Educators and other school professionals can be a critical lifeline for grieving children. With the second edition of this bestselling book, school staff will have the practical guidance they need to provide sensitive support to students of all ages and their families.

Author David Schonfeld--a renowned expert on childhood bereavement and school crisis--partners with family therapist Marcia Quackenbush to guide school teams through a child's experience of grief and illuminate the most powerful ways to make a positive difference. Drawing on both empirical research and extensive professional experience, the authors have enhanced this edition with up-to-date information on grief in the context of school crisis and trauma, suicide loss, social media, and other timely topics. School staff will get real-world tips, strategies, vignettes, and activities to help them skillfully support students as they cope with grief and work their way back to full participation in academic and social life.

DISCOVER HOW TO:

• respond constructively to children's common feelings and behaviors after a death
• address the classroom issues that grief may cause
• learn what to say and what not to say when a child is grieving
• offer effective guidance to families who are coping with grief
• provide support to the student body after a death that affects the whole school community
• address children's responses to different causes of death, including suicide, illness, and violence
• use simple commemorative activities at school to help students cope with their feelings
• manage personal feelings that may arise as you work with grieving students

WHAT'S NEW: Expanded online study guide with discussion questions, action steps, and more * Expanded focus on all school personnel, from administrators to support staff * New chapters on suicide loss and providing support in settings outside of K-12 schools * New and expanded information on social media, ambiguous losses, school crisis and trauma, supporting children with disabilities, school policies, line of duty deaths, memorialization, and more * Reflection prompts throughout the book * Insights related to the COVID-19 pandemic * New foreword by Superintendent Robert Runcie of Broward County Public Schools regarding the impact of the shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School

Death and grief will affect the lives of almost all children at some point, often leading to struggles with academic performance, social relationships, and behavior. Teachers can be a critical lifeline for a grieving child--and now they have a practical guidebook to help them provide sensitive support to students of all ages.

Author David Schonfeld is the national go-to expert on childhood bereavement and school crisis --a veteran consultant to school crisis teams, he has trained thousands of professionals in the wake of events such as 9-11 and Hurricane Katrina. Partnering with family therapist Marcia Quackenbush, he guides teachers through a child's experience of grief and loss, illuminates the classroom issues that grieving may trigger, and empowers teachers to undertake the rewarding job of reaching and helping their students. Educators will get the real-world tips, strategies, and insights they need to

• explain the major concepts of death in age-appropriate ways
• respond constructively to children's common feelings and behaviors after a death
• initiate and maintain positive, helpful communication
• learn what to say and what not to say when a child or family is grieving
• use simple commemorative activities at school to help students cope with their feelings
• address children's responses to different causes of death, including suicide, illness, and violence
• help a child who is stuck in a difficult phase of grief
• provide ongoing assistance when triggers of grief renew a child's sense of loss
• notify and support students after a death that affects the whole school community

Throughout the book, powerful vignettes and examples give teachers a vivid inside look at what their students may be feeling and how an educator's words and actions can make a difference. And because teachers may struggle with their own emotions as they help their students, the book shows them how to manage a wide range of feelings, from discomfort with discussing death to personal identification with the child's loss.

With this how-to guide to one of the most delicate issues an educator will encounter, teachers will give students the support they need to cope with grief and work their way back to full participation in academic and social life.

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