By the time students reach high school, we often expect them to speak up for themselves—to share opinions, ask for support, and self-advocate in challenging situations. But many teens still struggle with this. Whether it’s nerves, self-doubt, or a lack of tools, they may hold back in moments where their voice matters most.
The Advocating for Yourself Worksheet from Everyday Speech provides real-world language and scenarios high schoolers can use to build self-advocacy skills. It’s a free printable resource designed to help teens express their thoughts, emotions, and needs respectfully.
In this article, we’ll cover:
- Why self-advocacy is essential for high schoolers
- A breakdown of what’s inside the worksheet
- Ideas for role-play and classroom discussion
- A free downloadable PDF to use with students today
Activities to Teach Self-Advocacy
Build student confidence with no-prep worksheets, posters, and video lessons.
Why Self-Advocacy Matters in High School
Self-advocacy isn’t just about getting what you want—it’s about recognizing your own needs and communicating them in a way that invites respect and understanding. That’s a tough balance, especially for teens navigating peer pressure, academic demands, and shifting identities.
High schoolers with strong self-advocacy skills:
- Are more confident in setting boundaries and asking for help
- Navigate social situations with greater self-awareness
- Participate more actively in classes and group projects
- Feel more in control of their decisions and outcomes
Without these skills, students may struggle silently or resort to unproductive behaviors—shutting down, avoiding tasks, or lashing out when they feel misunderstood. Giving them tools and language to self-advocate supports not only academic success, but also emotional wellbeing and long-term independence.
What’s Inside the “Advocating for Yourself” Worksheet?
The Advocating for Yourself Worksheet presents students with real-life social situations where self-advocacy is appropriate—and models how to respond clearly and respectfully.
Example situations include:
- Feeling left out of a group or ignored in a conversation
- Wanting to express a personal opinion
- Asking to be included in social activities
- Requesting something from a parent or adult
Each scenario is paired with sentence starters that teens can adapt:
- “Hey, you all look like you’re having fun—can I join in?”
- “I’ve been thinking about this and would like to share my opinion.”
- “I feel a little left out. Can I join the conversation?”
You can encourage students to personalize these, try them out in different tones, and reflect on which feel natural to them.
Activities to Teach Self-Advocacy
Build student confidence with no-prep worksheets, posters, and video lessons.
How to Teach This Lesson
Here’s a simple three-part plan based on the Everyday Speech teaching guide:
1. Introduce the concept of self-advocacy
Start with a class discussion:
- “What does it mean to advocate for yourself?”
- “Why might it feel hard to speak up sometimes?”
- “What happens if we don’t say what we need?”
Ground the conversation in real examples—wanting more time on an assignment, asking to be heard in a group, or setting a boundary with a friend.
2. Practice through role-play
Assign students scenarios from the worksheet or create your own based on class experiences. Have them work in pairs or small groups to act out each situation using respectful tone, body language, and words.
Encourage reflection:
- Did the request come across clearly?
- Was the tone respectful?
- How might the other person feel receiving that message?
3. Complete the worksheet and reflect
Use the worksheet to reinforce key concepts and build confidence in communication. Invite students to think about situations in their own life where they might want to speak up more—and what they could say.
Optional extension: Have students write their own “What You Can Say” statements for situations they’ve encountered.
Why This Resource Works
This worksheet gives high school students a way to:
- Practice everyday social advocacy (not just formal requests)
- Get specific, relatable language to use in real conversations
- Reflect on their communication style and build confidence
- Shift from passive or reactive behavior to proactive, respectful expression
Whether you’re working with general education students or those receiving support services, this lesson helps teens develop an essential life skill: knowing how to speak up for themselves.
Want More? Access Additional Free Resources!
Everyday Speech is a no-prep digital curriculum that combines evidence-based video modeling, interactive web games, and digital and printable worksheets to make teaching social skills easy.
We offer a free 30-day trial where you can use our thousands of video lessons, worksheets, and games to teach social skills like self-advocacy.
Here’s an example video modeling lesson for teaching self-advocacy from our curriculum:
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