The Teacher's Guide for Supporting Students from Military Families (ePub)

While it is true that children from military families live unique and interesting lives, it is also true that they face many challenges and special circumstances that civilian children and families don't experience. These can include gaps in school attendance and learning due to frequent moves, being separated from a parent who has been deployed, and a sense of isolation in the midst of a civilian community. This comprehensive and evidence-informed guide introduces pre- and inservice teachers to this population and provides essential tools to help minimize the impact of military life on student learning.Written in an engaging style by experts in the field, this guide provides strategies and classroom practices to support these students and address issues such as:Frequent transitions between schoolsGaps in academic progressSocial adjustmentParental deploymentsTrauma or tragedyIt shows how practices already being used in your school can be adapted to ease the transition for military students, and it also introduces original strategies, such as:A Hero Wall honoring members of the militaryFriendship or memory gardensMilitary Appreciation eventsWriting letters or making care packages for deployed service membersAll royalties from the sale of these books are being donated to military children's educational causes.Prepublication Reviews:"Military-connected students often pay a high price in their schooling experiences due to the realities of military life. Thus, these guides are invaluable tools for parents, schools, and educator-preparation programs that want to provide rich academic, social, and emotional support to this vulnerable population of children. Preparation programs should consider these guides as key components of their curriculum to prepare incoming teachers, counselors, principals, and others to work effectively with military-connected students."—American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education"I am grateful to the USC Building Capacity team headed by Ron Avi Astor for developing this exceptional resource and attuning it specifically to the needs of both K–12 and higher education professionals who support our nation's military-connected children.The content and accompanying strategies provide practical, experience-based insights that are well-supported by good science. Educators and administrators can be confident in this reliable source."—Mary M.Keller, Ed.D., President and CEO, Military Child Education Coalition"As an adult who spent most of my youth in military-connected schools in Virginia, I know too well what happens when adults in schools did not understand the unique experiences of being from a military family. Thus, as a scholar, educator, and military child, I am thrilled to be able to endorse these guides because they will educate adults about ways to be helpful through evidence-based prevention and intervention."—Dorothy L. Espelage, Ph.D., Professor & University Scholar, Department of Educational Psychology, Child Development Division, University of Illinois