Educator and retired Major General Matt Smith has advice for fellow college educators: “Get to know your veteran students.”
Doing this is important not only because it enriches the class environment for all but because veterans or actively serving members of the military make up a significant portion of the student body at most universities. In fact, nearly 5% of college students are active military or veterans. Roughly half of that 5% are veterans and the other half are active-duty member of the military or the National Guard and reserve. That’s all according to data on military college enrollment from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Smith, a retired two-star general, now serves in a different capacity as Executive Director of Veteran Initiatives at Emory University and as director of the university’s Master of Business for Veterans program. He shares tips for educators on how to connect with veterans and military students in ways that can help facilitate excellence from these students and increase the classroom environment overall.
While the focus of our discussion is on military students, Smith emphasizes that many of these techniques and strategies apply to students from all different backgrounds.
1. Teaching Military Students: You Have More In Common Than You Might Think
While many teachers and professors might not consider their work similar to military work, there are many parallels, Smith says.
“Educators and members of the military, either still serving or veterans, have a tremendous amount in common from a purpose-driven, career, professional, choice standpoint,” he says. “While the values that may have mattered at the time they made the decision to go into either profession may have been slightly different, they’re really more alike than you’d find across other sectors of our society.”
Recognizing these similarities and discussing it with veteran students can be a major step toward effective class engagement, Smith says.
2. Learn About All Students, Including Those in The Military
Once you’ve established the similarities between you and your military students, it’s time to start learning about their experiences, Smith says. Many veterans come to college with a range of rich life experiences and technical know-how that they can use to foster their college career. The process doesn’t have to be complicated.
“Everybody likes to talk about themselves,” Smith says, who adds that a couple of well-placed questions during an office hour or a private meeting before after class can really help. “A simple interrogative question like, ‘Hey, so tell me about your service prior to coming to school.’”
Smith adds the answer to this type of question is often pretty entertaining and really insightful about the student.
3. Remember Veterans Are Experts At Team Projects And Collaboration
One skill most veterans and active-duty military members need to develop is the ability to work in teams. Educators can harness that in their classes.
“The vast majority of the classes across any subject use team projects to educate,” Smith says. “If a certain curriculum utilizes team projects, it’s like a slow-pitch softball to tap a veteran, regardless of their rank.”
This not only lets a veteran do something they are good at, but having them lead collaborative team projects can also serve as a model for their fellow students.
4. Recognize Strengths Veterans Have
Once Smith was offered a job at a major foundation, and when Smith said he didn’t think he had the qualification, the person offering him the job disagreed.
“He said, ‘Sure you do. You have a PhD in the human condition,’” Smith recalls. He realized this person had a point because the military had given him so much experience working with “such large volumes of human beings.”
Additionally, just getting that kind of affirmation was powerful.
“It kind of changed how I thought about leadership,” he says. “I was personally thankful for him pointing it out.”
Fostering the skills veterans already have, including their understanding of human experience, is key, Smith says. “They may not fully realize what they bring to the table, but part of an educator’s job is to draw out the best of people in the educational environment.”
5. Foster Leadership Lessons For All
Leadership is a key part of military training, but it’s not the only profession that fosters such skills, Smith says.
“The military doesn’t have the market cornered on leadership.” He adds that teachers are often great leaders.
Regardless of who he is teaching, Smith’s approach to leadership is based on the idea that it’s always better to learn from others’ mistakes. In other words, the right insights can save time and avoid growing pains. This is true for veteran students, but because of their extensive experience with teamwork and leadership, they sometimes have other unique lessons they can share with their classmates.
“Because leadership is about the human condition, and involves all aspects of communication, listening is most important,” Smith says, “I think eliciting the lessons learned from veterans can potentially help their peers on their life journey, whatever that path is.”
