Empower middle school students with the essential skill of self-advocacy! With this lesson plan, students can learn to independently advocate for themselves and honor their strengths in order to respect their own differing needs.
This in turn will boost their confidence and self-esteem, as well. To teach your next middle school lesson on self-advocacy & honoring strengths make sure to download this free middle school self-advocacy material.
What is Self-Advocacy?
Self-advocacy is the ability to express one’s needs, preferences, and strengths in a confident and respectful way. For middle schoolers, learning this skill is critical to:
- Building self-esteem and confidence
- Communicating effectively with teachers, peers, and adults
- Overcoming challenges by seeking help when needed
- Recognizing and embracing personal strengths
By teaching students self-advocacy, we equip them with tools to navigate school and beyond with independence and resilience.
How to Teach Self-Advocacy in Middle School
Teaching self-advocacy requires clear instruction, real-world examples, and active practice. Start by modeling effective self-advocacy through teacher-led demonstrations—showing students how to ask for help, seek clarification, or request accommodations in a respectful and confident manner.
Encourage students to identify moments in their daily lives where speaking up is necessary, such as asking for extra time on assignments or setting personal boundaries. Facilitate structured discussions where students reflect on past experiences, share challenges, and develop strategies to advocate for themselves more effectively.
To reinforce these skills, engage students in hands-on activities like role-playing scenarios, using guided sentence starters, and practicing assertive but respectful communication in various contexts. These exercises provide practical experience, helping students build confidence in their ability to self-advocate successfully.
Our free self-advocacy lesson plan for middle school puts these strategies into action. This lesson is designed to help students:
- Recognize their personal strengths
- Express their needs in a constructive way
- Gain confidence through interactive practice
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan: Teaching Self-Advocacy
Our lesson plan provides practical ways to help students develop and reinforce their self-advocacy skills:
1. Introduce the Concept of Self-Advocacy
Begin by discussing what self-advocacy means and why it is important. Use relatable examples to show how advocating for oneself can:
- Help students achieve their academic and personal goals
- Build confidence in expressing thoughts and needs
- Encourage independence and problem-solving skills
Next, introduce the idea that self-advocacy starts with recognizing personal strengths. When students understand what they do well, they feel more confident speaking up for themselves.
2. Practice Self-Advocacy
Create role-play scenarios where students can practice advocating for themselves in real-life situations. Encourage them to use techniques such as:
- ‘I’ Statements (e.g., “I need help understanding this assignment.”)
- Asking for Clarification (e.g., “Can you explain this differently?”)
- Expressing Strengths Positively (e.g., “I’m really good at organizing projects. Can I take the lead on this?”)
After the role-play, have students reflect on how self-advocacy can help them in different situations.
3. Complete the ‘Honoring Your Strengths’ Activity
The Honoring Your Strengths worksheet helps students:
- Identify three personal strengths
- Reflect on challenges they’d like to improve
- Give compliments to peers to build positive communication
- Think about ways to apply self-advocacy in daily life
Download and print this free worksheet to reinforce the concept of self-advocacy and honoring their unique strengths.
Encourage students to share their responses in small groups, fostering a supportive and affirming environment.
Want More? Access Additional Free Resources!
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:
