Growth Mindset: Self Advocacy

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Growth Mindset: Self Advocacy

  • April 6, 2022
  • Posted by: Caitlin McCallum
  • Category: Wow Story
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In my first year at LSEM, I have been thankful for the time I have to spend working with students on not only their academic goals but also helping them to understand their path to growth. This is a story about learning to self advocate to bring success in your own journey.

I had a student in my first grade classroom last year who struggled with self-confidence all year. He was always comparing himself to the other students and felt bad when he couldn’t get started or work independently to complete an assignment. He was showing gains in reading and writing, however it was coming at a much slower pace than he wanted.

Over the last year and a half, we have been working together on his overall reading skills using the Orton-Gillingham Multisensory Method to reading. He is currently working just below his grade level and has completed his first 100 sight words with 100% accuracy in 5 out of 5 attempts.

However, the real success story happened just a few weeks ago. He approached his second grade teacher after the spelling lesson and asked in a very mature manner, “Can we make a change to my list? Will you let me take these two words off?” Needless to say, she was amazed and so delighted to see this student have the self-confidence to advocate for his own learning.

This is the goal, right? We would love to see all our students grow up to be successful lifelong learners that can self advocate and make decisions, along with a teacher and parents, to further their learning. I am looking forward to a future of growth mindset leaders!

~written by Jodee Price, LSEM Teacher at Trinity Lutheran School in Elkhart, IN