Advocacy, communication, and partnership are all terms often used early in a military-connected student’s transition to a new campus. Shifts in learning platforms to e-learning, hybrid learning, and social distancing have challenged schools and families to become creative in how they build, operate, and strengthen student-advocacy teams.

For many military-connected families, the pandemic-induced school experience, now spanning three academic school years, has created a negative academic and social-emotional impact on students and their learning experience. Any military-connected student who has faced a move to a new school during this timeframe feels the impacts of their traditional Season of Leaving and Season of Arriving as well as the added challenges of transitioning amid a pandemic.

Strong student-advocacy teams recognize this unique challenge for our military-connected student population.

Build the Advocacy Team

The first step in building an advocacy team in or out of a pandemic situation is to recognize who should be part of the team. A traditional student-advocacy team is built by the classroom teacher and parent, together with the student when appropriate. A strong communication strategy is critical between the classroom teacher and parent. Conversations should center around classwork and homework expectations as well as deeper discussions of how the student is adjusting to the school, classmates, and the pandemic learning environment.

Take extra care to recognize that a student transitioning to a new school during the pandemic may experience increased gaps and overlaps of student learning. But, just as important as academics, the student-advocacy team needs to pay special attention to focus on student needs and open the conversation around the emotional and mental health status of the student.

Invite the School Counselor

These discussions bring opportunities to assess whether a military-connected student is struggling to adjust or beginning to thrive on campus. If a student is struggling, it is time to invite others to the advocacy team. The school counselor is a great campus resource for both academic and emotional support. A counselor can work alongside the teacher and parent to help develop a multi-step plan to support the student. Often, school counselors have access to added resources like tutoring and emotional support strategies.

Consider MFLC Support

Many schools and districts also have access to Military Family Life Counselors (MFLC). An MFLC can become part of the student-advocacy team. With parental permission, MFLC can support military-connected students as they deal with everyday stressors such as communication, family dynamics, grief or loss, deployment, reintegration, relocation, and relationships. Even when a MFLC is not assigned to a particular school or district, families have access to MFLC support by calling their installation military and family support center or MilitaryOneSource.

Military Family Liaison

Some military-connected school districts now have on staff family liaisons for military-connected youth. While these liaisons do not work directly with students, they are often available to partner with parents and families who are new to the school. The liaisons help families understand a school’s culture, policies, procedures, and practices. Often, they can help the family make connections to resources within the greater community to help a student acclimate to the area.

Tutor.com for Military Students

When making plans to support students with academic struggles, the first step is to work directly with the teacher and then look to tutoring and homework help offered through the school. Often students do not realize they need help on individual assignments until they are home. In these cases, a free membership to Tutor.com allows military-connected students access to tutor help around the clock. Tutor.com offers personalized help in more than 100 subjects for grades K-12 and college students.

Student-Focused Reminders 

• Keep the student at the center of conversations
• Focus conversations on specific supports for the military-connected student
• Ensure everyone agrees to the level and type of support offered by the school and obtain parental permissions as required
• Include the student in the decision-making process
• Be creative in communication techniques (e.g., a mix of in-person, phone, email, video conferencing)
• Set a plan to connect at regular times to check progress

Times are challenging for students, parents, and teachers alike. A strong student-advocacy team ensures all key roles work together to provide the best possible support for student success.

Amanda Trimillos, EdD, is a military spouse, mother, and National Board-Certified teacher with extensive experience teaching military students in the United States and overseas. She is coauthor of Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers and wrote the essay “School Choices and Changes” in  Stories Around the Table: Laugher, Wisdom, and Strength in Military Life.

More about advocacy teams and supporting students in pandemic circumstances and transitions:

• First Parent-Teacher Conference at a New School
• Bringing School Home: Focus on the Possibilities
• Start Early for a Strong Student-Advocacy Team

The post Building Sustaining Advocacy Teams in Challenging Times appeared first on Seasons of My Military Student.

Parent-teacher conferences are essential checkpoints for military students attending a new school. Parent-teacher conferences are the speed bump during the Seasons of Transition ™, an event in which parents and teachers can align their expectations. This usually takes place six weeks after the start of school. And in the cycle of school transition, a student should be progressing through the Season of Arriving and ready to get to work in the Season of Growing.

The first parent-teacher conference is a good time to intentionally assess the student’s initial class placement, academic work, and social adjustment.

Tips for Approaching the First Conference at a New School

• The first rule of thumb is to listen more and talk less. Or sometimes a parent should sit on their hands when the teacher is explaining a student’s progress. It’s important to let the teacher do their job and for parents to listen to someone who sees the child as their student, not just their child. Children may behave differently at home than in a classroom around other adults and children. It’s a different window, a different view of the student, and it can be an eye-opening experience.
• Bring the student’s Education Binder to the conference. Ideally, if the student is new to the school, the Education Binder should be given to the teacher before the conference. Allow the teacher some time to review it. The binder is one of the tools parents can use to better document their student’s education history. It allows informal continuity between schools and should tell a student’s education story. It’s not just about grades, but an overview of the child’s previous years in school. With most military-connected students, attending six to nine different schools is common. The Education Binder allows educators to have a better understanding of their new students and the unique, but sometimes challenging aspects of the highly mobile lifestyle.
• Bring the student to the conference, if age-appropriate, and come prepared to ask questions or address any concerns they might have. It’s a good idea for students to write their questions down on an index card in advance so nerves can’t derail the inquiries.
• Share the family PCS story with the teacher. During the Parent-Teacher Conference is the right time to explain the challenges or struggles the student faced during the recent move. If parents have concerns with the student’s adjustment, especially the social and emotional aspects of a new school, this is the perfect time to talk about that. Teachers want to help any student who may not be thriving yet. It’s also a good time to address a past or upcoming deployment, living in temporary housing, or additional challenges at home.

Bring your patience … It’s been hard on military-connected students, their parents, and the educators who teach them.

• Bring your patience. The profound effect the pandemic has had on education will be long-lasting. Every school, city, and state has handled the pandemic in education differently. And schools, teachers and families are still not operating at pre-pandemic standards. It’s been hard on military-connected students, their parents, and the educators who teach them. It’s still not a normal year, but teachers are doing their very best under incredibly stressful circumstances. So give grace when the opportunity presents itself.
• A parent-teacher conference is one of many check-ins a parent can have with a teacher to discuss academic or social and emotional progress. A typical conference is usually only 15-20 minutes long, certainly not enough time to dive into a military student’s rich history of multiple moves and challenges, so schedule a follow-up meeting 3-4 weeks after the first parent-teacher conference. This will give the teacher some time to address initial concerns.

Questions to Ask During the First Parent-Teacher Conference

Most military-connected children need to be socially and emotionally connected before their academics can be a priority. Use the first parent-teacher conference to discuss social-emotional concerns. It’s important not to chase curriculum this year, but to focus on the student’s needs first.

• What does lunch look like for the student? Is the student sitting alone or with others?
• What does recess or free time look like for the student?
• Is the student participating in groups?
• Is the student asking questions?
• Ask for assistance in friendship matching. If the student isn’t quite fitting in yet or has voiced concerns about a lack of connecting, ask the teacher for help establishing connections in the classroom.
• Is the student ahead or behind in the school’s curriculum?
• Is the student’s placement in leveled groups or class correct?
• What are the academic expectations? When does standard testing begin?
• What type of support does the teacher or school offer if the student is struggling academically?
• Address any mismatched curriculum, gaps and overlaps.

Parents and teachers who collaborate together and honor each other’s roles create a strong student-advocacy team. The first conference is one important step to ensuring a military-connected student has the support they need to grow and thrive for the rest of the school year.

Stacy Huisman is an Air Force spouse, mother of two, and freelance writer. An advocate with a passion for military-connected children and their families, Stacy is coauthor of Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers. She’s dedicated the last decade to understanding the challenges military kids face when changing schools. 

You may also enjoy reading:

• Creating an Education Binder
• Start Early for a Strong Student-Advocacy Team
• Proactive Communication for Students in Every Season

The post First Parent-Teacher Conference at a New School appeared first on Seasons of My Military Student.

Spring usually signals the Season of Leaving has officially begun. The Season of Leaving can happen any time of year when a move is on the horizon, but many families have military orders in hand as the school year closes and they are anxiously reviewing their to-do list. Aside from the long list of tasks associated with moving an entire household across country or overseas, there are details families should tackle earlier rather than later when withdrawing from a school.

Supporting a young student or teenager through school transition can be complicated and emotional. Between securing credit transfers and proper school documentation, parents will have many tangible tasks to run down before moving from their school community. But some of the critical items on the Season of Leaving checklist shouldn’t be left until the final days. Below are a few steps parents should tackle as early as possible when planning to exit a school.

Teacher to Teacher Letters

These letters are a written communication or letter from a current teacher to a future teacher. It’s a way for a teacher or coach to introduce a student’s ability and personality. Busy teachers need extra time to be able to write thoughtful communication. We recommend giving a busy educator at least six weeks to complete the letter.

For elementary age students, Teacher to Teacher Letters should include academic strengths and weaknesses, areas of growth, learning style, and insights into character. It’s a way to shorten the “get to know you” period between teachers and new students. For older students, having a favorite teacher or coach write a simple letter of recommendation on the student’s behalf will help with applying for new academic clubs or associations, possible summer jobs, or joining new competitive teams. It can be helpful for college applications, too.

To make it easier for the current teacher, parents or older students should give the teacher a few ideas or a sample letter. Giving teachers guidance for comments and a healthy lead time enables a timely return.

Build an Education Binder

An essential step in school transition is getting organized. Building a binder with important documentation for each school-age child in the home will ease the registration process at a new school. A binder can be as simple or complex as needed. Start by accumulating school documents before they are needed.

Items to gather when orders are imminent include shot records, past report cards, work samples, copies of textbook covers or current online curriculum programs. It’s also a smart idea to begin working on school physicals before moving so students can transition quickly into summer camps, sports, and more at their new location.

Organize important school documents separately from other moving documents. Hand-carry essential education documents in an easy to grab-and-go binder during the moving process until the student is registered in their new school.

Understand any change in curriculum between locations. Many states are heavy in virtual learning while others are offering traditional in-person learning. There may need to be a deeper discovery of the gaps and overlaps. Document what students are currently working with, how they managed, issues that have developed, if any, and add it to the binder. This will help when registering at a new school.

Plan the Goodbyes and Stay Connected

It’s a good idea to begin thinking about how the student will say goodbye to fellow classmates, teammates, teachers, and friends. Saying a proper goodbye allows everyone to have some closure. From goodbye drive-bys to quick air hugs, it’s important to provide emotional closure. It’s an intentional act and a way to connect and stay connected through the moving process for kids.

Over the past year, school transition has been tough on military-connected students in new communities. Between social distancing, mask wearing, school closures, and reduction of extracurriculars offered, it’s been a rough road for many families. It’s critical that parents help students connect and stay connected during the Season of Leaving. Make a plan to stay in touch with the student’s friends and teachers through the moving process so children can continue to grow socially and emotionally.

After a move, it could be months before a child will be able to make friends that they are comfortable enough to text, FaceTime, or play with. By considering the child’s current strong, healthy friendships, parents can encourage their child to keep in touch with those friends throughout the transition process.

The Season of Leaving is one of four Seasons of Transition^TM, and for parents, it can be the most daunting one. Start early to help with a smooth transition: Prep teachers with letters of communications from previous teachers, gather and organize important school documentation, and mentally check in to plan for the emotional side of saying goodbye.

Stacy Huisman is a mother of two, Air Force spouse, and freelance writer. An advocate with a passion for military-connected children and their families, Stacy is coauthor of Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers. She’s dedicated the last decade to understanding the challenges military kids face when changing schools. 

More about supporting students during the Season of Leaving:

• Good Goodbyes Build Resilience and Strong Relationships
• Exit Plan Cultivates a Healthy Season of Leaving
• How to join the Seasons of My Military Student Cultivation Team

The post Early Planning Helps School Transition appeared first on Seasons of My Military Student.

According to the summary report, the Military Kids Now survey, conducted over several months in the spring of 2020, polled more than five thousand respondents—including military-connected students, parents from all branches of service, and an array of education professionals. Questions covered the academic, social, and emotional experiences of military-connected students.

Amanda and Stacy expressed the hope that the data in the survey, by validating and quantifying issues and challenges, will inspire and inform policymakers and organizations who have the power to make a difference. The authors talked about the survey results and answered questions about the needs and experiences of military-connected students.

Tools and Knowledge

Amanda: My hope is that support organizations and schools will look at these types of surveys and use them to train their faculty and their parents. It still surprises me when I speak to school districts and to parents who haven’t heard of the Interstate Compact. They know of the challenges and feel them on a personal level but don’t know their resources to ease the burden. I hope this survey will help the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission, MCEC, Educate the Educator (and other support organizations) create a new platform to build awareness on every level.  These reports and policies should be discussed at every newcomer meeting for a base, at every out-processing before a PCS, and at every TAPs training before leaving the military. They should also be discussed in teacher preparation classes, professional development, and team meetings.

Stacy: Surveys like this one are like buoys, keeping these important issues visible and on the surface, continuing the conversation between parents and schools. With every piece of data curated by survey can bring us closer to real policy changes in the schools. I think the burden has been placed on military parents over the years, because it was our responsibility to take on schools every time we moved. Parents had to be the ones to keep a check on the process, to teach schools how to deal with our children’s transition needs, to plead our kids’ cases. I feel a shift, a change in the winds. I feel schools, once we get past the challenges of the pandemic, will see the value in being proactive versus reactive to the unique challenges of military-connected students.

Differing Perspectives

Amanda: The discrepancies between parents and educators responses about the top needs of students was very significant. For example, students, parents, and teachers differ in what they see as the top social and emotional concerns. Students and parents focused on the need for support and making friends, respectively, as their top two needs. Teachers placed these needs at three and four and listed dealing with parent deployment/reunion as the number one concern. I find this difference important because … a student should be met at their point of need, not what the teacher perceives as their top need. In Seasons of My Military Student, in both Season of Arriving and Season of Growing chapters, we focus on the student’s need to be accepted, the need to fit in, and the need to make friends. When these needs are met, then many of the other needs are also met as secondary benefits. A feeling of belonging meets the social/emotional needs as well as building a platform to help meet academic needs.

I was pleased to see agreement across the board on the top ten academic concerns. Each of the participant groups placed learning gaps as either the number one or two categories of concern. In Seasons of My Military Student, we include gaps in learning alongside the parallel frustration of overlaps in learning. These gaps and overlaps make it difficult for both students and educators, no matter when a student moves to a new school.  Over the years MIC3, MCEC, Educate the Educator, Common Core and various other programs have attempted to minimize the gap/overlap experience, but students and teachers still encounter the challenge on a regular basis.

“Surveys like this one are like buoys, keeping these important issues visible and on the surface, continuing the conversation between parents and schools.”

— Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman

Stacy: What stood out to me in this survey was how confident education professionals were in their own understanding, but how little parents felt they (educators and schools) actually understood the academic, social and emotional challenges related to their military-connected students. Obviously, there is a disconnect there for the parent-teacher team. I hope our book can serve as the missing piece, because we address the points of view of students, parents, and educators.

Also, there is a lack of understanding, implementing, and enforcing the Interstate Compact from both parent and professionals. The Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission may need to step up to help schools understand the spirit of the compact if enforcement is not added. I think this survey can be helpful to all fifty commissioners.

Another concern I have is that COVID has brought on new challenges not covered in this survey. Gaps in learning that will be exaggerated by transition next year will be something to track, as well as military kids who are not adjusting after moving during the pandemic. For those who have no outreach from schools during the pandemic closures, social and emotional issues will be much more profound by the end of the school year. I hope there will be an effort to capture that data now so we know how much work needs to be done to “find” these kids that may get lost in the aftermath of the pandemic.

First-Hand View

Amanda: As an educator, I think seeing students’ needs described in their own words will help teachers be more aware of academic and social/emotional learning.

 “As an educator, I think seeing students’ needs described in their own words will help teachers be more aware of academic and social/emotional learning.”

— Amanda Trimillos

The survey reiterates that military-connected students are not looking for an advantage. They are looking for a level opportunity to succeed both academically and in extra-curricular activities. Often it feels that policy prevents advocates and decision makers from erring on the side of the child. When the policy dictates come first, the one who then suffers is the student. Rather than err on the side of policy, we should put more weight on the needs of the student.

The goal is to help families and educators and policy makers see that these experiences are not single-lived events. These challenges both academic and social/emotional are on-going. They are occurring in every military-connected student generation. They are impacting both new and veteran educators.

Stacy: This survey brings to light the ongoing challenges of supporting military-connected kids in school, not just the academics, but socially and emotionally. The remedy is to have simple, easy-to-understand professional development to help schools reach out. They can keep military families from falling between the cracks or constantly struggling through transition or deployments.

Read more:

• Jill Biden Joins MCEC for Military Student Survey Release
• Military Kids Now 2020 Survey Summary Report from MCEC
• Military Kids Seek Understanding, Level Playing Field, from Stars and Stripes

The post Survey Brings Attention to Experiences of Military Students appeared first on Seasons of My Military Student.

Season of Leaving

• Taking any pandemic-related restrictions and limitations into account, include all the same key steps when making an Exit Plan.
• When gathering documents for the Education Binder, request or create electronic copies for easy sharing, including teacher-to-teacher letters.
• Take time to say goodbye. Make video calls, write letters, make goodbye cards or gifts for special friends and teachers.

Season of Arriving

• To establish the student-advocacy team when new students and parents can’t meet with teachers in person, introduce a student by email: Include any information normally shared in an initial meeting: how the student is handling the move, learning style, educational needs, concerns.
• Teachers and parents can follow up with phone calls to ask questions and share more complete information.
• When it’s not possible to share the physical Education Binder, share electronic versions of essential pages by email. Parents can let teachers know they have a complete record of the student and can provide more information as needed.

Season of Growing, Season of Thriving

• To establish a growing and thriving student, whether classes are in-person or online, it’s important to assess whether any struggles are caused by gaps and overlaps in curriculum, the student’s personal adjustment, or academic ability. This assessment can be complicated if the student is having trouble with virtual learning or having trouble making friends because of social distancing.
• In any learning environment, students should be encouraged to set academic and personal goals and to advocate for themselves in age-appropriate ways.

Storms

Storms of military life, deployment, combat injury, and loss, can occur in any season or any learning environment, and having a strong student-advocacy team is essential.

• Effective communication between parents and educators helps coordinate support for the student.
• Bring in additional members to the student-advocacy team as needed.

When in-person contact is limited or in virtual school situations, strategies can be adapted for any season or storm. Additionally, the provisions of the The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children are still in effect for military-connected students. For up-to date information about COVID-related changes in public and Department of Defense Education Activity schools, the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission,  provides regular updates at MIC3.net.

In changing school environments, the Seasons of Transition^TM are still a way of life for military-connected students and their families. Having an effective and adaptable game plan will make the best of any season.

Adapted from Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers by Amanda Trimillos, EdD, and Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman.

More about transitions in the COVID environment:

• Stormy Season of Leaving: PCSing During the Pandemic
• Back to School: Supporting Teachers Strengthens the Team
• Superintendent Emphasizes Support for Teachers, Students, Parents

The post Game Plan: Adapting Strategies for Every Season appeared first on Seasons of My Military Student.

Building a strong student-advocacy team is essential for military-connected students. As the school year begins in a pandemic environment, now more than ever, the team-building strategy should include supporting teachers, as well as students.

Military-connected students at new schools won’t be the only ones navigating a new learning landscape this year. Teachers are also feeling uncertainty and stress. For educators, going back to school in a pandemic environment is a new frontier, whether classrooms are virtual, in-person and socially distanced, or a combination. In addition to welcoming new students, teachers are preparing new ways of learning for all their students, while balancing personal concerns about staying healthy and managing their own children’s education.

Becky, a military parent and a district school psychologist in Virginia, encourages parents to advocate for their children while also giving grace and understanding to teachers.

“There are a lot of uncomfortable feelings around the start of school in many places,” says Becky. “Things keep changing. The uncertainty affects everyone and can be unnerving for teachers and parents. If educators also have kids in the district, they may be feeling what parents are feeling. They’re struggling alongside parents.”

Educators who are also parents may be experiencing the same struggles as the parents of their students.

Sarah is a high school teacher in a military-heavy district in South Carolina, which has opted for in-person classes with a virtual option. She says there is some uncertainty around how the requirements for masks and social distancing will work out when classes actually begin in September.

“Our administration is trying to have a plan for as many contingencies as possible, but just not knowing how it’s really going to be plays a role in beginning-of-the-year fears.”

Becky’s district, which also serves many military students, is beginning the school year with virtual-only classes, which presents its own challenges. Like other working parents, teachers may also have their own children attending virtual classes from home.

“There’s also a learning curve for the technology,” says Becky. “It’s exciting, but also intimidating for those who haven’t been teaching in this manner to now have to do that. Offering that grace is so important. Remember a lot of these things that are frustrating (to parents) aren’t even in the teacher’s control. Technology issues, even decisions about virtual versus [in-person] school.”

Stress management and support are important for teachers as well as students, says Becky. As part of a clinical team in her district, she is available to support both students and educators, to be a listening ear, or offer professional development for stress management.

Stress management and support are important for teachers as well as students.

“There’s a big push for social and emotional learning (for students) in our school curriculum,” she says. “As our teachers are teaching their students, they are also reinforcing those skills for themselves, about feelings identification and how to manage big emotions. Emotional wellness is a critical part of learning. Your emotions will respond before your thinking and learning brain can activate.”

In spite of all the uncertainty, military-connected students and their parents can proactively help create an environment of understanding at a new school with good communication at the outset.

Becky and Sarah both advise military-connected parents to introduce their students to new teachers ahead of time, just as they would in any move. If a face-to-face meeting is not available, an email will serve to share any information that would be helpful for teachers to know up front.

“Let teachers know your concerns as a parent,” says Becky. “Put those in the first email, especially anything not in their records. Let teachers know your child is new. It’s true that everybody is new to this (pandemic) situation, but it’s important for teachers to know who is totally new to a community. Keep it short and clear.”

The pandemic situation is new to everyone, but teachers still need to know when students are new to their school and community.

Students attending class virtually may have a harder time connecting, Sarah adds, so an introduction, even by email, is even more important this year for connecting teachers and students.

“If the student is in middle or high school, encourage him or her to begin advocating for themselves, if they don’t already.” Older students can send an email to their teachers to introduce themselves.

Having an Education Binder of information about a student is ideal, says Becky, but if school is virtual and that’s not possible, send key information by email. Perhaps a face-to-face meeting can be planned at a later date, when parents can discuss the binder with teachers.

Sarah, who grew up in a military family and changed schools many times, knows from experience as both educator and student the importance of knowing a student’s military background. Limited contact in a virtual or hybrid classroom may make it more difficult to get to know students, so the more information a teacher has, the better. Knowing a student has attended multiple schools lets the teacher know to look out for potential gaps and overlaps in curriculum or learning.

Limited contact in a virtual or hybrid classroom may make it more difficult to get to know students, so the more information a teacher has, the better.

After classes begin, parents can support teachers by encouraging their students to engage fully in their new classes, whether virtually or in person.

“Work with your child, encourage them to participate,” says Becky. “Make sure your child is holding up their end of the bargain, getting work done, attending virtual or real classes. Teachers may feel deflated when they are trying to reach students virtually and don’t get a response back.”

Sarah will be teaching in person and will have students attending online as well.

“I am going to have to encourage those who are doing school at home to remember that they are in school,” she says. “I can only help students if they show up.”

Both students and teachers may struggle with the virtual environment, especially when it comes to getting to know one another, says Becky.

“Teachers want to be with kids, to build relationships. So much is missing when you’re doing it virtually. This is hard for them too,” she says. Becky offers a few more ideas for ways to show support for teachers while advocating for students:

• Extend extra grace, patience, and understanding whenever you can. Remember, everyone is traveling a new path together, and everyone is feeling more uncertainty and stress than usual.
• Let teachers know you are there to support them. Ask how you can support them and offer to share your areas of expertise or time if you are able.
• If you have concerns about your child, talk to the teacher, and don’t hesitate to reach out to school mental health resources as well: a counselor, social worker, or psychologist.
• Keep teachers informed about difficulties, whether technical, personal, or academic.
• When emailing a teacher about an issue or to request a time to talk, give the teacher 24 to 48 hours to respond. They may not be able to respond during non-class hours when they are at home caring for their families.
• Send teachers random notes and emails of gratitude and support. Let them know what is working well for your student and when you appreciate what they are doing.

“Remember that many of us are parents too,” says Sarah. “We came into this profession because we love kids. This is a super weird and stressful time for everyone. When we enter into community with anyone, the best default is to trust. … I want what parents want—the best for their kids. If we can keep an open dialogue, things will start better.”

Terri Barnes is the mother of three military children who attended a combined twenty-seven schools, K-12. She is the author of  Spouse Calls: Messages from a Military Life and editor of  Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers.

More about supporting families and educators:

• Q and A with School Superintendent Jesse Najera
• How Schools can Help Military Kids Moving in a Pandemic by Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman in Military Times
• The Pandemic’s Toll on Teachers is Palpable by Marc Brackett, Mark Cannizzaro, and Scott Levy in EdSurge

The post Back to School: Supporting Teachers Strengthens the Team appeared first on Seasons of My Military Student.

No matter what kind of classes are planned for the coming school year, building a strong student-advocacy team is essential, and it starts early. The foundation for that team begins with the initial communication between education professionals and incoming military families. Whether the first meeting happens in person, by phone or video chat, teachers and parents of military students want to make the most of their time together and cover essential transition topics.

For the first encounter, everyone on the student-advocacy team, including parents, teachers, and the student, should come prepared to talk about what concerns them most. Parents can streamline this conversation by sending an email to the school counselor to introduce the student before the first meeting. This email should detail past moves, curriculum changes, education needs, and any social-emotional concerns, particularly in light of moving during a pandemic. This sets the tone and agenda so the first meeting can focus on problem solving.

With pandemic concerns in mind, parents and students will want to know how the receiving state and district are approaching decisions about virtual school options. Many schools throughout the country are planning for possible on-site instruction and also offering online options for students who need or prefer to learn at home.

The receiving teacher needs to know about a military-connected student’s academic and personal history, including the number of moves, past schools, and possible upcoming family separations or deployments. Discussions should include any possible gaps and overlaps in a student’s learning, past experiences with virtual learning, and ways to help the student engage socially and emotionally with classmates.

Social and emotional adjustment is important to the overall well-being of any student but especially one who has just moved to a new place. Students want to make new friends and connections. Teachers hope build class camaraderie, perhaps starting in a virtual setting in preparation for an eventual return to face-to-face learning. The team should discuss strategies for helping the student connect and feel included at a new school.

Along with the social and emotional impact, parents, teachers, and students should also discuss the student’s academic experiences with online learning. What were the positive or negative effects of virtual classes or lessons? What strategies will help this student thrive, whether in a real or virtual classroom or at home?

Families and teachers should know the provisions of the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Students and how they can help in any transition to assure educational services, appropriate class placement and more.

Student involvement in these conversations is helpful, especially for secondary students, but elementary students can also take part in parent-teacher conferences as a way to learn self-advocacy and good communication skills.

It’s important for everyone who participates to listen and respect one another’s unique perspectives. The coming school year holds many unknowns for everyone. Effective communication and a strong student-advocacy team is more essential than ever for military-connected students to thrive in all the Seasons of Transition^TM.

Adapted from Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers by Amanda Trimillos, EdD, and Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman (2018, Elva Resa Publishing)

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In meet-the-teacher sessions at new schools with my children, time and time again I heard teachers use the term “proactive communication.” Teachers offer parents several ways to communicate – email addresses, phone numbers, and notation areas in student agendas. They emphasize the importance of proactive communication with all parents.

But, sometimes as parents, we aren’t one hundred percent sure when to use proactive parental communication and when to encourage our kids to advocate for themselves. This uncertainty is compounded for parents of military-connected families when deployments and PCS orders throw extra challenges in our kid’s lives. Both parent- and student-initiated proactive communication are necessary. Parent, teacher, and student are all part of the student-advocacy team and must communicate effectively.

As a teacher, the most common question I am asked is “When should parents reach out to a teacher?” Should they immediately call when they see a potential challenge, or should they wait to see how their student handles the situation first? The answer lies both in the age and maturity of the student as well as the severity of the situation. Parents of elementary and middle school students typically use proactive communication more often than parents of high school students.

Sometimes as parents, we aren’t one hundred percent sure when to use proactive communication and when to encourage our kids to advocate for themselves.

For military-connected students of all ages though, a parent’s best indicator on how to answer the proactive communication question is the student’s placement in the Season of Transition^TM.  In each season it is good to encourage students of all ages to use student-initiated communication, but often proactive communication from parents is critical to how quickly the student progresses to the Season of Thriving.

Season of Leaving

The Season of Leaving calls for both proactive communication by the parent and student. When parents are ready to disclose that PCS orders are here, it is time to reach out to the teacher to ensure he knows of the upcoming move. This can be done via the student or the parent so long as communication is also open between parent and teacher. Be open both about social and academic concerns.

“What skills do we need to focus on to be sure my daughter is ready for a new school?”

“We are living in a hotel with no quiet place to do homework.”

Talk about ways to help the student say goodbye in healthy ways. Work together to prepare the student for the new school and new curriculum expectations. Request the teacher write a teacher-to-teacher letter for use at the new school. Discuss with the student how to help him finish his time at this school feeling successful and confident for a new school location.

Season of Arriving

In the Season of Arriving, proactive communication from parents is particularly essential. In this season a parent should connect with the teacher before the student’s first day at a new school and again at the two-week point. At registration, parents should give the school the student’s Education Binder, which includes the teacher-to-teacher letter, information about past schools, experiences, accomplishments, and challenges. Schedule a short conference for the second week of school to introduce to discuss any class placement challenges or integration with peers. Being respectful of the child’s personality, try phrasing challenges into positive discussions.

“My daughter had a strong group friends and was active in clubs at our last school, what is the best way for her to become active here at this school?”

“My son is repeating classwork here. Will the curriculum move to a new skill soon or is there a better fit for his needs?”

In the conference, set a plan and timeline of when the school anticipates the student should feel fully integrated with friends and the classwork. Discuss ways the school encourages all students to approach teachers on especially challenging days; and set the student up for productive conversations with teachers.

Season of Growing

The Season of Growing calls for both proactive parent- and student-initiated communication. By the time a student reaches the Season of Growing, teachers and classmates may forget the military-connected student is still new. A buddy program that helped the student in the Season of Arriving is ending, and the student is on his own to navigate his school experience, to connect with friends and with learning.

The goal of the student-advocacy team is to encourage students to work toward self-advocacy, and to help them use student-initiated communication successfully. In this case a parent can use proactive communication with the student, encouraging and helping him or her to seek solutions. Teachers can also present ways students can reach out to teachers on especially challenging days and set the student up for productive conversations.

The goal of the student-advocacy team is to encourage students to work toward self-advocacy, and to help them use student-initiated communication successfully.

If your daughter’s classes are too far apart, and she’s having trouble getting to classes on time, encourage her to speak to her teachers to set a plan for success.

If your straight-A-student son is coming home with D’s and C’s, encourage him to speak to the teacher about tutoring programs.

Parents should be prepared to step in with proactive communications to be sure the student receives the help he needs and not wait for a challenge to create lasting consequences. In this season, it is still vital for parents and teachers, as well as students, to partner on topics like gaps or overlaps in learning. Consider that perhaps this season is exactly why teachers give parents their contact information in the first week of school.

Season of Thriving

The Season of Thriving is prime time for student-initiated communication. In this season the student is fully integrated into her school, probably has one or more committed friends, and is adjusted to the curriculum. Feeling confident to approach teachers directly and participating in extra activities are good markers that the student has reached the Season of Thriving. Communication between parents and teachers occurs less often. Students are ready and able to use student-initiated communication.

“I was invited to apply for a student leadership camp, but first I have to talk to my teachers about missing five days of class.”

“I don’t understand the assignment. Can I come in after lunch for help?”

This does not mean that parents and teachers stop initiating communication. The partnership between teachers and parents continues, as does the work of the student-advocacy team. In every season, the team continues to support the student’s ability to initiate communication and advocate for themselves. Then parents and teachers can enjoy seeing the student grow in confidence and independence.

Amanda Trimillos, EdD, is a military spouse, mother, National Board-Certified Teacher, and the coauthor of Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers.

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In the Season of Leaving, parents, teachers, and students work together to build an exit plan to cultivate a smooth transition from one school to another. A strong exit plan takes into account all the events, tasks, and actions leading up to the student’s last day of class, ensuring a healthy transition academically, socially, and emotionally.

If military orders require a student to leave before the school year ends, the student might miss final exam and project due dates or end-of-year celebrations. An exit plan helps the student-advocacy team to recognize potential conflicts and meet them proactively.

For any departure date, it’s essential for parents, teachers, and students to build the exit plan together. Elementary school students may have only one teacher, while middle and high school students will have several teachers and classes. A school counselor or lead teacher can help coordinate and consolidate all important dates, expectations, and events. A strong exit plan begins with team conversations and questions to consider on these key topics:

Exit Date

The date of a move is the starting point for building the exit plan, whether the student will remain until the last day of class or leave early. Talk about all important dates, such as packing household goods, family events, and farewell parties.  Questions to consider:

• When is the student’s last day of class?
• When is the earliest a student can depart and still receive credit for her courses?
• What activities, field trips, or school celebrations need to be considered?

Paperwork

As soon as orders are official, parents should initiate the process of withdrawing students from school. The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children has provisions to allow military families to request hand-carried transcripts to avoid delays in enrollment at a receiving school. Questions to consider:

• What are the school’s withdrawal policies and requirements?
• How can parents obtain paperwork and transcripts to hand-carry to the new school?
• What paperwork does the receiving school require for enrollment?

Education Binder

Review and organize the contents of the student‘s Education Binder. Questions to consider:

• What materials should be added to the binder before departure?
• Does the binder include textbooks and curricula the student has used?
• Request teacher-to-teacher letters from sending to receiving educators.

Learning timeline

Discuss any learning gaps and academic challenges. Teachers can tailor final assignments specifically to the student’s needs. Parents and students can focus on areas needing attention. Questions to consider:

• Is information available about programs and curricula at the receiving school?
• Does the student need to focus on particular areas of skill or knowledge?
• Ask teachers to build a review pack to help the student build and maintain learning during the move.

Assignment due dates

Discuss what assignments and projects the student must complete before departure. Perhaps there are assignments the student can miss in order to focus his attention on the upcoming PCS. Questions to consider:

• What are the due dates, and do they need to be adjusted?
• What supplies will the student need to complete projects and assignments?
• Are those supplies and projects set aside at home so they won’t be packed with household goods?

Final exams

Planning ahead is essential when it comes to final exams and standardized testing. Special approval or waivers may be needed to provide alternate dates for state-mandated tests. Check the calendar as far ahead as possible to plan for any necessary accommodations. Questions to consider:

• Is there conflict between departure dates and final exams or end-of-year testing?
• What is the district policy for adjusting test dates for military students with conflicts due to PCS orders?
• Who is the point of contact for requesting date changes?

Good goodbyes

Last, but certainly not least, the exit plan should include opportunities for students to say good-bye to friends and teachers. Saying goodbye is important in the social and emotional component of departure. Ask and act on the student’s preferences as much as possible, and make goodbyes a priority in the busy Season of Leaving. Questions to consider:

• What class or school events does the student want to attend?
• How and when would the student like to say goodbye to classmates and peers?
• Are there some goodbyes the student would like to say one-on-one? In a large group?

A solid exit plan recognizes what the student needs for a strong Season of Leaving and allows the student’s support team to agree on how to meet those needs. The plan balances school responsibilities and time with friends with practical concerns, such as packing up household goods and cleaning out school lockers. The exit plan ensures projects and assignments arrive promptly on the teachers desk ready for grading, rather than accidentally packed in the back of a moving truck. The plan also offers the student opportunities for saying goodbye to friends, mentors, and classmates.

The exit plan brings closure academically, socially, and emotionally for the student in the Season of Leaving, preparing the way for success in the coming  Season of Arriving.

Amanda Trimillos, EdD, is a military spouse, mother, and National Board-Certified Teacher with extensive experience teaching military students in the United States and overseas. She is coauthor of Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers and wrote the essay “School Choices and Changes” in  Stories Around the Table: Laugher, Wisdom, and Strength in Military Life.

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Moves for military families are usually associated with spring and summer months, a natural break in the school calendar. However, almost half of military transitions are midyear moves, often during the winter holidays. No matter what time of year a military-connected student changes schools, the Seasons of Transition^TM cycle is in effect: the Season of Leaving, Season of Arriving, Season of Growing, and Season of Thriving. For a wintertime move, the anticipation that initiates the Season of Leaving may begin in August or September. This means a student could begin the school year with visions of moving trucks dancing in her head.

In a midyear move, students face challenges such as making friends in an established classroom and starting school work in midstream. When the curricula of sending and receiving schools are different—as is often the case—students may face gaps or overlaps in learning. Receiving teachers meet these challenges by adjusting lesson plans, class activities, and seating to accommodate the student’s needs. For parents, moving at midyear means that, in addition to all the tasks and stresses of a move, they must get students enrolled and on track at a new school, without the buffer of a long school break.

Preparation and planning will make any move smoother. Here are some tools and tips for creating smooth transitions when a midyear move kicks off another cycle of the Seasons of Transition:

Exit plan

Because the student’s last day of class may not coincide with a break in the school calendar,  having an exit plan is especially helpful for a midyear move. The exit plan includes a checklist and timeline for all the events and tasks leading up to the student’s departure: project and test dates, deadlines for withdrawal procedures, and farewell parties or events. Making time to say goodbye to friends and teachers is important. As soon as a military family knows about a move, it’s a good time to meet with teachers to create this plan. The exit plan should take into account the student’s academic strengths and weaknesses. Perhaps the student would benefit from a packet of supplemental work or books to read during transition, if he will be out of school for more than a few days.

Education Binder

Created by parents and teachers, the Education Binder helps the receiving school integrate a new student quickly in the Season of Arriving, which is especially important in midyear moves, when classes are already in full swing. The binder supplements a student’s official transcript with detailed academic and personal information. The binder should include work samples, letters from teachers, awards, documents regarding special programs or needs, copies of report cards, and more. When parents and teachers meet to create the exit plan, they should also consider how to update the binder, adding teacher-to-teacher letters, a list of current textbooks, and samples of student’s latest work.

Withdrawal and enrollment

Preparing for a move at midyear means knowing a school’s policies on early withdrawal. Middle and high school students may risk losing credits if they are withdrawn from school before the semester ends or before crucial test dates. Departure dates may need to be adjusted if possible. Parents may also contact the receiving school—if known—to find out if there are special requirements or considerations for midyear enrollment. When the student arrives at the new school, parents introduce their student with the Education Binder. The material in the binder will inform the receiving school and teachers quickly and efficiently about the student’s history, personality, and capabilities.

Resources

Every military installation has a school liaison officer, or SLO, who can help with information about local school systems, services and programs. For midyear moves, the SLO is also a good point of contact for information about the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. The compact provides accommodations for military students at public schools. It gives schools flexibility on some policies as applied to military students, particularly those related to enrollment, graduation, and program eligibility.

The bright side

A midyear move may be a fast and furious transition, but an up-tempo transition can be a good thing. There’s less time for the student to find new connections but also less time to worry about fitting in at a new school. Also, students who arrive at a new school in midyear get a bit more attention than those who start the first day of school. This offers a new student an opportunity to shine and get a little extra attention and not be lost in a crowd of new faces.

Whenever a military move happens, a healthy Season of Leaving and Season of Arriving set the student up for success in both the Season of Growing and Season of Thriving. For midyear moves, students, parents, and teachers can work together for a good transition with planning, preparation, and a positive outlook.

Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman is an Air Force spouse, writer, mother, and military child advocate. She is the coauthor with Amanda Trimillos of Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers.

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