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GO BACK All Goal Posters THIS SKILL Self-Esteem THIS GOAL Advocating for Yourself

Advocating for Yourself

There are many situations in life where we attempt to get our needs met by asking or making a request. Learners practice choosing the correct time, place, and words for common requests such as requesting the bathroom, telling someone you’re sick, asking permission to take breaks, and requesting academic help.

Preview an SEL skills lesson: Advocating for Yourself

1 Show the video to your students

[INTRODUCTION – animated scene]

Narrator: Sometimes, other people might do things we find distracting or annoying. 

Girl 1: (Chewing and popping bubble gum.) 

Girl 2: (Annoyed) 

Narrator: Other people don’t always know what they are doing is bothering us. If someone is doing something that is annoying us and we can’t ignore it, we should remain calm and politely let them know that what they are doing is bothering us. We should always remember to thank the other person when they change their behavior.

Girl 2: Can you please stop? Thank you.

 

[SKILLS]

Narrator: If something is bothering us and it’s too big to ignore, we can: Stay calm; Politely ask the person to stop what they’re doing and explain why; Say thank you after they stop. Let’s see what it looks like when Liz needs to tell Madison that something is bothering her.

 

[SCENE 1 – Friend’s House, Liz and Madison are both working]

Madison: (taps left foot loudly)

Liz: (internal thought) It’s really hard to get work done while Madison is tapping her foot. I wonder if I should say anything. It’s important to finish my work, so I guess I should tell her it’s bothering me.

Liz: Hey, Madison. Could you be a little quieter? I’m having trouble working while you’re tapping your foot.

Madison: (Smiling) Oh sure, sorry. I didn’t even notice I was doing it.

Liz: Thanks!

 

[FROM MY VIEW]

Liz: (voice over) If something is bothering me and it’s too big to ignore, like not being able to get homework done, I can politely ask the person to stop.

 

[SKILLS REVIEW]

Narrator: When someone is doing something that bothers us, it’s important to let them know in a polite way. First, we get the person’s attention. Next, we ask them to stop doing the action that is bothering us. And we tell them what was bothering us in a polite way. Because they might not have known that it bothered us. Last, we always say thank you to them.

 

[WHAT DID WE LEARN?]

Narrator: So, what did we learn? If something is bothering us, we can: Stay calm; Politely ask the person to stop what they’re doing and explain why; Say thank you after they stop.

 

2 Review with the Companion Worksheet
3 Apply new skills with activities & games!

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Other SEL materials on Advocating for Yourself
Being Your Own Decision Maker Video
Being Your Own Decision Maker

Elementary School

Interactive Worksheet: Advocating For Yourself Activity
Interactive Worksheet: Advocating For Yourself

Elementary School

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