"I Keep it Together at Work but Fall Apart at Home": The Experience of Israeli Homeroom Teachers Coping With the Death of a Student in their Class.

This qualitative study examines the experiences of 16 Israeli high school homeroom teachers coping with the death of a student from their class. We used in-depth, semistructured, face-to-face interviews. Analysis of the findings revealed three key themes: (a) After their initial sense of shock and pain upon learning of the death of one of their students, the homeroom teachers were immediately asked to convey the bad news to their class. (b) The teachers experienced profound grief, had difficulty dealing with the student's absence, and invested resources in preserving the student's memory through various activities. (c) The teachers claimed that the experience affected their personal lives and stated that memories of it continued to surface long afterwards. Some found it difficult to function and even chose to leave the profession. The discussion raises the need for early assessment and planning in schools to address loss-related issues and provide support for teachers.