Suzane Bricker's book, "An Instructor's Guide to Teaching Military Students" addresses simple steps to integrate military learners into the higher ed classroom. In this segment, Suzane shares some insights from her book that deal specifically with preventing self-isolation and dispelling myths of military learners.

Monika Sziron: You explain how military learners can isolate themselves and display a lack of vocal/outspoken participation in class. What are some of the best practices you have observed when it comes to instructors effectively helping military learners integrate into the classroom and speak up when they feel inclined?

Suzane Bricker: My best practices are to acknowledge what I know and what I don't know. First of all, I have never served, and if it wasn't for my affiliation with UMGC, I probably would never have taken such a strong interest in these military learners. But they are my students, and in order to help guide them in the learning process, I have to know something about their motivations, aspirations, and even the obstacles they face on a routine basis.

My advice is to never group students into categories or label them because of what you think they can do versus what they believe they can do. Second, treat these students with the same level of courtesy and interest as you would other members of the class. Use observational skills to note if your military learners are engaging and asking questions. Third, if a military student misses a deadline, don't automatically assume that person is being disrespectful, or seeking privileges. They could have military responsibilities which they were suddenly assigned that take precedence, or they could have just received orders to deploy, and are unable to give you much information about their present situation.

One way I have learned to deal with the constraints and unexpected schedule changes experienced by military students is to include a paragraph on my Syllabus, stating that students are required to notify me at least four days in advance, if they are unable to meet a deadline, and explain why, in order for me to consider their request for late submission.

But this approach is not always enough for my military students. I may get an email telling me that a student's internet was out, and they were unable to submit their assignment into the electronic folder by the stated deadline. So, in addition to clearly stating the rules in writing, I also reserve the right to sometimes be flexible with my military students. What I strive for is to make sure students are aware that they can communicate honestly with me, and they will not be automatically judged, if they need special assistance.

Keep in mind, too, that the military student is often older than their civilian counterparts and may have experienced combat situations that have instilled in them a level of maturity which is far beyond their chronological ages. Moreover, their military training has taught them to respect authorities and not to tolerate uncooperative behavior. For both of these reasons, they may prefer to remain aloof and not participate freely. These feelings can be compounded if they witness their classmates acting immaturely, or believe the instructor is not taking the appropriate steps to stop such behavior.

Providing support and encouragement is essential to achieve successful change management strategies. So, in situations where I observe my military learners being silent, or not contributing to written assignments; I try to let them know I am "user-friendly," which I think is a reflection of using coaching skills in the classroom. Moreover, I never criticize any students in the discussion forums where everyone participates, because I know that approach to teaching could impact their desire to learn, and their feelings about self-worth.

Sziron: You mention a number of military learner myths, which do you find to be the most common myth and the most difficult to dispel?

Bricker: I must preface my answer to this question by saying that a lot of these "military learner myths" are unspoken. And the reason that I wrote this book is because when I was looking for a guide to assist me in directly addressing the needs and concerns of these students; I found that nothing was available. However, here are some of the common misperceptions about military students which I have either read or heard about, which could impact their ability to remain in the classroom:

• People who join the military are poor, uneducated, and already have a war-like mentality.

• Critical thinking skills are mostly beyond the military learner, who has basically been taught to follow orders and respond, upon command.

• Military students could never enter creative fields, such as painting, acting, or writing, because they have been taught to keep their emotions to themselves.

• Students with a military background can't engage in discussions about civil rights or civil discourse because they are militant in their views about settling unresolved conflicts with firearms.

Here are some of the reasons that these suppositions are just myths.

The term, "military" is a plural noun, in the same way that the "media" is, and therefore, define a wide range of people. The demographic of who chooses to enter the service is quite wide as well, and what defines in the category of being an officer is based upon educational level; not wealth or social status. Veterans have chosen to enter creative fields, regardless of their military background, and some find the idea of expressing themselves cathartic, in that they can confront their own feelings of isolation when they try to reenter a civilian environment.

Many military students are reluctant to speak in group discussions about issues of civil discourse because they have witnessed more realistic and potentially life-threatening experiences than their civil counterparts. But, as part of their service training, they have also learned to hone their critical thinking skills in order to better evaluate crisis situations. Another reason they may be reluctant to offer their opinions during group discussions, is because some of what they know is privileged information that they have sworn never to reveal to anyone.

Finally, some of my military students have been the most vocal about stopping or preventing violent conflicts. And, contrary to popular opinion, not all service members cherish the idea of carrying or discharging a firearm.

Article Topics

Military Friendly Institutions Research on Student Veterans Serving Military in HigherEd Veterans Academic Success Workplace Inclusion

Republish this article for free. We want to make it easier for you to share knowledge and creativity, and encourage you to reuse our articles under a Creative Commons license.