Prompts:
- Check out one or more of the resources on Self-Advocacy in the Resources tab. Comment here to share a response to the particular resource(s) and extend the discussion.
- And/or review our notes from Week Four and craft a response to something within the notes that sparks your interest.
- And/or take one or more of the guiding questions from our fourth meeting (see below) and write a comment in response.
- And/or add responses to other comments posted here.
- And/or share and comment on a resource not posted within our resources page. Please only share links and not PDFs.
All comments will post on the Home page and also within the Discussion tab.
Discussion Questions to Consider:
- How do we support students with developing self-advocacy skills?
- Audrey acted out and had anxiety attacks as a result of the frustration she felt over her difficulties in school. How can you help students like Audrey keep from escalating when they become frustrated?
- Audrey’s teacher notes how important it is “to learn how you learn.” How do you help your students identify their learning strengths and accommodations that will help them work around their challenges?
- Audrey excelled at soccer, even as she struggled so painfully in school. What can you do to engage students like Audrey, who have such discrepancies in their skill sets?
- Audrey has learned to ask for help when she needs it, what to ask for, and whom to ask. Do you feel confident your students can self-advocate as Audrey does? If not, what more can you do to help them develop this essential skill?
- Audrey recognizes the accommodations that help her do her best – extra time, a separate room, a reader. “It’s like glasses- [with accommodations], I see everything just clear.” How do we at UNE support students to get the accommodations they need?
- Audrey says “It’s cool to be different.” What do you think happened that made a formerly angry, anxious child feel this way?
- What other questions or thoughts does Audrey’s story raise for you?
Hi all!
I know I’m a little late in my response, but I think one of the ways we can support students is to highlight steps that help students develop self-advocacy. The anxiety that Audrey describes is familiar to all of us, perhaps to a lesser extent, so offering our own strategies may be useful, but moving students toward self-advocacy often means taking small steps. We can offer suggestions and work with students to identify the best strategies for them. We can be the support network to encourage them and celebrate their successes. Some of us are also in the unique role of being able to either incorporate or advocate for classroom practices that encourage all students to be advocates for themselves.
I wrote a more detailed reflection on my site as well: https://jengennaco.uneportfolio.org/2023/03/22/the-struggle-for-self-advocacy/.
I look forward to our next meeting!