PTSD and the veteran student
I have found many more cases of PTSD with students that are returning war veterans now then in past years. They tend to be on edge, jumpy or nervous. Often times they feel depressed and that they are wasting their time in class. I had one such student who was feeling very stressed, anxious, and very scared. This was a very large man who had been a solider. He was embarrassed that the crowd in the school could see him this way, which made matters worse.
The technique I used to calm him down and get him back into class was to get him talking about something that he loved or had passion about. He started talking about his son, and then that led into a discussion on his plan to open a restaurant. I asked him to write the menu for a restaurant that he would like to open. He calmed significantly and was able to rejoin the class. In all this took about ten minutes. The class was on break, so he didn't miss any lecture, and it really didn't take my focus away from the rest of the class. Now when he feels as if a panic attack is coming he quietly pulls out his notebook and works on his menu or other project to calm himself down. He has changed his behavior completely and hasn't had an episode since that day.
I feel that as teachers it is our responsibility to understand that PTSD is a very real problem for these vets, and that we can help them and not lose them. It just takes a few minutes to talk to them and get to understand where they are coming from, and you might help change their life.
Chad,
This is a wonderful and HELPFUL post for others who are working with returning vets. I think folks generally are afraid of saying something wrong and so, instead, they say nothing at all. A little attentiveness, and little personal warmth and outreach, can go such a long way towards making a student feel appreciated -- and safe! Keep up the good work.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
The veterans that are enrolling in our classes are usually older than the average student and tend to have less computer skills. Several seem to show signs of PTSD but do not talk about it. When they are struggling with the computer, I ask them if I can help rather than just showing them how to do something. It also helps to give them a one on one demonstration rather than having them go at the same pace as the class.
Emily,
What you describe is "good teaching" in any context, and I am sure all your students, vets or not, profit from your willingness to go one-on-one with them. For students who are struggling with PTSD or any other mental health related disability, the opportunity to establish a personal relationship with others is often critical to their success.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
having taught several veterans suffering from PTSD, I have found that they are cooperative students, and will make good team leaders however,you need to understand that they are the ones that need to volunteer to be a team leader, not told. their years of taking orders and being under duress can have adverse effects not only on the class but also create more stress for them. My past PTSD students have gone on to work in their chosen career, often returning to the VA to assist the returning vets.
Anne,
That is a GREAT tip. Thanks. It makes sense, too, that their experiences will have an effect both on how they learn and on how they interact with others. Providing choices and encouraging but not demanding leadership probably makes sense for all, but especially THIS population.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
So far I have had two students who informed me they suffered from PTSD. Both men were open about their condition and wanted to share their experiences about the war with the class. I teach classes in cultural diversity and one of the activities in the class is to define, Who Am I? the exercise allows students to identify their ethnic/cultural/social groups. Both of these men identified one of their groups as military. Subsequently, with the assignment they were able to explain to the class PTSD. Ultimately, the exercise became a teachable moment for everyone.
Rosetta,
Wow! That's a terrific example of how students with disabilities (in this case, PTSD) can be "reframed" for their classmates, making their experiences a part of who they are. It would be interesting to see if you had (for example) a student in a wheelchair and a student with a learning disability, whether they would define themselves by their disability in some way, or whether they would see that as a constant, a given.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
We are seeing more and more veterans with PTSD on our campus. Sometimes all it takes is some listening and understanding, as mentioned above. But other times, we as instructors feel ill-equipped to deal with some of the intense experiences these students have had. Are there some resources you recommend that serve this unique population?
Amanda,
There isn't a lot of literature available that deals with the readjustment aspects of vets with PTSD (at least, not that I have seen). I would contact some local resource regarding veterans issues in your community and see if they have someone who could come out and speak to your faculty. Let them know you understand the problem, but are seeking ways to be supportive.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
The school where I teach, we also have quite a bit of students that are veterans. Every once and a while I will get a student that has PTSD. I've found that when setting up lab groups it helps to have other veterans in the class team up with the one with PTSD. That way if there is ever a trigger than the other members of his group would be able to help.
Our school also has people on staff from the VA to help out needed as well.
Tyler,
It is always helpful to have people who understand the issues (without being involved in "treatment") who are nonjudgmental in working with student experiencing difficulties. You are lucky to have that kind of support available for your students. And so are they!
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I teach at the same school as Tyler and have the same approach with sutdents and PTSD (at least if they let me know about it). At one point I had a vet physically attack another student (to my horror), but fortunately the person who was attacked specifically sat next to this person knowing of his issues with PTSD. Fortunately noone was hurt and with my knowledge of his issues, the whole scene played out differently than if I had not known about it.
Daniel,
For the student to be open about such things comes with trust. If you make yourself a "safe" source for the student to share sensitive information, it can certainly be to everyone's advantage.
Dr. Jane Jarrow
I've become the "safe" source at the school I teach at. I just happen to be a combat vet of the Vietnam conflict, 4 tours. I'm the go-to instructor when someone has a student that's having problems. Veterans, with or w/o PTSD, will talk with me about their classes and career opportunities or choices. Never thought being a combat veteran would be a positive thing, I'm just glad I can be of help for students and fellow vets with combat experience.
Warren,
Excellent! I'm so glad that the students at your school have found a resource in you. Sometimes, in my experience, having another veteran to relate to can make a huge differnece. At some of my campsues, we have created initiatives where we hold special new student orientation sessions for student veterans, social gatherings, established Military Resource Center's, created peer mentoring programs (veterans mentoring veterans programs), etc. which have made a huge difference as veterans transition into an educational environment.
Sarah Smoger
Sarah:
I have noticed that veterans are definitely willing to make friends with other veteran students. It is hard for veterans to relate to someone their own age who has not had any real life experience such as the experiences they have. Sometimes we can see the difference in their behaviors and maturity levels. I believe one thing to focus on is staff training and veteran sensitivity training, I do also believe that colleges need to better prepare all students during freshman orientation about learning environments and appropriate behaviors in the classroom, keeping in mind that they might not only be in an environment with a Veteran students that may or may not suffer from PTSD but also with students with various learning challenges that need a productive learning environment.
