Teacher Checklist to Welcome New MilKids

Sep 1, 2016
3 min read

Woohoo!

School has started and you have a whole new batch of eager students to teach and learn from!

Chances are, no matter where you are, there will be a military connected child in your classroom this year. This child might have a parent on active duty, in the reserves or National Guard, or might even be helping to care for parent who was wounded in military service.

All these MilKids need a little extra help from you, the teacher, this year.

And we have a few suggestions about how YOU can help!

Collect the info

Use my exclusive MilKids All About You back to school printable to find out more about your military students. It’s totally FREE and asks the questions that teachers NEED to know on day one.

It’s super simple: just print off a few copies of the printable and leave it out at your Open House or Back to School night. Ask military families to please pick up a packet, complete it, and return it ASAP.

Done.

One of the MOST important things teachers can do for MilKids: be flexible

Military life is crazy: moving every few years, repeated deployments, frequent absences, unexpected injuries, and a whole lot of life changes. All before a kid reaches adulthood.

So, please, be understanding if a child has a few gaps in knowledge and take the time to reteach skills. Ask kindly if work is often late; that child might be caring for a critically wounded veteran or shouldering extra duties during deployment. Help make a shy child feel loved; that child might have moved thousands of miles from every person she has ever known.

Extra Help

Many kids come into new schools with gaps, even if both schools use Common Core. Use your beginning of the year assessments to help identify those concerns, bring them up to the child’ parents, and create a plan together to address these issues.

It might be that the student is enrolled in Khan Academy and works on specific tasks nightly. Or it might be that a tutor is hired to reteach things. Maybe mom or dad feels confident tackling some topics. Or you could provide some materials to help out at home.

If you notice an academic weakness, NOW is the time to correct it. Hit it head on, eyes open, as a team.

Emotional Supports

Military kids are dealing with a lot: moving, new friends, new school, deployments, injured parents, and extra responsibilities. So let’s help them out at school!

Find out a child’s interests, and help guide her toward a team or club in that area. She might make some new friends more quickly!

Set aside time for military students under stress to talk to the school counselor.

Work with your administration team to create a military specific support group. Kids need a safe space to talk about their concerns, just like adults do.

Or just be there when your MilKids needs a minute, a pat on the back, or a cheering squad.

Check in frequently

Military lives change in seconds. One day, mom is scheduled to be home for six months and the next she is slated for an eight month deployment overseas.

Make it your practice to check in frequently with your MilKids families.

Ask these questions:

How are you feeling about this school year?
Do you have academic or social concerns for your child?
Is there anything I can do right now to help support your child through a military related change?
Is there anything I need to know about in terms of military related events coming up?

Sometimes, just being asked if they need help will make a family feel stronger and more willing to reach for those supports.

Ask the Experts

Ask your MilKids to teach the class something they know or share something they love. It might be that they lived close to a place you are studying, or that they have experienced a science topic in real life, or love Algebra. Just ask!

Include their military experiences in the classroom. Invite military parents in for Veteran’s Day. Read books about military experiences and highlight the service and sacrifice of our troops.

How do you help the MilKids in your classroom or community?

Ask your MilKids to teach the class something they know or share something they love. It might be that they lived close to a place you are studying, or that they have experienced a science topic in real life, or love Algebra. Just ask!

Include their military experiences in the classroom. Invite military parents in for Veteran’s Day. Read books about military experiences and highlight the service and sacrifice of our troops.

Meg Flanagan M.Ed and K.O.A.H. Military Education Specialist

I'm a teacher, blogger, writer, runner, mother, and military spouse. I am passionate about helping ALL children learn, offering tips to guide parents through the K-12 education world, and providing useful advice to teachers of all ages and stages.