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As an educator or school professional who already supports military-connected students, you are likely aware of the incredible strengths and unique challenges these resilient learners bring to your school. You know how to identify the signs of deployment stress, and you understand the nuances of military culture. But do your colleagues?

Professional learning is one of the most powerful tools educators have for improving student outcomes, yet the distinct lived experiences of military-connected students are frequently overlooked by the general school staff (Ohye et al., 2016). Because you are already familiar with this special group of students, you are well-positioned to serve as a bridge. By sharing basic information about military-connected students, their families, and their unique situations with your fellow teachers, administrators, and support staff, you can help ensure your entire school is responsive to the needs of military families.

Here are a few core concepts you can discuss with your colleagues to help them expand their awareness and close the knowledge gap:

1. Address the “Invisibility Crisis”

A common misconception among civilian educators is that military-connected awareness is relevant only to schools located inside or just outside the gates of a military installation (De Pedro et al., 2014). You can help dispel this myth by reminding your peers that military-connected children live in nearly every zip code across the country, and many are embedded entirely within civilian communities (Wilmoth & Knight, 2025). Because their affiliation does not come with a visible uniform, these students are often unnoticed and experience an “invisibility crisis,” leading to their specific needs being unrecognized and unmet (Military Child Education Coalition & National Child Traumatic Stress Network [MCEC & NCTSN], 2025). Encourage your school’s leadership to proactively utilize the Military Student Identifier (MSI) during enrollment. If you don’t know who your military-connected students are, you cannot adequately support them (De Pedro et al., 2014).

2. Provide Context for Misunderstood Behaviors

When classroom teachers fail to recognize this specific student population, they will not see, or they misunderstand, common military-related stressors, such as frequent geographic relocations and parental deployments (De Pedro et al., 2018). Without context, an educator could incorrectly attribute a student’s behavioral and emotional changes, associated with common military-connected transitions and/or situations, to a lack of motivation, a bad attitude, or defiance (De Pedro et al., 2014). For instance, a student adjusting to a recent move may appear withdrawn, while a child experiencing a parent’s deployment may show increased anxiety or display difficulty concentrating (MCEC & NCTSN, 2025). When you help other educators understand the context behind these behaviors, you equip your colleagues to respond with empathy, consistency, and support rather than punitive discipline (De Pedro et al., 2018).

3. Shift to a Strengths-Based Perspective

Encourage your colleagues to move away from a “deficit model” when viewing military-connected youth. Share with them that these students are often highly adaptive and globally minded and are frequently referred to as “Third Culture Kids” because of their exposure to a variety of environments and educational systems (Wilmoth & Knight, 2025). Military-connected students often possess deep empathy, maturity, and a profound sense of loyalty and service (MCEC & NCTSN, 2025). When your fellow teachers learn to recognize and leverage these norms and “islands of competence,” they can empower their military-connected students to emerge as leaders in the classroom.

4. Explain the Nuances of the Deployment Cycle

While most individuals realize that a parent leaving for a combat or training assignment can cause stress for all family members, many people, including educators, fail to realize that the stress doesn’t end when the parent comes home. Explain to or remind your colleagues that the reintegration phase can be just as turbulent as the deployment phase, as families must renegotiate roles, rules, and routines (Esposito-Smythers et al., 2011). Furthermore, explain the concept of “parentification.” This occurs when adolescents take on adult responsibilities and emotional burdens to support the non-deployed caregiver at home (Sullivan et al., 2023). Helping your peers anticipate these shifts will enable the entire school to implement crucial strategies that can be used to increase student well-being, such as predictable routines and effective school-home communication.

5. Bring Awareness to Invisible Wounds and Grief

Ensure your colleagues understand that some military families are navigating complex situations because of their service, including physical injuries, traumatic brain injuries, chronic stress, or psychological impacts like post-traumatic stress disorder (MCEC & NCTSN, 2025). Educators who understand these possibilities are better prepared to respond sensitively to students coping with uncertainty, caregiver stress, and grief. This shared awareness empowers your school’s Multi-Tiered Systems of Support teams to recognize signs of distress early and connect families with appropriate wrap-around community resources (MCEC & NCTSN, 2025).

6. Recognize Their Heterogeneity

While they share common military-related experiences, military-connected students are different, just as each student is different. Families exhibit considerable heterogeneity in how they respond to military life. In fact, some families face significant risk factors and are able to thrive because they possess robust protective factors, strong family cohesion, and excellent support networks that buffer against stress (Sullivan et al., 2021). Other families struggle due to various circumstances, such as emotional destabilization or chronic anxiety. Because of this variability, educators should never stereotype these students (Sullivan et al., 2021). Colleagues should be encouraged to treat each military-connected student as an individual with unique needs, strengths, and personal experiences.

Sharing Knowledge to Build Capacity

As someone familiar with military-connected students, your understanding is a valuable resource for your school environment. By sharing the foundational concepts discussed above with your fellow teachers and staff, you contribute to a more informed and responsive school climate. When the entire school team shares a common understanding of the distinct experiences, challenges, and strengths of military-connected youth, the school community will likely be better equipped to create an environment where every student is understood and positioned to succeed.