Pedagogy Workshop:Working with Student VeteransWednesday, 4/2/14

Service Members and the American Public

Active duty percentages:

• .5% of the population were active duty during the post-9/11 wars

• 9% served actively during World War II

Yet, we should be facilitators and mentors. • More and more veterans and their dependents returning to school

• 44% of post-9/11 veterans say that re-entry is difficult• 84% of veterans say that public doesn’t understand• 9% of post-9/11 veterans are unemployed

• ~800 student-veterans at UofL

Common Concerns and Useful Information

• Different GI Bills• Post-9/11 GI Bill offers 36 months of support

• Earned versus Unearned Failures

• Delays: Initial, Veterans’ Affairs, and Student

Student-Veteran Resources• Office of Military and Veteran Student Services

• VA Benefits Reps visit 3rd and 4th Thursdays

• Veteran Student Organization (Google Group)

• UofL Student Veterans of America (SAC 310/Facebook)

• Career Transition Services

Instructor Resources• SVA/Kognito online training modules• SVA Million Records Project• From Combat to KY – oral histories/narratives• PEW Research Center – Military and Veterans topic

Awareness

Responsivity

Responsibility

Recommendations for a pedagogy of:

Avoid making assumptions…

• About who in your classes might be a veteran or be the spouse or dependent of one

• About the experiences student veterans and their families might have had or how they feel about their military service

In the classroom…

• Foster class discussions that are respectful and sensitive to the presence of student veterans

• Be conscious of assignment design and possible resistance to certain types of activities

• Avoid tokenizing student veterans because of their experiences

Keep in mind…

• The strengths that student veterans often bring to the classroom• Leadership skills• Self-discipline and determination• Military literacy training/sponsorship

Beyond the classroom…

• Consider placing a statement in your syllabus for student veterans

• Be prepared!

Questions for our guest speakers• Could you give an example of a kind of feedback or classroom activity that you found

especially helpful, engaging, etc.?

• Could you talk about an experience that was frustrating and why it was frustrating?

• What is the most important thing that you want your instructor to know about your position in the classroom?

• What would you like your role to be in the classroom and on campus?