laura carruth director, center for instructional effectiveness special guest mark eister director,...

Laura Carruth

Director, Center for Instructional Effectiveness

Special Guest

Mark Eister

Director, Military Outreach Center

GSU and Georgia Perimeter College

Teaching Those Who’ve Served;Student Veterans in the Classroom

The information on these slides comes from a variety of sources including the Bergen Community College website, and the Green Zone training manual by Mark Eister

Veterans are a diverse group with diverse experiences and needs:

• They may experience:– A continuum of exposure that can include

• Physical and/or Emotional trauma

– Intense exposure to little or exposure

• Responses and needs will vary

Positive Benefits of Veterans on Campus• Focus

– Older students who benefit from real world experience

– Education funded by GI Bill, so may not have to balance work and school

• Leadership

– Many veterans bring leadership skills to the campus community

• Experience

– Many veterans have successfully navigated stressful situations

Combat Stressors Faced by Afghanistan and Iraq War Veterans

Afghanistan• 84% received rocket or mortar fire

• 66% were shot at

• 58% were attacked or ambushed

• 43% knew someone that was killed or seriously injured

• 39% saw dead bodies

Iraq

• 89% received rocket or mortar fire

• 95% were shot at

• 92% were attacked or ambushed

• 87% knew someone that was killed or seriously injured

• 95% saw dead bodies

Source: United States Department of Veterans Affairs, 2011

Re-establishing the “New Normal” for Some Veterans • Home issues

– Divorce rate

– Homelessness

• Isolation

– Depression

– Anxiety

• Injuries

– Traumatic Brain Injury (bombs not bullets) TBI

– Traumatic Brain Injury (TBIm) – mild brain injury

– Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

– Loss of limbs or other physical injuries

• Military:– Structured, time demands, not-flexible– Ready for action, well-equipped at a moment’s notice – Living day to day (syllabus)

• College:– Less structured, varied background knowledge, random

class schedules (each each semester is different)– As a civilian it can be hard to plan and adjust – living a

semester at a time (overwhelming) – Too much info can be overwhelming (syllabus)

Differences between military and college

Issues for Some Student-Veterans• Hierarchy – rules and structure

– College classes may be more discussion or opinion based rather than hierarchical

– Rules and hierarchy are important– may be disconcerting for some students if professor moves off of syllabus

• Ideology– Success is only outcome. Failure is not an option. – What happens with “fail” experiences in class?

• Classroom sounds/Fire alarms

Issues for Some Student-Veterans• Seating

– Prefer back of room/ near door• Groups

– Reluctant to work with other students that are non military or are less engaged

• Walking through halls– Smells, music, large groups of people

• Peers – Curious about military experience

• PTSD as a collection of symptoms that may occur after someone “witnesses, experiences, or is confronted with an event that involves actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of oneself or others” (American Psychological Association [APA], 2000).

• The person’s response involves “fear, helplessness, or horror” (APA, 2000).

What is PTSD?

• Occurs in about 11% of Afghanistan War Veterans and 20% of Iraq War Veterans (United States Department of Veterans Affairs, 2012).

• Higher prevalence in Iraq War Veterans

• Suicide rate averages about 1 per day—highest rate since Sept. 11 event (Pentagon, 2012)

How Common is PTSD Among Veterans?

• Recurrent flashbacks of the event, may be accompanied by physical

symptoms (racing heartbeat, sweating)

• Uncontrollable and frightening thoughts

• Avoidance of places and things that are reminders of the event

• Hyper-vigilance (feelings of tension, being “on-guard”)

• Exaggerated startle response

• Detachment, estrangement from others

• Emotional numbness

Symptoms of PTSD

• Sleep disturbances

• Irritability, anger outbursts

• Often accompanied by depression, anxiety, or

substance abuse disorders

• Can be linked to traumatic brain injury (TBI),

symptoms may overlap

Symptoms of PTSD

• Difficulty concentrating• Information processing difficulties• Learning and memory deficits• Impairments in executive functioning

(e.g., problem solving, planning, insight/awareness)

Academic Impacts

• Extra time on timed exams/quizzes

• Consideration of extra time on individual assignments/homework

• Permission to use a tape recorder during class lectures

• Refer to tutoring resources on campus

• Considerations in attendance or make-up work policies in the event of a medical episode or doctor’s appointment

• Remind class of upcoming assignments, due dates

• Seating considerations

• Allow breaks as needed during class

• Allow student to stand in back of room—this is usual military behavior when tired

Strategies for Accommodating Veterans with PTSD in the Classroom

Best Practices• Green Zone Training • Faculty

– Respect the individual’s rights not to disclose or discuss their experiences. DO NOT IDENTIFY VETERANS.

– Be aware of own political views– Separate war from warrior– Respect need for camaraderie – Group projects may be problematic – States on syllabus

How GSU is helping veterans

• Working to establish connections between veterans and teaching faculty

• Targeted academic advising

• Priority Registration (after 1st semester)

• Counselors