Cultivating Students' Self-Advocacy Skills

“Let kids do for themselves what they can already do. And guide and encourage them to do things they can almost do. And then teach and model for them the things that they can’t do.” 

                    - Aliza Pressman, as quoted in the NYTimes.

What is self-advocacy?

As teachers, we want our students to be confident and brave. We want them to express themselves clearly and ask for help when they need it. Although the phrase “voice and choice” is often bantered around when talking about developing students’ self-advocacy skills, it is so much more than that. 

Self-advocacy is “speaking up for yourself by communicating your needs, rights, and values” (raisingchildren.net.au). In the classroom, it might look like a student asking for an extension on an assignment, reminding a teacher that their individualized learning plan allows them to type assessments, or sending a classmate an email with a homework question. It can even be as simple as asking to go to the bathroom. However, self-advocacy can also involve bigger issues related to social justice and human rights, such as when a trans-student requests to use the bathroom of the gender they identify with (hear Gavin Grimm’s story for an example of this). 

Why is self-advocacy important?

There are many benefits of self-advocacy. “Children who actively participate in learning self-advocacy skills are better prepared to resolve problems themselves and understand when a problem requires adult help” (Pacer.org). Additionally, students who can self-advocate have higher self-esteem and perform better in their classes because they ask for clarification when they are confused and seek out extra resources (Konrad, Fowler, et al.). 

Most of the current research and literature on self-advocacy focuses on developing the skill in students with identified learning needs and disabilities. However, I would like to emphasize that self-advocacy is an important skill for ALL students to develop, and that special attention should be paid to developing it with English language learners, who often struggle to make their voices heard in English medium international schools.

What are some barriers to self-advocacy?

Note here that I use the word “may” when describing barriers students face as the barriers described below do not necessarily apply to all students uniformly.

There are many reasons why students may struggle with self-advocacy. Students who have trouble self-advocating may be used to sitting quietly in classrooms and being told what to do by adults. They may be afraid of “getting in trouble” for speaking out or hesitant to talk to adults who they think “don’t listen to them” or “value their opinions.” They may also be unaware of their strengths and areas for growth.

Students who are English Language Learners (ELL), especially newcomer students, face barriers to self-advocacy for the reasons listed above and other reasons unique to their needs as ELLs. They may be unconfident in the language of instruction and dealing with communication anxiety. They may be afraid of making a grammar mistake and lack the courage to speak up. They may also struggle with acculturation stress and be unfamiliar with the school’s system and policies.

Students with learning needs may struggle with self-advocacy because they don’t have enough knowledge of themselves as learners. They may have difficulty describing their strengths, needs, and preferred learning styles. They may feel disconnected and cut off from the school community. They may also lack the self-esteem to ask for what they need and/or may be missing the specific language or vocabulary to express themselves clearly.                                                                     

What are some strategies to cultivate self-advocacy?

1. Practice, Practice, Practice

Students need to be given low-stakes and supported opportunities to practice self-advocating. They may need to do a run-through beforehand or advocate with the support of a trusted adult. For example, I had a student in my Grade 7 English Language Acquisition class who had noticed a mistake in her class schedule. She didn’t know who to talk to or what to do. I spoke with her about going to the office and reviewed with her what she might say to the school secretary about the scheduling error. Then, I went with the student to the office and helped her initiate the conversation with the secretary. I also filled in the gaps when the student got stuck or didn’t have the words to ask for what she needed. 

2. Model and Provide Examples

Teachers can provide students with examples of what self-advocacy sounds like. For example, students can listen to dialogues of people self-advocating in common situations, such as this one called Changing a Meeting Time or this one called Arriving Late to Class. Teachers can provide scripts and sentence starters to help students learn how to initiate conversations about self-advocacy. This handout provides options for students to talk about the level of support they need when doing an assignment. Students can also do role-plays (see scenario ideas here) and practice writing emails to teachers using a template. My students had a lot of fun working in small groups to write and perform role-plays asking a teacher for an extension on an upcoming assignment.

3. Get Inspired!

Stories are a great way for students to learn about self-advocacy. Students can learn about famous leaders throughout history who have advocated for social justice and human rights, such as Nelson Mandela and Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Teachers should focus on leaders from different cultures, youth leaders, and leaders still advocating today, such as climate activist Greta Thunberg and women’s rights activist Malala Yousafzai. Teachers can also read picture books about self-advocacy to their students, such as If You’re A Kid Like Gavin Grimm, which tells the narrative of Gavin Grimm, the trans-rights activist I mentioned earlier. If a teacher isn’t sure where to start, they can ask their librarian for book recommendations that are appropriate for their learners.

4. Reflect and Goal Set

Students can become better at self-advocacy through metacognitive activities that help them understand themselves as learners. This can be done through self-assessment and reflection tasks that help students identify their strengths, areas for growth, and learning targets. For example, students at my school complete a survey called “I know myself as a learner” and write quarterly reflections on which of the International Baccalaureate Approaches to Learning (ATLs) they are strong at, which ATLs they need to work on, and why.

5. Develop and Embed Student Voice and Choice in the Curriculum and Schedule

Lastly, self-advocacy can be developed through the curriculum. Teachers can empower students through inquiry, project-based learning, and Universal Design for Learning. Teachers can welcome and embrace student feedback and regularly collect it from students at the end of a unit. Schools can build structured opportunities for student leadership into their schedule through student-led clubs and electives, student-led assemblies and events, Model United Nations, student government, service learning opportunities, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice clubs, and many more.  

Conclusion: 

Teaching self-advocacy skills should not just fall on the counselor. Self-advocacy is multifaceted and needs to be woven into the fabric of a school. All of our students need to feel that they have a voice and that their voice matters. Just because a student is quiet doesn’t mean they have nothing to say. In fact, they probably have quite a bit to say. They may just need help getting the words out. As educators, it is our job to support them to do just that.