Losing a loved one is never easy—and that’s especially true for students who lose a close friend or family member. And yet a 2012 survey by AFT and New York Life Foundation in 2012 found that 7 in 10 teachers have a grieving student in their classroom—but only 7% of teachers reported that they had ever received bereavement training. Julie Petersen, a school counselor at Parkview Elementary in Chippewa Falls and a member of AFT local 1907, is part of a group of AFT members working to change that across the country. This summer, Julie participated in a two-day AFT workshop titled “Supporting Grieving Students,” in which Julie and other attendees learned about research-based best practices for providing active support for students who are dealing with loss.
According to Julie, an essential part of the training was a focus on the need to share these practices widely—not just among school counselors and school psychologists, but among educators of all kinds. “Students need to be supported throughout the school day when they are confronted with grief and loss,” said Julie. As part of their commitment to promoting grief-sensitive schools, Julie and other AFT members will be providing trainings in their districts and beyond that will help school staff learn how best to support students through times of loss. “Both students and staff are confronted with grief and loss on a daily basis,” Julie said. “The training I’ll be sharing will give school staff information and techniques to help them help our students through these hard times.”