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 Make sure you have joined the voice conference
 Make sure your computer is not on mute and that your volume is up
 Check your speaker/headphone cords
 Ensure you have a strong internet connection
Educating and nurturing military
children
Major General Robert F. Dees (U.S. Army, retired).
Director of Institute for military resilience
Author, Resilient Nations
Educating and Nurturing military
children
Dr. Kristina DeWitt
Associate Professor
Liberty University, School of Education
Major General Bob Dees, (U.S. Army, Retired).
Liberty University, Institute for Military Resilience
• The Military is a unique culture which affords unique challenges and benefits
to its members
• Military Children often excel at making new friends quickly
• Military Children often have difficulty sustaining long term relationships, to include
conflict resolution
• In light of parental absences and unique military stressors, Military Teens
depend heavily on peers and external agencies (school, youth groups) for
emotional support.
• Even when not deployed, parental absence is high
• Child abuse and suicide rates among military teens are regrettably high
• DODEA – Department of Defense Education Activity
• Local Public or Private Schools
• Standards vary widely
• Home Schooling
• Military Child education standards affect retention
• Critical to “Educate the Educators” regarding military
children
Dr. Kristina DeWitt, Associate Professor
Liberty University, School of Education
• Know that a child is a child first.
• Active duty child has the possibility of moving 6-9 times during K-12
education.
• 80% of military children attend public schools.
• Teacher should understand that deployment impacts every military
child.
• “Deployment” begins with notification, not departure
• PTSD and other military traumas seriously impact many military
families and children.
• A Child may exhibit specific learning behaviors just as other
children, but for different reasons. Anxiety, depression,
externalizing/internalizing behaviors.
• Teacher may see maturity beyond their years.
• A Child’s reaction to military life may experience a decrease
in academic progress or success.
• Teachers - Stay Connected!
• Connect with family prior to deployment.
• Watch for deviations in normal behavior or academic performance.
• Show genuine care and concern.
• Use deployment as a teaching strategy.
• Be flexible!
• Invite service members to visit and share.
• Your role in the school is important in the life of any child.
• Be familiar with calendars, descriptions and homework
assignments.
• Start a “pride club” for military children.
• Maintain open communication with child’s parent, be up to date
on contact list.
• Participate or organize professional development training for
school staff.
• Provide a sense of belonging and consistency in the daily
schedule.
• Keep the lines of communication open about school.
• At any age we as parents can ask open ended questions to
establish dialogue with our child.
• Examples are listed below:
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Ask your child about what interests them at school
“What did you do today that was fun?”
Ask about specific people or events in your child’s life at school
“What do your friends think about the new teacher?”
Ask your child what bugs them about school (Everyone likes to
complain, so if your child is in a bad mood, ask what’s wrong. Allow
them to share uninterrupted – then you might ask
• “Was there anything really hard for you?” “Was your teacher annoying
again”
• Make comments on your child’s schoolwork.
• “Can you explain photosynthesis to me” “That is a cool picture
of a gray squirrel. What does he use that bushy tail for?”
• Enjoy the Adventure – Bloom where God plants you
• Foreign Cultures, Travel, Unique Experiences
• Creative Communication
• Healthy Peer Groups and Support Organizations
• Meaningful Memories and Traditions
• Moving: Melody or Madness
• Dependence on God
• Liberty University Online Academy (LUOA) www.liberty.edu/onlineacademy
• Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) www.militarychild.org
• Military Community Youth Ministries (MCYM) www.clubbeyond.org
• Military Family Research Institute (Purdue University) www.mfri.purdue.edu
• National Center for Telehealth & Technology (T2) www.militarykidsconnect.org
• RezLife (Resilience for Military Teens) http://rezlife.americanbible.org
Join us for our upcoming
webinar
Honor to whom Honor is due
NOVEMBER 12th | 8PM EST
www.liberty.edu/instructionalmedia
Instructionalmedia@liberty.edu