E-Community Activity: Self-Advocating with Teachers

Send this message to the e-community of protégés and mentors.

Subject: Self-advocating with teachers

In high school your parents or guardians, teachers, and counselors work together and with you to make sure you have the disability-related accommodations you need. In college and employment, you need to advocate for yourself.

Sometimes teachers have a hard time understanding how they might best work with you so that you will be successful in their classes. You are the best person to explain this to them, but you may need some practice. One way to help teachers understand your learning styles, abilities, and disabilities is to meet with them or write a letter of introduction to give to them at the beginning of the year.

What would be important to tell your teacher about your interests, strengths, and challenges and about how they can best work with you so that you can be successful in the class?