections, peer relationships, or a routine and reliable schedule. In other words, loss takes many forms.
As professional educators, it is our responsibility to provide effective school-based support to students dealing with current or potentially upcoming (transition) trauma of loss. However, since grief affects everyone differently, how can you develop the skills needed to help a grieving student? Here are a few suggestions from the National Association of School Psychologists that can improve your ability to support students experiencing grief:
- Show empathy when the student has grief reactions such as loss of appetite, anger, and withdrawal.
- Listen without judgment and provide a safe space for expression.
- Refrain from making assumptions about the student’s experience.
- Be culturally sensitive to a student's expression of grief and consider their background and beliefs.
- Provide a sense of normalcy when and where you can.
Spend some time reviewing the resources below and engage in your own self-directed education to improve your ability to provide student grief support.
Resources
- National Association of School Psychologists—Addressing Grief: Tips for Teachers and Administrators
- National Education Association—When Students Grieve, How Can Educators Help
- Chilliwack Hospice Society—Helping the Grieving Student: A Guide for Teachers
- Child Mind Institute—Helping Children Deal with Grief
- Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development—Helping Students Grieve