My Role as an Advocate

Just like my motivation to become a teacher, my desire to become an advocate stems from my passion to make a difference in the lives of children I come in contact with on a daily basis. What I am learning about advocacy has allowed me to see that no matter how big or small the issue may be, there is always the possibility to make a difference. So it is important to acknowledge issues already addressed, changes already made, and current advocacy efforts in motion to be able to increase awareness and support of the issues at hand while not repeating the same exact issues that have already created change. While I believe being an educator has already put me in a leadership role of sorts, I also believe that anyone with the passion and desire to make a change to make a difference can become a leader within the community. Leaders must understand current problems within their community or state, research information on the topics, share the information with others within the community or state, and form a plan of action in which to address the proposed solution(s) to the problem to turn an issue into a change to make a difference. To move beyond the community to the state level, I believe one must know who the elected officials are, how best to contact them, and have some understanding of how the political system works.

As I identify issues I am passionate about and wish to use the issues to make changes within the field I would share my plans with my colleagues, my community, my family and friends in hopes of increasing the number of us working for the changes needed to make a difference in the field of early childhood. This is also the same advice I would give to anyone wishing to make a difference or a change in any area. If you are passionate about an issue, have a desire to create change and make a difference, do the research, make a proposed plan for solutions, contact others who may be interested in joining your cause, and then take your proposal to the legislators. I have learned that just one person can make a difference. If all of us strive for change, differences will be made and lives will be improved.