Grief and Loss in the Primary School Classroom - A Practical Guide for Teachers

An overview of grief and loss in relation to the developmental stages of children will be given as a means of introducing this topic.

Emphasis will be given to the importance of teacher self-care during times of loss in the classroom, including ways to become aware of personal triggers. Insight into how children may present if a loved one is ill, dying or has died will then be discussed using real-life examples. The impact on learning and an understanding of the neurobiological changes that take place in times of distress will be outlined. Best practices for communication with parents, the child, the class and the school community will then be presented. This includes addressing the common questions teachers have such as ''should I mention it to the child?", "Should I/ when should I tell the class?", "What do I say when they come back to school?", "Should I contact the parents?", "What do I do if the child becomes emotional?".

Practical tools to help children with the range of emotions they may experience will be presented. This will be broken down into the areas of the whole school and classroom teacher/ support teacher's roles.

Opportunities for questions and answers will be provided. Finally, a list of further resources for teachers will be given.

Learning Outcomes:

Participants will gain an understanding of the theory around childhood grief and loss. 

Participants will learn about grief and loss presentation in the classroom.

Participants will learn best practices for supporting children and families with grief and loss in school.

Date/Time: Tuesday, 13th June from 7 p.m. to 8.30 p.m.

Facilitated by: Hayley Rice.