Teaching Those Who’ve Served;
Student Veterans in the Classroom
Laura Carruth
Director, Center for Instructional Effectiveness
Special Guest
Mark Eister
Director, Military Outreach Center
GSU and Georgia Perimeter College
The information on these slides comes from a variety of
sources including the Bergen Community College website, and
the Green Zone training manual by Mark Eister
Veterans are a diverse group with diverse
experiences and needs:
• They may experience:
– A continuum of exposure that can include
• Physical and/or Emotional trauma
– Intense exposure to little or exposure
• Responses and needs will vary
Positive Benefits of Veterans on Campus
•
Focus
– Older students who benefit from real world experience
– Education funded by GI Bill, so may not have to balance work
and school
•
Leadership
– Many veterans bring leadership skills to the campus community
•
Experience
– Many veterans have successfully navigated stressful situations
Combat Stressors Faced by Afghanistan
and Iraq War Veterans
Afghanistan
•
•
•
•
•
84% received rocket or mortar
fire
66% were shot at
58% were attacked or ambushed
43% knew someone that was
killed or seriously injured
39% saw dead bodies
Iraq
•
•
•
•
•
89% received rocket or mortar
fire
95% were shot at
92% were attacked or ambushed
87% knew someone that was
killed or seriously injured
95% saw dead bodies
Source: United States Department of Veterans Affairs, 2011
Re-establishing the “New Normal” for Some Veterans
•
•
•
Home issues
– Divorce rate
– Homelessness
Isolation
– Depression
– Anxiety
Injuries
– Traumatic Brain Injury (bombs not bullets) TBI
– Traumatic Brain Injury (TBIm) – mild brain injury
– Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
– Loss of limbs or other physical injuries
Differences between military and college
• Military:
– Structured, time demands, not-flexible
– Ready for action, well-equipped at a moment’s notice
– Living day to day (syllabus)
• College:
– Less structured, varied background knowledge, random
class schedules (each each semester is different)
– As a civilian it can be hard to plan and adjust – living a
semester at a time (overwhelming)
– Too much info can be overwhelming (syllabus)
Issues for Some Student-Veterans
• Hierarchy – rules and structure
– College classes may be more discussion or opinion
based rather than hierarchical
– Rules and hierarchy are important– may be disconcerting
for some students if professor moves off of syllabus
• Ideology
– Success is only outcome. Failure is not an option.
– What happens with “fail” experiences in class?
• Classroom sounds/Fire alarms
Issues for Some Student-Veterans
• Seating
– Prefer back of room/ near door
• Groups
– Reluctant to work with other students that are non
military or are less engaged
• Walking through halls
– Smells, music, large groups of people
• Peers
– Curious about military experience
What is PTSD?
• PTSD as a collection of symptoms that may occur after
someone “witnesses, experiences, or is confronted with an
event that involves actual or threatened death or serious
injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of oneself or
others” (American Psychological Association [APA], 2000).
•
The person’s response involves “fear, helplessness, or
horror” (APA, 2000).
How Common is PTSD Among Veterans?
•
•
•
Occurs in about 11% of Afghanistan War Veterans
and 20% of Iraq War Veterans (United States
Department of Veterans Affairs, 2012).
Higher prevalence in Iraq War Veterans
Suicide rate averages about 1 per day—highest rate
since Sept. 11 event (Pentagon, 2012)
Symptoms of PTSD
•
Recurrent flashbacks of the event, may be accompanied by
physical symptoms (racing heartbeat, sweating)
•
•
Uncontrollable and frightening thoughts
Avoidance of places and things that are reminders of the
event
•
•
•
•
Hyper-vigilance (feelings of tension, being “on-guard”)
Exaggerated startle response
Detachment, estrangement from others
Emotional numbness
Symptoms of PTSD
• Sleep disturbances
• Irritability, anger outbursts
• Often accompanied by depression, anxiety, or
substance abuse disorders
• Can be linked to traumatic brain injury (TBI),
symptoms may overlap
Academic Impacts
•
•
•
•
Difficulty concentrating
Information processing difficulties
Learning and memory deficits
Impairments in executive functioning
(e.g., problem solving, planning,
insight/awareness)
Strategies for Accommodating Veterans
with PTSD in the Classroom
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Extra time on timed exams/quizzes
Consideration of extra time on individual assignments/homework
Permission to use a tape recorder during class lectures
Refer to tutoring resources on campus
Considerations in attendance or make-up work policies in the
event of a medical episode or doctor’s appointment
Remind class of upcoming assignments, due dates
Seating considerations
Allow breaks as needed during class
Allow student to stand in back of room—this is usual military
behavior when tired
Best Practices
• Green Zone Training
• Faculty
– Respect the individual’s rights not to disclose or
discuss their experiences. DO NOT IDENTIFY
VETERANS.
– Be aware of own political views
– Separate war from warrior
– Respect need for camaraderie
– Group projects may be problematic
– States on syllabus
How GSU is helping veterans
• Working to establish connections between veterans and
teaching faculty
• Targeted academic advising
• Priority Registration (after 1st semester)
• Counselors