College of Education and Human Development
CEHD Convenes Kick-Off Meeting on How to Support the Military Child
October 29, 2013
Representatives from more than 13 prominent military organizations met at Thompson Hall on October 25 to discuss with Mason faculty how to support military connected children.
“I am grateful for this opportunity to discuss together how best to prepare teachers to understand some of the unique challenges faced by the military child,” said Jennifer Drake Patrick, assistant professor in the College of Education and Human Development at George Mason University and organizer of the event.
The issue resonates deeply for Patrick, who is a recently relocated military spouse and mother. Many of the meeting participants contributing to the dialogue are also members of military families.
Dr. Libby Hall, director of CEHD’s Office of Education Services and a military spouse for more than 30 years, and CDR Robert W. Patrick.
“When we began discussing how to integrate this issue within our teacher education programs at George Mason, people started coming out of the woodwork expressing their interest and support,” said Patrick. “They had a military connection and wanted to be involved in addressing the challenges that military connected children regularly face.”
The issue is particularly relevant for Mason because the Washington area has a high concentration of students whose families are connected to the military. The children’s experiences and challenges are unique. Many are frequently uprooted when parents are assigned to new areas of the country or the world and many also deal with parents deployed for months at a time, sometimes in combat zones overseas.
George Mason University was among the first to sign on to the national Operation Educate the Educators initiative launched by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and the Military Child Education Coalition.
A page from the book “Over There” by Dorinda Silver Williams.
“Because of our location, we have a unique opportunity and responsibility to be a leader on this issue,” said Mark R. Ginsberg, dean of the College of Education and Human Development. “What this university is particularly good at is incubating good ideas and transforming them into best practice. We want to be an exemplar of what other universities and school districts can do.”
Among those in attendance to provide their perspectives were representatives from Fort Belvoir, Joint Base Andrews, Military Officers Association of America, National Military Family Association, Association of the United States Army, Army Community Service, Blue Star Families, They Serve Too, Veterans Moving Forward, Dare Mighty Things, Zero to Three, and Child Care Aware of America.
Siobhan K. Casey, senior advisor at Child Care Aware of America, and Dr. Debbie Bradbard, deputy director of research and policy for Blue Star Families.
Patrick outlined the initial concept – to develop a course module that can be integrated into Mason’s teacher preparation curricula as well as counseling and other academic programs. The advantage of a module is that it doesn’t presuppose expertise on behalf of the faculty, she noted, while providing consistent information on how to be culturally responsive to military connected students.
The power of this kind of outreach was brought home to Patrick after she and Assistant Professor April Mattix conducted a staff development session at a local elementary school that Patrick’s daughter attends. “My daughter came home and said her teacher had stopped by to say that she couldn’t believe how many times my daughter had moved,” said Patrick. “It was a small moment, a touch point, that showed my daughter that her teacher understood and cared.”
Because CEHD is home to one of the largest teacher preparation and education schools in Virginia, the college has the possibility of reaching a large number of teachers who will work with military connected students.
“It is my hope that our getting together today can make a real, authentic difference; to help in every way we can as those who serve do whatever they can,” said Ginsberg to the group.
“To make the most difference in learning and development, school readiness is not always about getting kids ready for school," he said. "But also about getting schools ready for kids.”
Assistant Professor Jennifer Drake Patrick speaks before a committed group of military family representatives and George Mason University faculty.
About CEHD
George Mason University's College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) includes two schools: the Graduate School of Education, one of the largest teacher preparation and education schools in Virginia, and the School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism. CEHD offers a comprehensive range of degrees, certificates, courses, and licensure programs on campus, online, and on site. The college is distinguished by faculty who encourage new ways of thinking and pioneering research supported by more than $75 million in funding over the past five years.
For additional information:
- CEHD Communications: cehdnews@gmu.edu
- Graduate School of Education: gse.gmu.edu
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