Title: Teaching Advocacy in Your Classroom | Edutopia
Headings: Teaching Advocacy in Your Classroom
Teaching Advocacy in Your Classroom
By Katie Schellenberg, JD, MA

Content: It is useful to read the books about the power dynamics in the classroom and how we can begin to combat them. By teaching and acknowledging power dynamics in the classroom, students will feel more comfortable with speaking their truth in a situation when they are not the most powerful person in the room. Invite a non-traditional advocate to speak. This takes a bit of research but ask someone working in the community, at a non-profit organization or an agent of change in your city to come in to talk about how they got started in advocacy. Each person who identifies themselves or is identified as an advocate started by challenging something small (or maybe big) that they felt was unfair. I got started on my journey for advocacy by being forced to navigate an antiquated disability system at my university while I was chronically ill. It was through this marginalization experience that I was able to more profoundly empathize with those who lacked power in a given situation. You also don't need to be an "advocate" to advocate. Allow room for small advocacy and big advocacy. Encourage speaking and listening (in all forms).