Affiliation:
1. University of Connecticut, USA
Abstract
The central aim of teacher education is to prepare pre-service teachers for the classroom. This includes a variety of courses and experiences supporting their developing understanding of learning theory and pedagogy. However, too often, teacher education does not fully prepare future teachers for the complex conversations that they must navigate in their classrooms. This is particularly true where topics such as school violence, grief and loss are concerned. But these difficult conversations are part of the reality of teaching. As of 2023 only five states have not had a death caused by a school shooting. Further it is estimated that 7 out of 10 teachers currently have a student processing grief in their classroom. Pre-service teachers need guidance and training to navigate these conversations. This chapter offers a series of principles that guide teacher educators to consider how to address school violence, loss, and grief in teacher education.