Military families often transition from one geographical location to another. Currently there are 2.2 million service members and out of this number 40 percent of those have children (Cole, 2016). These families undergo numerous changes such as deployments, transitions, and reunifications. These can affect students' behavior in the classroom. Some of these behaviors can consist of misbehaving in the classroom, anxiety, stress, and increased risk taking behaviors. Teachers can assist the children by providing additional support during these times. This could include having students write their feelings in a journal that can be incorporated in their writing time, speaking to a school counselor, or reading books about deployments that are age appropriate. In addition to providing support at school, it is equally important to provide a partnership with the student’s family to keep an open line of communication and support that student based on their specific need. Reward systems that can be utilized both at school and home help to praise students for positive behavior. This could include emailing the deployed service member if they have access to keep everyone involved. A resource that is available to teacher professionals is militarychild.org. This has resources available to help with the transition. One article by Amanda Woodyard Connectivity: Important and Necessary states that it is important to gain a child's trust so that they may be receptive to "guidance and advice" (Woodard, 2016). It is important to know if you have a military liaison at your school and refer students to this person to assist in a smooth transition. It is important to the students to not only let them know you are there for them, but to follow up consistently and ask open ended questions to allow them an opportunity to discuss any concerns or issues they may be having.

Although students may undergo many transitions throughout their parents career, one of the most frequent transitions is the transition from one duty station to another otherwise known as PCS'ing. Students may undergo six to nine transitions throughout their academic career which is three times more than civilians (Cole, 2016). With this many transitions, both student and parent may need additional support in learning the curriculum, new expectations, and new technology utilized at the new school. Teachers need to understand the financial hardship that moving can have on a family and there may be a need for financial assistance for school supplies. According to the Department of Defense, a study revealed that children ages 6-13 were affected the most by a military move. With numerous moves, students' grades are affected and this is proven by civilian students graduating with a 10 percent higher rate than military students (Smith-Groves, 2016). These students are affected by loss of credits due to moves and classes not transferring, and lower GPA’s. In addition, students that may have IEP’s or being assessed could negatively be affected if a school district does not complete prior to a transition. It is important to complete all paperwork for each student so that they are not affected when leaving your school. All of these factors can play a role in a student's academic success. It has been difficult to complete longitudinal studies on military children due to the frequent moves to give a more accurate assessment.

Self-efficacy is defined by Webster dictionary as a person’s belief that they can be successful when carrying out a particular task. Relationships can have a positive effect on academic performance, personal well being, and depressive symptoms (Mancini et al, 2015). Girls reported higher grades but in addition, higher levels of anxiety and depression and older youth report lower grades than younger youth (Mancini et al, 2015). Relationships play a large role in a student's self efficacy. Teachers can assist with relationships for new students. This can be done by pairing them with other students for projects, having a buddy for lunch, or even offering for students to sit in the classroom for lunch as they are getting adjusted. Teachers can provide resources for support groups within the school. Also, remember that these students have moved many times and many are very reliant due to this. Allow them to share experiences if they feel comfortable. Many students have had amazing adventures and by allowing them to share this could open up opportunities for relationships with other students. Each school has their own set of rules and guidelines. Ensure you have made the routines clear so that they understand how things work and feel comfortable. This will allow for great confidence.

Some tips for teachers when dealing with military children:

*Be flexible with homework (students may have taken on additional tasks if a servicemember deploys)

*Create a support group for children that may be going through similar circumstances

*Provide coping skills to help students in identifying emotions and how to express appropriately (MFRI, 2013).

*Share some special things about the new area they live in

Military families undergo many changes such as relocation, deployment, etc and these changes can have negative impacts on the children both academically and emotionally. As teachers, it is extremely important to understand how these changes affect students and how we can assist during this difficult time. Teachers must be able to assist both the student and the parent and provide resources so that they are able to access computer programs, teacher, and support programs. Schools often have liaisons available to assist the student and teachers.