Through New Eyes: Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions and Experiences Advocating for Military-Connected Learners in Literacy Classrooms PURPOSE: to explore and understand the perceptions and experiences of pre-service teachers with no military background regarding military-connected learners and to understand the implications for both pre-service and practicing teachers. Pre-service Teachers’ Perceptions
Research Questions: What are the perceptions of pre-service teachers with no military background regarding military-connected students? How do these perceptions develop or change throughout the course of an internship working with military-connected students? What are the implications for pre-service and practicing teachers?
“I would think a military-connected family’s life is…in a constant state of flex and change…I think some kids would adapt really well and I can see how some kids wouldn’t.” “[A concern I had] is addressing issues that are going on…because I’ve never lived that situation. So I can’t say, ‘Oh, I know what it’s like, or it’ll get better.’ Because I don’t know.”
Research Method: Qualitative Case Study Data Collection Method: Three (3) semi-structured interviews
“I think right now with the deployment coming up…the big thing I’m worried about is their behavior...like how that will affect them and their emotional state.” http://media.defense.gov/2011/Aug/24/2000770975/-1/-1/0/110824-R-FR000-011.JPG
Background: There are approximately 2,000,000 military-connected students whose parents are active duty, members of National Guard or Reserves or Veterans of the United States Military. Over 80% of these children - 1,105,267 students - attend P-12 public schools (AACTE, 2011). The Military Child Education Coalition (2012) reported that there are military-connected students in every school district in the United States. Educators entering the field may not be aware of aspects of military life or the challenges - social, emotional, educational - military-connected learners may face. As educators strive to set a tone for the classroom that is inviting, caring, and supportive for all students, they also need to be informed about how the unique lived experiences of militaryconnected learners may affect learning (Astor, Jacobson, Benbenishty, 2012). Kansas State University is poised in a unique position situated minutes from the Ft. Riley military post. The Military-Connected Learner Educational Initiative of the College of Education at K-State was initiated in 2012 and provides a college-wide framework for preparing in-service and pre-service personnel to serve military-connected learners in education settings (Mercer, Thurston, & Hughey, 2014). Pre-service teachers enter the classroom with initial perceptions and assumptions regarding their students' diverse lived experiences and the role those experiences may play in the classroom (Wenger & Dinsmore, 2005). For pre-service teachers at Kansas State University, many of whom have no military background, these initial perceptions and assumptions may extend to the diverse lived experiences of military-connected learners. This qualitative case study seeks to understand the phenomenon of their perceptions within a sociocultural framework (Baxter & Jack, 2008). Bibliography:
Resources:
American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). Educator preparation materials for students with military families. http://aacte.org/pdf/Programs/MCEC/Resources.pdf (Retrieved November 18, 2015).
•
K-State College of Education Military Initiatives page: https://www.coe.ksu.edu/about/military/index.html
•
Books to Support Military Connected Learners: http://www.coe.k-state.edu/military/docs/Military-ConnectedLearning-books.pdf
Astor, R. A.; Jacobson, L.; & Benenishty, R. (2012). The teacher’s guide for supporting students from military families. New York: Teachers College Press.
•
Teachers College Press: Guides to support military students and their families http://store.tcpress.com/cgi/sc/productsearch.cgi?storeid=tcpress
•
Livebinder of Resources (Sandy Risberg): http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=860177
•
Military Child Coalition: http://www.militarychild.org
•
Resources for Military Child & Teens: https://www.coe.ksu.edu/about/documents/Military_Children_Teens_Resources.pdf
•
The Advocate Fall 2014-Winter 2015: http://www.atekan.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Fall2014-FINAL.pdf
•
Michigan Dept. of Ed.: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/Web_Resources_for_Teachers_and_School_Administrators_352413_7. pdf
•
American Sociological Association: Teaching active duty military students http://www.asanet.org/footnotes/marchapril13/military_0313.html
Huebner, A. J. & Mancini, J. A. (2005). Adjustments among adolescents in military families when a parent is deployed: Final report to the Military Family Research Institute and Department of Defense Quality of Life Office. http://cfs.purdue.edu/mfri (retrieved September 28, 2008). Huebner, A. J. & Mancini, J. A. (2008). Supporting youth during parental deployment: Strategies for professionals and families. The Prevention Researcher. 15, supp D, 10-13. Huebner, A. J; Mancini, J. A.; Wilcox, R. M.; Grass, S. R. & Grass, G. A. (2007). Parental deployment and youth in military families: Exploring uncertainty and ambiguous loss. Family Relations. 56(2), 112-122. Mercer, D., Thurston, L, & Hughey, J. (2015). The college-wide military-connected learner initiative in KState’s College of Education. The Advocate. 22(2), 24-30. Military Child Education Coalition. (2012). A call for a student identifier. Retrieved from http://www.militarychild.org/studentidentifier . Morse, J. (2006). The new emotional cycles of deployment. http://www.hooah4health.com/deployment/familymatters/Emotional_Cycle_Support.pdf (Retrieved August 2, 2011). National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) (2008). Educator’s guide to the military child during deployment sponsored by the Educational Opportunities Directorate of the Department of Defense and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. Retrieved September 9, 2008, from http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/os/homefront/homefront.pdf Oates, M. D. (2002). Meeting the needs of adolescents with a family member recently deployed for military duty. TCA Journal, 30(2), 68-75. Ruff, B. S., & Keim, M. A. (2014) Revolving doors: The impact of multiple school transitions on military children. The Professional Counselor, 4(2), 103-113. Sherbert, V. (2011). “Well, besides the fact that deployment kinda stinks…”: Adolescent voices in literacy during military deployment. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from K-State Research Exchange http://hdl.handle.net/2097/12455 .
http://issuu.com/vickisherbert/dcs/ncte_poster_session/1
Wenger, K. J., & Dinsmore, J. ((2005). Preparing Rural Preservice Teachers for Diversity. Journal of Research in Rural Education, 20(10), 1-15.
Dr. Vicki Sherbert Assistant Professor sherbev@ksu.edu