Self-advocacy is an easily forgotten key to academic success. In our experience, students who meet regularly with their teachers understand material better, study smarter not harder, and feel more invested in the class, their grades, and learning in general. They often also get the benefit of the doubt when it comes to mistakes; for example, teachers may be more willing to cut them some slack on a (rare) late assignment, or round up on a grade.
But kids don’t necessarily realize all of those perks or understand how to start the conversation with their teacher. Here’s how you can help your child—at any age!—learn how to ask for the support they need at school.
Is it a one-time issue, like checking in with teachers after an absence? Or is there an ongoing challenge, like struggling with the class’s tests? It’s important to “problem-find” before problem-solving. You and your child will also want to consider what they have control over and what they don’t. All of this info will help you decide on next best steps for self-advocacy.
You and your child might not have a ready answer for this question. That’s okay! Here are some follow up questions to dig a little deeper:
When encouraging your child to share, the phrase “tell me more” can be really useful!
This isn’t something that comes naturally to students, so you may need to coach your child a bit.
First, talk with your child about what self-advocacy means and what they want to get out of the meeting. Then work backwards to figure out what they’ll need to do ahead of time to make that happen.
Celebrate the win—they did what they planned!
Be curious about it all. You want your child to practice self-advocacy regularly, so it’s not a time to be disappointed that they didn’t do it perfectly or to tell them all the ways they should have done it differently. Open-ended questions will keep you on track:
Sure, it’s quicker, more effective, and less painful for you just to check in with the teacher, rewrite the paragraph, or keep track of due dates. But in the long run, scaffolding only as much as is necessary will benefit your child to a much greater degree. Learning from mistakes is powerful, as is being accountable to oneself.
Tune into your child’s learning style. What does it look like when they’re struggling with something that’s within reach? Give them some time to get there! On the flip side, what does it look like when they are truly lost and need a hand connecting the dots? Offer guidance, but don’t do it all for them.
Finally, cut yourself and your child some slack. Life is hard right now for a whole lot of reasons. There’s nothing wrong with choosing one area to improve, and to do it with baby steps. That’s our approach with tutoring because we find it leads to confidence and independence!
If you or your child could use some extra support, give us a call!
Kim has a bachelor’s degree in public administration from University of Arizona, a master’s degree in special education from University of Illinois at Chicago, and a master’s degree in educational leadership from American College of Education. She previously worked as a teacher for fourteen years, and as a tutoring director for Nurturing Wisdom—we’re excited to have her back on the team! Learn more about her below.
My favorite class in high school was…geometry (although I prefer algebra) because my teacher, Mr. Warwick, was organized and explained the concepts in an engaging and understandable manner. He made me feel confident when asking questions and was always open to teaching material in a variety of ways.
I loved UIC because…it allowed me to explore Chicago and meet incredible people while working in a variety of schools and educational programs. The Graduate College of Education had teachers that provided real world context and were very supportive to students’ individual goals.
On a day off, you’ll find me…at a sporting event for one of my four daughters, floating down the DuPage River, or at the dog park with my dog, Daisy.
What sets Nurturing Wisdom apart is… the individual care we take with the families we work with and the strong team behind each tutoring decision, including tutoring plans, curriculum, and tutor matches.
Sarah graduated from Marquette University with a bachelor’s degree in education and sociology, and she’s completed coursework in childhood literacy and museum studies. After nine years as a fifth grade teacher in Wauwatosa, Portland, and Chicago, Sarah initially joined NW as a tutor. Learn more about her below!
A tip I’d give to a student to make the most of tutoring would be… that you get out of it what you put into it. If you put in time and energy, and bring a positive attitude, you’ll achieve so much!
I loved Marquette University because… it put me on the path to teaching, introduced me to amazing, life-long friends, and made me fall in love with Milwaukee.
On a day off, you’ll find me… taking a long walk to a coffee shop, chatting with friends, or going on a bike ride and cooking while listening to my latest podcast obsession.
What sets Nurturing Wisdom apart is… that everyone on the team is a life-long learner at heart, and that we care about the whole student. Everyone is dedicated to getting to know families in order to find a great fit for students and tutors.
Shannon has a degree in marketing from Creighton University. After working in the business world for over five years, she decided to go back to school to get her master’s degree in elementary education from Quincy University. Learn more about her below!
My favorite book is… The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. This is an amazing book that made me want to travel and see more of the world.
My favorite subject in school was… history because I loved learning more about the world and how the past helped shape who we are today.
On a day off you’ll find me… hanging out with family and friends. In the summer, usually doing something fun outside.
What sets Nurturing Wisdom apart is… it’s team approach to tutoring as well as it’s individualized curriculum! Both the team approach and the curriculum make tutoring and learning more fun and efficient.