Self-Advocacy with Teachers

Freshman Year · Education · Required Lesson

Self-Advocacy with Teachers

25–30 minutes Medium Required

Destination

By the end of this conversation, the mentee should be able to explain why speaking up to teachers matters and draft one real message or script for a teacher.

Stop 1 of 4

Talk

Goal: Understand how comfortable the mentee currently feels approaching teachers, and why—without pushing them to defend past silence.

“Teachers can’t read minds. If something’s confusing, unfair, or hard, they usually can’t fix it unless you tell them. Speaking up isn’t complaining—it’s giving them the information they need to actually help you.”

Choose three to five questions

1. Have you ever been confused in class but didn’t say anything? What stopped you?
2. Have you ever asked a teacher for help and it went well? What happened?
3. Does talking to teachers feel different than talking to friends? How?
4. Is there a teacher right now you feel comfortable approaching? What makes them easier to talk to?
5. Have you ever emailed a teacher before? How did you decide what to say?
Mentor Tip: Many students go silent with teachers not because they don’t care, but because no one taught them how to start the conversation—or because past experiences made speaking up feel risky. This is a skills conversation, not a confidence lecture.

Stop 2 of 4

Learn

What self-advocacy actually means

Self-advocacy means speaking up for your own needs—asking a question, requesting help, or explaining a situation clearly and respectfully. It’s not about complaining or arguing. It’s about giving people the information they need to actually help you.

Route 21 Big Idea:
Most teachers want to help—but they can’t fix a problem they don’t know about. Speaking up isn’t a burden to them; it’s the information they’re often waiting for.

Ways to reach a teacher

Before or after classQuick, informal, low-pressure. Good for short questions.
Office hoursMore time and privacy for a bigger conversation.
Email or school portalGood for anything you want to think through first, or that feels easier to write than say out loud.

Scripts for common situations

Sentence Starters
Confused about material — “I’m having trouble understanding [specific topic]. Could you explain it a different way?”
Need more time — “I’m having a hard time finishing this by the deadline. Is there any flexibility?”
Question about a grade — “I want to understand how this grade was calculated—could you walk me through it?”
Personal circumstance affecting work — “Something’s going on outside of school that’s affecting my work. Can we talk about it?”

A simple email template

Subject: Question about [assignment/topic]

Hi [Teacher’s name],

[Say what you need clearly, in one or two sentences.]

[Optional: mention what you’ve already tried.]

Thank you,

[Your name]

Being specific and polite matters more than being formal or fancy. A short, clear message usually works better than a long one.

Stop 3 of 4

Try

Draft a real message

Pick one real situation the mentee is currently facing, and draft an actual email or in-person script together using the template above.

My situation___________
What I actually need___________
Best way to reach out___________
If you said this out loud instead of writing it, what would you actually say?

Choose Your Route

Pick the video that best fits your time and interest today. You only need to watch one.

Level 1 · Quick Stop

How to Email a Teacher

Approximately 3–5 minutes

A clear, practical walkthrough of how to write a respectful, effective email to a teacher.

Watch the Quick Stop
Talk afterward: Was there a tip in the video that’s different from how you’d usually write to a teacher?

Level 2 · Scenic Route

Self-Advocacy: A Social Emotional Lesson

Approximately 8–10 minutes

A broader lesson on speaking up for your own needs, useful for any student regardless of background or learning style.

Take the Scenic Route
Talk afterward: Which part of self-advocacy feels hardest for you right now?

Level 3 · Open Road

Self-Advocacy: How to Speak Up and Get What You Want

Approximately 10–15 minutes

A deeper look at building the confidence to speak up for yourself—useful well beyond the classroom.

Explore the Open Road
Talk afterward: What’s one idea from the video that applies beyond just talking to teachers?
Mentor Reminder: Let the mentee choose the route whenever possible. The real script drafted above matters more than the video.

Stop 4 of 4

Grow

Reflection

What’s one thing that makes it easier or harder for you to speak up to a teacher?
Is there a real situation right now where you could use what we practiced today?
What’s one teacher you could reach out to this week, even about something small?
What questions do you still have?

Start small

You don’t have to start with the hardest conversation. Practicing on something low-stakes—a quick question after class—builds confidence for bigger conversations later.

How can your mentor help?

How can Route 21 help?

Would a simple email template or script bank for common school situations be useful to you?
Mentor Wrap-Up:
Did the mentee draft something real, not just a hypothetical example? Do they have one specific, low-stakes next step they’re willing to actually try this week?