Going back to school can be both exciting and also scary for kids as they acclimate themselves to new classmates, teachers, and routines. However for some of the students that will sitting in our classrooms when school resumes, the "scariness" of back to school is compounded by the fact that least one of their parents is not with them to help deal with the transition. This fall thousands of children from military families will be returning to school wondering when their mom or dad will return.
As an educator, it is important to know how we can help make that transition easier for the children of our military families. The above resource offers information designed to help educators understand military lingo, provides resources for both the teacher as well as books to use to help classmates understand what is happening, and countless activities designed to help our military children adjust to school at a time that is already extremely stressful.
During the various phases of the deployment cycle, students may be experiencing a variety of emotions and behaviors. It is important for educators to create open channels of communication with family members, remembering that ALL members of the family are experiencing challenges during this time of instability. The needs of the family will vary depending on existing support systems, (See guide for suggested resources) however if the teacher and school actively engage military family members, then they can work together to ensure that the children are receiving the support that they need in order to be successful.
When a child comes into our classrooms experience hardship or challenges it is up to us to ensure that they receive the support that they need to be successful. When the children are the children of the brave men and woman serving our country in the armed forces, we each have a greater responsibility to take care of these kids... they are, after all, the children of heroes!
This blog is dedicated to the men and woman serving on the USS George H.W. Bush:
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