69传媒

Special Report
Teaching Profession Reported Essay

69传媒 Aren鈥檛 the Only Ones Grieving

Teachers, too, have faced incalculable losses
By Ileana Najarro 鈥 September 14, 2021 4 min read
Conceptual Illustration
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

This story is part of a special project called Big Ideas in which EdWeek reporters ask hard questions about K-12 education鈥檚 biggest challenges and offer insights based on their extensive coverage and expertise.

69传媒 across the country have experienced tremendous loss in the last year and a half, from the disruption of traditions to interruptions in learning. As important as it may be to focus on restoring some of what the pandemic stole from young people, let鈥檚 not forget that schools must also address the one loss that can never fully be restored: the loss of life.

Thousands of students in K-12 are returning to school this fall, mourning the death of someone they knew. By one estimate, about between February 2020 and February 2021 alone. 69传媒 need to ensure these students鈥 mental health needs are met, particularly as they pertain to grief, and teachers are key.

My mother died during my sophomore year of high school. I know firsthand how frank conversations about grief with trusted school staff and teachers can help, both in terms of the return to school, and in the long run.

But who can teachers and others on staff turn to when they, too, are grieving? Teachers are coming into this school year exhausted, anxious, and overwhelmed. Grief on top of all that can be too much, and leaders need to ensure staff get access to the support they need.

In a July survey by the EdWeek Research Center of 886 K-12 district leaders, school leaders, and teachers, 31 percent of principals and district leaders said they had lost a loved one since the start of the pandemic. Of those, 12 percent said it was due to COVID-19.

Laurie Croswhite, a 1st grade teacher and head swim coach in the Chandler Unified school district in Arizona, lost her husband, Kerry, the district鈥檚 former head swim coach, to the virus last July.鈥

Her administrators and colleagues were a phone call or text away. If she felt she needed a moment of emotion away from her virtual class, they could take over until she was ready. She felt fortunate to have all that.

But she didn鈥檛 discuss the experience of loss with her students.鈥

鈥淚 was unsure about the best way to say it,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want them to then be fearful, thinking people in their life will suddenly die.鈥

That concern, of not knowing what to say while you struggle emotionally, is something Benjamin Fernandez, a school psychologist in Loudoun County public schools in Virginia, has heard often from teachers.

Fernandez, who is also a member of the National Association of School Psychologists鈥 School Safety and Crisis Response Committee, said helping staff cope with grief will, in turn, benefit students who are looking to talk to someone about their own feelings.

How do districts and schools plan to relieve teachers鈥 stress and support their personal grieving this school year?

So how do districts and schools plan to relieve teachers鈥 stress and support their personal grieving this school year? Forty-two percent of surveyed principals and district leaders said they would offer mental health or counseling services; 55 percent said supervisors would be checking in periodically to make sure employees are OK and to see whether they needed anything.

Knowing how taxing and upsetting the pandemic has been and that teachers have lost loved ones, El Rancho Unified School District in Pico Rivera, Calif., developed an independent contract with a local licensed therapist this summer. Any staff member can contact her for therapy, counseling, or for help in finding their own therapist for ongoing services through their insurance.

The mental health liaison for the district, Jeff Middleton, said that teachers don鈥檛 have to be grief counselors. Instead, they can simultaneously build trusting relationships with students to find out what鈥檚 going on and work with support staff to ensure students鈥 mental health needs are being met.

But part of building that relationship means being open to discussing the painful feelings around loss, which can be uncomfortable to broach.

鈥淲e鈥檙e uncomfortable with our own stuff as it relates to grief, and we鈥檙e not in touch with ourselves,鈥 said Amy Stewart, a licensed clinical social worker in Texas who works with , a national network and advocacy group for people affected by the virus.

A greater openness to discussing grief in its many forms, a greater emphasis on support for grieving staff, and, ultimately, a greater willingness to engage in mental health concerns can be positive developments that emerge from the pandemic.

鈥淕rief is still going to be something that we鈥檙e going to see regularly in our schools, whether it鈥檚 students, whether it鈥檚 staff, whether it鈥檚 families,鈥 Fernandez said.

Back when I was in high school, it felt good to know that I could talk about how much I missed my mom with trusted adults who wanted to hear me out. When they shared their own grief stories, it helped me understand the varied ways grief can manifest and the validity of my own experiences. I didn鈥檛 always want to talk about it. Sometimes it was too hard.

A version of this article appeared in the September 15, 2021 edition of Education Week as 69传媒 Aren鈥檛 the Only Ones Grieving

Events

School & District Management Webinar Crafting Outcomes-Based Contracts That Work for Everyone
Discover the power of outcomes-based contracts and how they can drive student achievement.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in 69传媒
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by 
School & District Management Webinar EdMarketer Quick Hit: What鈥檚 Trending among K-12 Leaders?
What issues are keeping K-12 leaders up at night? Join us for EdMarketer Quick Hit: What鈥檚 Trending among K-12 Leaders?

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide 鈥 elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Teaching Profession The State of Teaching Why Teachers Likely Take So Few Days Off
The perception coincides with teachers' low levels of job satisfaction.
3 min read
survey teachers static
via Canva
Teaching Profession What the Research Says The More 69传媒 Miss Class, the Worse Teachers Feel About Their Jobs
Missing kids take a toll on teachers' morale, new research says. Here's how educators can cope with absenteeism.
4 min read
An empty elementary school classroom is seen on Aug. 17, 2021 in the Bronx borough of New York. Nationwide, students have been absent at record rates since schools reopened after COVID-forced closures. More than a quarter of students missed at least 10% of the 2021-22 school year.
An empty elementary school classroom is seen on Aug. 17, 2021 in the Bronx borough of New York. Nationwide, students have been absent at record rates since schools reopened after COVID-forced closures. Now research suggests the phenomenon may be depressing teachers' job satisfaction.
Brittainy Newman/AP
Teaching Profession Will Your Classroom Get Enough 'Likes'? Teachers Feel the Social Media Pressure
Teachers active on social media feel the competition to showcase innovative lessons and beautiful decorations.
5 min read
Image of a cellphone on a desk.
iStock/Getty
Teaching Profession New Findings on Teacher Morale Highlight Ways to Make It Better
A new College Board survey on teacher morale echoes some previous findings. But it also highlights opportunities for schools to improve it.
4 min read
A student raises her hand to share her work with her teacher.
A student raises her hand to share her work with her teacher.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed