Thanking Colleagues

I really appreciate all the encouraging advice each of you had given me.  I was able to reflect on everyone's comments and I applied your suggestions to my advocacy plan and presentation.  The advice I received for my presentation was very useful.  When I presented my advocacy plan, I was more calm and confident about my delivery.  This course allowed me to interact with my colleagues and learn about different advocacy plans.  There are so many causes we all can stand for, but it's important to stand for something the unites people and informs people of what is important.

Blog My Advocacy Plan and Concerns

So I have been discussing with the assistant principal and a few teachers about what type of presentation.  I informed the assistant principal that I would like to create a PowerPoint and hand out an outline about my advocacy.  I would like to create a feedback questionnaire for my audience to answer.  Another thought is to hand out a copy of my Power Point.  I am nervous about my delivery, such as causing my audience to get so bored that they are not able to focus on my message or give me feedback.  I have had conversations with the principal, assistant principal, two teachers, and two other support staff that works with children and interact with their families.  I am also concerned about my message connecting with my audience.  Will they be able to comprehend the importance of my advocacy?

What can I do to feel more comfortable about my presentation?

Will my delivery affect the importance of my advocacy?

Will people even show up?

Am I prepared for distracting moments, for example, if someone walks in late or walks out of the presentation?

Here is an advocacy early literacy website, Early Literacy: A sustainable statewide approach http://www.americanlibrariesmagazine.org/article/early-literacy-sustainable-statewide-approach

As well as Reading Rockets http://www.readingrockets.org/article/c62/

 

 

Advocacy Action Plan

What inspires and excites me the most about my advocacy plan and being an advocate is having the opportunity to represent the voices of many.  I want to be a vessel for children and their families, so it is crucial that I find ways to invest quality time to observe the issues children and families are facing in their community.  Researching complex issues, networking, and raising awareness are important factors that help with finding solutions.  The most fulfilling part about advocacy is raising awareness, because it provides true understanding and multiple perspectives on any issue.  I want to be effective advocate, and I learned that an effective advocate requires dedication, knowledge of advocacy issues, and developing responsive relationship with families and children through communication.  I also have to be alert about the needed changes within my advocacy plan, so it can foster care for children and families.  Time is a challenge I encounter related to engaging in the advocacy efforts.  Being a full time working and full time student, I realized that advocacy can be very time consuming.  It’s almost like starting your own business, and like a business I have to focus on the objective and purpose of my plan as well as my target audience.  Sometimes throughout the planning different things can affect changes within the plan but not the objective.  I believe that receiving advice and help from others can ease the weight of feeling overwhelm.  A group discussion allows people to come together who share common purpose can assist with implementing my advocacy action plan.  The most crucial factor when encouraging others as well as myself is learning to be an active listener.  An active listener identifies and expresses the need of families, children, and the community.  Active listening will encourage people how to work to together and continue the process of making a difference.