Self-esteem

8 Self-Esteem

1. In this module I learned about the building blocks of self-esteem which are based in the five feelings found in students with high, self-esteem and are the sequentialesteem-building steps to be incorporated in any curriculum. The building blocks pr acquired feelings are: security, which is a feeling of strong assuredness; selfhood, which provides a feeling ofindividuality; affiliation, which is a feeling of belonging, acceptance or relatedness; mission, which is a feeling of purpose and motivation in life and finally, competence, which is a feeling of success andaccomplishment in things regarded as important or valuable.

2. In order for students to feel comfortable and safe and know what is expected of them teachers need to build a trusting relationshipand set reasonable limits and rules that are consistently enforced. It is important to reinforce more accurate self-descriptions and build an awareness of unique qualities in the student so that theycan acquire that feeling of individuality. Promoting inclusion and acceptance within the group and encouraging peer approval and support provides for a feeling of belonging in the student. Forstudents to gain self-empowerment teachers must enhance in students the ability to make decisions, seek alternatives and identify consequences. Finally, for students to feel successful we should provideopportunities to increase awareness of individual competencies and strengths.

3. Self-esteem begins at home and parents are key elements in providing students with a positive sense of being.Unfortunately, there are home situations that lack the support that students need. It is important to provide parents with workshops on how to deal with the issue of self-esteem, not only with their ownself-esteem, but with their children as well. Teachers can only do so much but what is being done with students can only work if there is continuity at home. We can view this as a triangle where...