My Advocacy Action Plan

Name: ____________________________

Date: ____________________________

Part 1: Identifying My Needs and Boundaries

Think about a situation where you might need to advocate for yourself (e.g., at school, with friends, family, or a job). What are your needs and boundaries in this situation?

Situation:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

My Needs (What do I require or want in this situation?):

1. ________________________________________________________________
   
   
   
2. ________________________________________________________________
   
   
   
3. ________________________________________________________________
   
   
   

My Boundaries (What limits do I need to set?):

1. ________________________________________________________________
   
   
   
2. ________________________________________________________________
   
   
   
3. ________________________________________________________________
   
   
   

Part 2: Crafting Assertive Statements

Using the needs and boundaries you identified above, craft assertive "I" statements. Remember the format: "I feel [emotion] when [situation] because [reason]. I need/would like [request]."

Assertive Statement 1:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Assertive Statement 2:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Assertive Statement 3:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Part 3: Reflection and Next Steps

1. How do you feel about using these assertive statements?

   ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. When and where do you plan to use your self-advocacy skills?

   ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
   
   
   
   
   
   

3. What challenges do you anticipate, and how might you overcome them?

   ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
   
   
   
   
   
   

Practicing Assertive Statements

Introduction: What is Self-Advocacy? (5 minutes)

Teacher: "Good morning/afternoon, everyone! Today, we're going to talk about something super important for your life now and in the future: self-advocacy. To start, I want you to think for a moment: What does it mean to speak up for yourself? Take a moment to jot down a few ideas or just think it through."

(Allow a moment for students to think or write.)

Teacher: "Can anyone share what comes to mind when you hear 'speaking up for yourself'?"

(Facilitate a brief discussion, affirming student responses. Introduce Slide 1 of Speaking Up For Yourself (Slide Deck).)

Teacher: "Exactly! Self-advocacy is confidently expressing your needs, your boundaries, and your opinions, all while respecting others. It's about making sure your voice is heard. Why do you think this is a 'superpower' for life?"

(Show Slide 2 of Speaking Up For Yourself (Slide Deck) and briefly discuss the importance in different areas of life.)

Identifying Needs and Boundaries (10 minutes)

Teacher: "Before we can speak up, we need to know what we're speaking up for. That means understanding our own needs and boundaries. Let's look at Slide 3 of Speaking Up For Yourself (Slide Deck). Think about your academic needs. Maybe you need clarification on an assignment, or perhaps you need a quiet space to study. What are some of your academic needs right now?"

(Allow students to share. Guide them to think about emotional and physical needs too.)

Teacher: "Now, let's talk about boundaries, on Slide 4. Boundaries are like personal force fields; they're limits you set to protect your well-being. They can be about your time, your personal space, or even how people talk to you. For example, maybe you have a boundary that you won't check emails after 8 PM. Can anyone think of a boundary they have or one they wish they could set?"

(Encourage safe sharing. Remind them that boundaries are about self-care.)

Assertive Communication Practice (15 minutes)

Teacher: "Knowing your needs and boundaries is the first step. The next is communicating them effectively. This is where assertive communication comes in, as shown on Slide 5. Being assertive means being clear, direct, and respectful. It's not being passive, where you don't say anything, and it's not being aggressive, where you demand things. It's about finding that confident middle ground."

Teacher: "A fantastic tool for assertive communication is using 'I' statements. Look at Slide 6. The basic formula is: 'I feel [emotion] when [situation] because [reason]. I need/would like [request].' Let's try some examples together."

(Present the following scenarios for students to practice creating 'I' statements. Encourage volunteers or pair-share.)

Scenario 1: "A friend always borrows your notes but never returns them, making it hard for you to study."

Teacher: "How could you use an 'I' statement here?"

(Guide them towards something like: "I feel frustrated when my notes aren't returned because I need them to study. I would like you to return them promptly.")

Scenario 2: "You're working on a group project, and one member isn't contributing."

Teacher: "What's an assertive way to approach this?"

(Guide them towards something like: "I feel concerned about our project deadline when I see uneven contributions because it impacts our grade. I need everyone to complete their assigned tasks.")

Scenario 3: "Your parents want you to do something, but you have another important commitment."

Teacher: "How can you respectfully express your situation?"

(Guide them towards something like: "I feel torn because I want to help, but I have a prior commitment that I need to honor. I would like to discuss another time I can assist.")

My Advocacy Action Plan (10 minutes)

Teacher: "Great practice, everyone! Now it's your turn to create your own plan. I'm distributing the My Advocacy Action Plan (Worksheet). On this worksheet, you'll identify a personal situation where you want to practice self-advocacy, outline your needs and boundaries, and then craft your own assertive statements. Take the next 10 minutes to start working on this. I'll be walking around to offer support if you need it."

(Distribute the worksheet. Circulate and provide individual assistance.)

Wrap-up and Reflection (5 minutes)

Teacher: "As we wrap up, I'd like each of you to think about one key takeaway from today's lesson. What's one thing you learned or one idea that really stuck with you about self-advocacy?"

(Call on a few students to share.)

Teacher: "Excellent! Remember what we saw on Slide 7 of Speaking Up For Yourself (Slide Deck): your voice matters, it's okay to ask for what you need, and practice makes perfect. Keep shining your self-advocacy superpower! You can keep your action plan as a personal guide, or if you'd like me to look over it, you can turn it in."

(Collect worksheets if applicable.)