Posts Tagged school
Being Your Child’s Greatest Advocate
The beginning of the school year brings about many changes in your child’s, and in your, life. Often there are new schools, new classrooms, new teachers, new friends. With these bring immediate and specific concerns: how do I find my way around the school? which adults can I turn to for help? where is the bathroom and how do I ask to use it? who will sit next to me at lunchtime?
As parents, I think our primal reaction is to want to shelter our children from harm, both physical and emotional. We don’t want our kids to feel left out, scared, uncomfortable, and alone. Often, I think this is wrapped up in our own childhood memories of school. I remember being worried about boarding the school bus, and I also remember vividly being the new kid in 5th grade. At age 10, on the precipice of adolescence, I teetered on the edge of being shy and loving to perform. Would I be too nervous to try out for the school play? Would I raise my hand in math class? And more importantly to a pre-teen, with whom would I navigate the friendships in school?
Tags: advocate, advocates, children, education, educational, mediate, parent, parents, school, schools, workingRelated posts
Parents As Child Advocates – How to Become a Strong Advocate For Your Children
One afternoon your daughter comes home from her third grade class and gives you a note from her teacher requesting a conference. You immediately feel blood rush to your head as you ask your daughter if she did anything wrong. When you talk to the teacher over the phone, you get a friendly reception and the assurance that the conference is about something positive. While sitting in a tiny school room chair the next day, you learn from the teacher that your daughter shows advanced ability in math and you discuss how her talent can be developed.
Back at home, your mind starts planning next steps but you quickly run into a roadblock. Your daughter tells you that she does not want other kids to know she is good at math because they might not like her if she appears too smart. You scratch your head wondering what just happened and how you should react. This is the complex world of parents being advocates for their children’s unique talents or disabilities. Similar stories come from families with children who have learning disabilities or behavior problems. Parent advocacy can be more challenging when a child has an inefficiency in learning or behavior that requires other adults to be more sensitive, understanding and adaptive as instructors. Parents must assure that other adults and institutions provide the support their children need to be successful.
Tags: advocacy, advocate, advocates, business, child advocate, child advocates, children, disabilities, disability, education, learning disabilities, mediate, money, parent, parents, schoolRelated posts
Making it Personal – Creating an Advocate List – Getting Referrals
An advocate is someone who believes in you and as a group, is your single most important resource for referrals. They may be existing customers, old school buddies, neighbours, family members, suppliers, associates – heck, maybe even your mother-in-law who doesn’t even know what you really do but loves you anyway!
Creating, building and working your advocate list are different from networking. Where networking is the building of business contacts (which is also a good thing) an advocate refers you because you’re you!
Tags: advocate, advocates, business, customer, customer service, money, respect, school, workingRelated posts