Understanding the Needs of Students From Military Families
Edutopia/Maurice J. Elias/May 11, 2016
Key Points-This is a population of students that we don’t hear
much about in terms of how to create an environment that is conducive to their
access to education. The article identifies resilience in military children in
their strong sense of purpose, capacity to socialize, knowledge of different
cultures, and an intergenerational commitment to character, service and a
devotion to something beyond themselves. While each child may differ in how
these strengths are displayed, these are assets they bring to the classroom.
Relevance- This article caught my eye as my niece and nephew and
their daughter left for a deployment in Italy last week. It brought back
memories of my childhood which was located by a few military bases in Hawaii. I
had friends that had moved every 2-4 years and, while planning for short term
friendships, were either very shy or adept at making new friends. This article
is important because this special population of students have much to offer a
classroom and school community. It is only by recognizing who they are, welcoming
them, and encouraging them in their resilience in order that they will be able to thrive
socially and academically.
Susan,
ReplyDeleteAs a son of a former National Guard Master Sergeant I absolutely resonated with this article. Growing up, my father was often deployed for months at a time and I never really thought about how it impacted me personally. Thankfully, my father was never re-stationed in the country and I got to experience my k-12 schooling in the same city. For those students who move cities and schools during critical points in their education provide unique challenges and opportunities for the classrooms. Like all students, military family students need our support and attention. Making sure to keep war based opinions private is critical so that students do not feel judged. Personally that was the hardest aspect of growing up as a military child because hearing a teacher or student say the war was meaningless and pointless hurt my pride in my family. Great article and it does bring light to a population of students that many educators might not consider.
This is an important topic, as I think most would agree. My sister was married to a Navy officer for 10 years and they had four children. As I would travel around the country and visit them in Georgia, Mississippi, Florida, etc., I thought about how those poor kids managed, bouncing all over. Their needs are profound. They struggle to make new freinds every few months, and adjust to new environments. And they are the needs that a lot of times get overlooked because they are not Special Ed, TAG, etc. In base locations, I think they should have services for these kids and programs, and they may - I am just not aware of them.
ReplyDelete