Military-connected students possess unique strengths such as resilience, adaptability, and global awareness, but they may also face unique stressors that can affect their academic performance, behavior, and emotional well-being. Military-connected students do not attend only military schools, as Service member parents may commute to work from nearby communities, or students may stay with extended family in different locations while their parents are deployed. School counselors often serve as a bridge between teachers and families. They can serve as consultants and help guide teachers as they select practices that effectively address the unique needs of military-connected students and all students. In addition, counselors can use their roles to support military-connected students, buffer them from stressors, and foster stability and connection.
Understanding the Military-Connected Student Experience
School counselors should briefly study and learn about the military way of life and the transitions that military families often experience. Furthermore, counselors may find that understanding the meanings of common military terms is helpful. Military-connected students experience frequent moves, parental deployments, reintegration after a parent returns home, and shifting family roles, and these events can influence students’ sense of safety, focus, and emotional regulation. When counselors understand these unique stressors, they can be better prepared to recognize when a student’s behavior or mood may be affected by a recent transition or event and not label a decline in skill acquisition or academic interest as skill regression, defiance, or disengagement. Learning about potential support systems can also help counselors communicate more effectively with families and connect them to appropriate resources, such as School Liaisons, who are available on base but can offer assistance to students living anywhere. When counselors build their military-connected knowledge, they are better equipped to understand the experiences of military-connected students, identify appropriate supports to help them, and deliver effective interventions during high-stress periods.
Partnering with Teachers to Strengthen Classroom Supports
School counselors can also help support military-connected students by strengthening Tier 1 services. Military-connected students are more likely to experience frequent geographic transitions, which may require them to adapt to multiple school environments and may limit their ability to build long, supportive, responsive relationships with school adults. Adapting to new systems can be stressful for students, and when students move frequently and do not have a long informal educational record, these individuals, who could benefit from additional supports, may not reside in one location long enough to be recognized as needing specific assistance. School counselors can help address these issues by strengthening supports for all students and by adopting the approach that military-connected students may benefit from less “wait-and-see” time. For example, teachers and support staff sometimes prefer to wait and see how students respond to Tier 1 interventions or other supports to collect data or reduce the number of students elevated to Tier 2. Depending on their mobility, military-connected students may have already endured wait time and would likely benefit from interventions being initiated quickly.
Counselors frequently serve as consultants to teachers on topics such as emotional and behavioral interventions and classroom-management strategies. Military-connected students often benefit from the same strong Tier 1 supports that help all students thrive: predictable routines, clear expectations, and positive relationships. Moreover, counselors can guide teachers in their use of strategies that foster positive classroom environments, such as greeting students at the door, providing structured opportunities for peer connection, and using specific praise. Counselors can also help teachers evaluate function-based strategies and implement simple interventions that can be used to address behavioral and emotional concerns. By helping teachers feel supported and confident in their ability to provide excellent instruction, counselors can improve the environment and opportunities for all students, including military-connected students.
You, an educational professional, may be interested in learning more about the military way of life or sharing some trainings with colleagues who want to understand the military culture or learn about other strategies. If you’re interested in helping teachers develop classroom management and other supportive practices for all students, the School Resources website is a great place to start. Each training focuses on one micro-skill, takes only 15 minutes to complete, and provides a certificate of completion.