I attended Dr. Nancy Wyane’s WOMEN ADVANCING TOGETHERTM workshops and came way realizing that self-promotion is skill many of us are lacking. It is about how to effectively promoting your achievements and making further connections with people and communities around you. Dr. Wyane offered good strategies in her workshops.
I added mine below, thinking especially about Chinese language teachers in K-12 and their common struggles to get recognized and funding from administration.
1. Self promotion always starts with self reflection: what you have
achieved and not yet achieved, what you have done well and what
you could have improved.
2. Document not just your but your students’ (or your team’s) achievements.
3. Reach out to your colleagues, administrators, parents, and alums.
4. Use social media to share news about you, and to connect your community.
5. Invite people from outside your community whenever possible to attend your events.
6. Practice not just what to say to promote yourself and your work, but when and how to say it.
7. Be assertive but not abrasive; be informative but not repetitive.
8. Believe in yourself and be passionate about what you believe in.
9. Always follow up to report or recap, give recognition and gratitude to those involved, invite whoever you reach out for feedback and further collaborations.
10. Praise others for their work, listen to others when they share their achievements with you.
