Throughout my entire externship time so far, my mentor has been very understanding and supportive of me. She also makes sure to give very detailed instructions on what she would like me to do and how important it is, so I don't often have to ask questions. But, if for some reason I do or or I complete the task incorrectly/make a mistake, she never gets upset and is very willing to help me. I feel very comfortable with her and communication is easy. So, in regards to myself, there hasn't really been a need for "self advocacy" but I have witnessed it within the classroom. There is one student who bullies other students and disrupts their learning on many occasions. It is sad to watch because of how intentionally he tries to hurt them. But, already at such a young age, they are practicing self advocacy. They speak up when he does something they don't like and let him know that it's not okay. And if he doesn't stop then they go to an adult and let them handle it. Although he continues to act out negatively, it does make me happy that the rest of the students are learning how to stick up for themselves and how to react in situations that make them uncomfortable. It will be a valuable tool that they will use in the future and who knows? Maybe they'll even write about it in a blog post in their senior year! :)
|