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How to Help Students Overcome Grief through G.R.I.T.
India White • May 26, 2023
Overcoming Grief through G.R.I.T
Helping Students Overcome Grief through G.R.I.T.
Grief is a natural response to loss, and it can be especially difficult for school-aged children to navigate. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 1 in 5 people in the United States experience a mental health condition, and grief can exacerbate these issues. However, cultivating grit can help students overcome grief and build resilience. In this blog, we will explore how to help school-aged students overcome grief by cultivating grit.
First, it is important to understand the impact of grief on children's mental health. According to NAMI, children who experience the loss of a loved one are at a higher risk for depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These mental health conditions can affect a child's academic performance, social relationships, and overall well-being.
To help students overcome grief, it is important to cultivate grit. Grit is defined as "perseverance and passion for long-term goals" (Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews, & Kelly, 2007).
By cultivating grit, students can develop the resilience needed to overcome grief and other challenges.
Here are some ways to cultivate grit in school-aged students:
1. Encourage a growth mindset: Help students understand that their abilities and intelligence can be developed through hard work and dedication. This can help them approach challenges with a positive attitude and a willingness to learn. When students are able to replace “fixed”
ways of thinking with the opportunity to take a risk despite grief, they will be able to overcome emotional and mental hurdles that hold them back from achieving academically in the classroom.
2. Set goals:
Encourage students to set long-term goals and break them down into smaller, achievable steps. This can help them stay motivated and focused on their goals. As students set goals, it helps them prioritize the main goal of success at hand. Further, as they deal with grief, goals help them to respect the time needed to complete tasks while also making them refuse to wallow in isolation,
causing them to think on the past and fall short of completing assignments.
3. Emphasize effort over talent:
Help students understand that success is not just about natural talent, but also about hard work and perseverance. This can help them develop a growth mindset and cultivate grit.
4. Provide opportunities for challenge: Give students opportunities to take on challenging tasks and projects. This can help them develop problem-solving skills and build resilience. As students are able to become actively engaged in their learning, this can take away emotions and mentalities that keep them in a low state of mind as they are battling thoughts of loved ones they recently lost.
5. Foster a sense of community:
Create a supportive and inclusive classroom environment where students feel valued and connected. This can help them feel more resilient and better able to cope with grief and other challenges. Further, this will help them to develop trust with their peers
outside of the classroom and with community leaders and stakeholders.
Conclusion
By cultivating grit in school-aged students, we can help them overcome grief and build resilience. By encouraging a growth mindset, setting goals, emphasizing effort over talent, providing opportunities for challenge, and fostering a sense of community, we can help students develop the resilience needed to overcome grief and other challenges. Choose to hold your students up in a time of grief through implementing these practices and helping them bounce back again through G.R.I.T..
References:
Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., & Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(6), 1087–1101. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.92.6.1087
Join us on the Let's Get Gritty Podcast with Dr. India White. On this show, we will repeat a show from the Grit and Equity talks Podcast with Dr. India White, where we walk through the recently released NAEP data from the National Report Card and speak about moving the needle forward. Listen on Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/india-white3 #grit #equity #naep #drindiawhite #nctm #ncsm #bwxme #math #teachers #students
🌟 Just wrapped up an incredible G.R.I.T. Training session with the amazing leaders from Imagine Schools! 💪✨ We took a deep dive into the G.R.I.T. framework, and I can't wait to see the results unfold! 🚀🙌 #drindiawhite #grit #imagineschools #tedx #nctm #ncsm #bwxme 🎉 (I don’t own music copyright
Check out my Feb. 2025 Newsletter!
Thankful for Partnership and Recognition: A Shoutout to Dr. Matthew Joseph and X-Factor EDU Network I am incredibly thankful to partner with Dr. Matthew Joseph and the amazing leadership of the X-Factor EDU Network! It is truly an honor to collaborate with such a visionary leader who is dedicated to amplifying voices in education and creating spaces for impactful conversations. This month, I was deeply grateful to be mentioned in Dr. Joseph’s newsletter during Black History Month. His recognition means so much, not just for me, but for the work we are all doing to inspire and empower educators and students alike. You can check out the newsletter here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/drmxj_stongertogether-activity-7291502796753809408-0zX3?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAmqD2wBkz8Qc7EA0bvwxWyMJH2HykCUA-Y But beyond the shoutout, I’m even more excited about the opportunities ahead—including the chance to have a podcast on Dr. Joseph’s platform! Partnering with X-Factor EDU Network opens doors to share insights, engage in meaningful discussions, and continue championing grit, resilience, and equity in education. Thank you, Dr. Matthew Joseph, for your support, encouragement, and belief in this mission. Looking forward to what’s to come! 🚀 #StrongerTogether #GRIT #XFactorEDU #BlackHistoryMonth #EducationalLeadership #Thankful
Fired Up for FDLA/FAMTE Keynote: Let’s Build Grit Together! I’m beyond excited to take the stage as the keynote speaker at the FDLA/FAMTE Conference tomorrow! 🎤🔥 We’ll be diving deep into the power of G.R.I.T.—Great Resilience in Time—and how it transforms both educators and students. This opportunity means so much, and I’m grateful to everyone who has supported this journey. Grit isn’t just a concept; it’s a movement. It’s about growth mindset, resilience, self-efficacy, and time management, and it’s what drives success in the classroom and beyond. Let’s empower educators and students across the nation to push past obstacles and embrace productive struggle. Who’s ready to get gritty? 💪🏾 #Grit #DrIndiaWhite #TEDx #FDLA #FAMTE #Education #GrowthMindset
Had an Amazing Time at the Imagine Summit! I had a fantastic time speaking at the Imagine Summit on G.R.I.T.! 🙌🏽 We engaged in powerful breakout sessions, had meaningful discussions about NAEP data, and explored strategies to build **growth mindset, resilience, self-efficacy, and time management** in education. Thank you to everyone who participated and brought such great energy to the conversations! Let’s continue working together to bridge gaps and empower students through grit and perseverance. 💪🏽 #GRIT #ImagineSummit #Resilience #Education #GrowthMindset #EquityInEducation #drindiawhite
Building Grit in Teachers at the Imagine Leadership Summit I am beyond excited to be speaking at the Imagine Leadership Summit today, sharing insights on how we can build grit in teachers and empower them to foster resilience, self-efficacy, and growth in their students. 🌟 This summit is an incredible opportunity to collaborate with principals and education leaders who are committed to supporting and strengthening teachers. When we invest in teacher grit, we build stronger, more effective classrooms where students develop the perseverance to tackle challenges and achieve success. A huge thank you to the Imagine Summit leaders for this amazing opportunity! It’s an honor to be among such an outstanding lineup of speakers, including the incredible Kyle Pearce and Jon Orr. Join our sessions today and take GRIT with you—because when teachers grow in resilience, our students thrive! #GRIT #Teachers #Principals #DrIndiaWhite #NCTM #NCSM #ImagineSummit 😊
🌟 What an incredible time at the ICTM conference in Indiana! The lineup was amazing, and the energy was contagious! 🎉 Since I missed the snow back in Florida, I embraced it fully here and made my very first snow angel! ❄️ So grateful for the fun and gritty spirit of the ICTM rockstars! Huge thanks to Angela and every rockstar for this fantastic opportunity! 💙 #drindiawhite #grit #ictm25 #math #teachers #students #indiana #nctm #ncsm
✨ Today’s Grit training at Stockton Unified was absolutely amazing! We had a fantastic time connecting with friends and meeting some incredible rockstars in California. 🌟 I can’t wait to see how gritty Stockton becomes! Huge thanks to Andrew and the tribe for the opportunity to train your amazing leaders. Let’s all take grit with us as we move forward! 💪 #Grit #Leadership #StocktonUnified #drindiawhite #tedx #nctm #ncsm #nabse
🎊Super excited about this opportunity! Looking forward to connecting with these amazing leaders! 🥰🥳🎉 Please register below and let’s connect so we can bridge the achievement gap together! hashtag#drindiawhite hashtag#ncsm hashtag#grit hashtag#math hashtag#teachers