Enlisting and Providing Support

Shawanda Fairley

Questions you have with which your colleagues may be able to provide help and support

I am doing my presentation on how to get parents involved in early childhood classrooms. My question to my colleagues is how comfortable and confidences are you with presenting your presentation because I am a little nervous about getting in front of others, even though I communicate with them daily.

Resources and information you are seeking

Resources I will seek for my AAP is the internet because it is full of resources, such as facebook.  I will also seek the PTA, Boys and Girls Club, and the family service workers in the school because they all have something to offer to parents. Invite parents to help with field trips, school programs and to assure all parents that their involvement is very important to the school.

Resources and/or information you have found helpful and insightful

Information I found to be helpful, when staffs greet parents as they enter the school makes them feel welcome and comfortable. Information that I found to be insightful, newsletters from different early childhood organization to keep abreast of the current trends, research, issues and policies concerning parental involvement in early childhood.

My Personal Advocacy Journey

 Shawanda Fairley Blog 3 EDU412

 A quote that you find inspirational regarding the role that advocacy can have in the lives of young children and their families.

“Our voices will be heard in the future when we take up on advocacy issues.” By Dawn Hudson

What inspires and excites you most about your advocacy plan and being an advocate?

Being an advocate is inspiring and exciting. I have learned new things, expanded my knowledge and discovered more about advocating plan.  What inspires me about my advocacy plan is reaching out to parents and letting them know how important it is for them to be involved in their children’s education.  I am inspired to do my best to get parents more involved as well as to provide them with the necessary resources they need.  My job inspired me to research the topic of parental involvement. The teachers have been helpful and supportive to me during my advocacy planning.

What challenges and/or anxieties do you feel related to engaging in the advocacy efforts you have targeted?

The challenge I feel related to engaging in my advocacy efforts was ensuring that the resources were going to help the parents understand the goals of my plan.  My anxiety with this Advocacy Action plan was making sure I was doing my plan correctly.

What do you believe will be most effective in helping you overcome any challenging emotions you may be feeling with regard to presenting and implementing your Advocacy Action Plan?

 I know when it’s time to present my Advocacy Action Plan that I will be nervous.  I know  that I should not be because this topic really inspires me to help parents understand why their involvement is very important. The most effective way to help me overcome this challenging emotion is communicating more with the parents to get a better understanding about them and how they feel about parental involvement. I really need to establish a relationship with them, so there will be a sense of security and comfort.

How can you encourage others in their advocacy efforts, and how can others encourage you?

 I would encourage others in their advocacy efforts by telling them to be excited, as well as have a passion about what they are advocating for. Others can encourage me by giving me feedback about my advocacy plan and giving me more information about parental involvement.