Happy Memorial Day! We get an extra day off to remember those who served and gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country and all of us. I thought this would be a good time to take the opportunity to think about the military students and families I have worked with over the years and what I have learned over that time.

For four years I had the privilege of working with military families and their children because the school I taught at served many. The needs of a military student are similar to the needs of any other student, but, also, different. So, here are my top 5 tips for when you have students in your class with a parent or parents who are currently serving in the miltary.

Tip 1:

Focus on building relationships. That is important in any classroom, but especially so, when working with miltary students and their families. In fact, I recently heard from a parent, whose spouse had been in the military, that many schools on military bases say they treat their students as their own children, but it isn’t felt in the atmosphere of the school. She loved my current school because she could feel the love. That was powerful to me and made me proud to be a part of the faculty at my school.

For students with parents in the miltary, the relationship with their teacher is very important. Oftentimes, at least one parent is not at home with the student and it can make things a little easier for that student knowing they have you at school for stability and support. It doesn’t matter how long the student will be in your class or at your school, take the time to get to know the student and build that relationship. It matters not only to the student, but their family as well.

Tip 2:

Social-emotional learning is important. Again, this is something all students need, but for military students this can be a game-changer. I know social-emotional learning is sometimes put on the back burner, but it needs to be a fully integrated part of the curriculum in a classroom. Military students have more stress than some other students and will have more of a need for strategies of how to recognize and handle that stress. They will, also, have feelings that many of us have not experienced as children. These students need to know the names for these feelings and different ways in which they can share them. There are several wonderful social-emotional curriculums out there to teach these skills and strategies. Check out my post on that here.

Tip 3:

Recognize that students with parents in the military serve, too. And they don’t have a choice. When their parent is in the miltary, they essentially are as well. They move wherever their parent is stationed and have to sometimes live without a parent for a period of time or, hopefully not, even lose a parent. These students can be recognized and celebrated during the month of the military child in April or during any time of the year. Check out this website for ideas: https://www.militarychild.org/MOMC_Toolkit

Tip 4:

Also, remember military students are first and foremost kids. Most of the time, you can teach a military student just like you do any other typical student. You don’t have to do anything different. Use all the amazing strategies, tools, and knowledge you have! Take time for fun, too. See this post about fun in the classroom.

Tip 5:

Reach out for help if you need it. Sometimes the military student in your class may need more help than you are qualified to give. Recognize this and reach out to the proper person for ways in which you can support this student. A good place to start is a school counselor, or military liaison (if your school has this service). Make sure you include the parents in your concerns for their child, so everyone can work together for the benefit of the child.

In Closing:

So there you have it. My top 5 tips for working with military students. Please comment below with any tips you think should be added to the list.

Getting to work with students whose parents are in the military can be challenging at times, but is extremely rewarding. Teaching is rewarding in itself, but being a part of educating a child whose parent is in the military just feels a little different, like you’re a part of something bigger that supports and serves the country you live in!