Grief and Loss: Perspectives for School Personnel

Discussing death, grief and loss is difficult, however, the impact of loss on students makes dealing with bereavement and grief unavoidable for teachers. To best prepare for helping students, school personnel need to deal with their own feelings about these issues first. Becoming familiar with children's perceptions of death, the stages and expressions of grief, and effective coping strategies will further enhance the support provided by school personnel to grieving students. This paper reviews the literature on grief and loss in order to provide a background from which school personnel may draw in their preparation for assisting students experiencing such circumstances. Clarification of commonly used terms is provided and the nature of grief and loss is explored. Implications for parents, teachers, counsellors and school systems are outlined and a brief overview of recommended strategies is presented.