Brittany is the creator of Grief-Responsive Teaching, a pedagogical and interpersonal approach to teaching and learning that integrates science and stories of grief into actionable classroom practices that support students’ and teachers’ wellbeing in times of loss.

Because grief impacts the brain, body, and behavior— and, by extension, teaching and learning— grief-responsive teaching seeks to support and empower the whole person, socially, emotionally, culturally, and academically. In addition to publishing Learning from Loss (Heinemann Press/Houghton Mifflin), which offers guidance for grief-responsive teaching in K-12 schools, Brittany supports educators, school-based mental health professionals, and youth development advocates through professional learning workshops, speaking engagements, 1-1 consultations, and the Grief-Responsive Teaching Instagram account (@griefresponsiveteaching). To inquire about workshops, contact Brittany here. See below for a sampling of previous workshops and talks.

• “Three Texts to Support Your Grief-Responsive Teaching: An Introductory Writing Workshop,” School Crisis Recovery & Renewal, National Child Traumatic Stress Network.

• “Unlearning the Hush: How to Maximize Cultural Competence and Grief-Responsive Teaching Through Intentional Lesson Planning,” National Council for the Social Studies JEDI Conference, co-facilitated with Dr. Marlee Bunch.

• “A Grief-Responsive Approach to Back to School,” Burrell Community Mental Health, Be Well Table Talk Series, featured speaker.

• “Learning through Loss: A Writer’s Workshop for Educators,” School Crisis Recovery & Renewal, a National Child Traumatic Stress Network site.

• “Supporting Youth & Ourselves in Times of Loss,” 5th Annual Southern Nevada Summit on Children’s Mental Health, Clark County Children’s Mental Health Consortium. Featured speaker.

• “Becoming Grief-Responsive Practitioners,” Zionsville Community Schools.

• “Grief-Responsive Teaching: An Entry Point,” Windows, Mirrors, and Lenses Symposium, Race Project Kansas City, Johnson County Library Foundation.

• “An Introduction to Grief-Responsive Teaching,” School Crisis Recovery and Renewal (a National Child Traumatic Stress Network Site), workshop presentation followed by three-month book club with interactive debriefing sessions. 

• “Responding to Grief and Loss in Afterschool Programs,” How Kids Learn Foundation and Temescal Associates. Featured speaker.

• “A Grief-Responsive, Anti-Racist Approach to Supporting Students’ and Teachers’ Wellbeing in the Literacy Classroom,” Public Education & Business Coalition (PEBC) and Literacy Consultants’ Coalition (LCC) Conference, Teaching Literacy in Times of Reflection, Resistance, and Resilience, co-presented with Marlee Bunch.

• “Supporting Our Students and Ourselves in Times of Loss,” New York University, Metro Learning Centers.

• “Supporting Grieving Students in the ELA Classroom,” Best Practices in the Teaching of Writing Conference, Western Massachusetts Writing Project.