Tom Downey
Educator Portfolio
Advocacy
Knowledge of injustice in the world, and ability to advocate for themselves and others
Introduction
One facet of education that does not currently receive structural support in education is the role of advocacy in a student's civic life. My school places an emphasis on "civic leadership" in its written mission statement, but instructors have struggled to make this important mission a reality in classrooms. Advocacy plays an important role in civic leadership and civics education, and it is essential for students to develop informed opinions about the injustices that play a role in their society. Through this knowledge, students are given the foundation for building advocacy skills for both themselves and others.
My students have been fortunate enough to have had many Teach For America teachers in previous years. Because of this, my students have a strong sense of advocacy and have learned to advocate for themselves through organized community events. With this context, I began thinking about the ways in which my students could improve their advocacy skills. I decided to focus on advocacy on a national scale. Below, you can explore the ways my students have broadened their understanding of advocacy to include the national political process.
Advocacy through National Politics
Conclusion
Through some lessons about national politics, engagement activities, and reflective conversations that turned into action, students were able to get hands-on experience with advocacy through a national lens. When students learned about the requirements of immigrants as they become new citizens, they built essential skills needed for speaking and thinking about real-world problems while navigating and challenging systemic injustices. When students researched the 2020 Democratic primary candidates, they began to understand the process of researching about real-world problems and citing evidence from informative articles. The concept of advocacy is an essential skillset that students must learn to become impactful citizens that think critically about ways to combat systemic injustices in the world.
