A colleague at Gavilan College recently complained that having
spent a brief moment in class explaining why a student
’s response to a question was incorrect and the result of
muddled thinking, he was admonished by an administrator for having
shattered the student’s self-esteem.
A colleague at Gavilan College recently complained that having spent a brief moment in class explaining why a student’s response to a question was incorrect and the result of muddled thinking, he was admonished by an administrator for having shattered the student’s self-esteem.
I was far from astonished. Several years ago, the “self-esteem movement” became a cornerstone of educational philosophy, a foundation for asserting that self-esteem and feeling good about oneself would cure students’ academic and social problems. I had thought this “educational philosophy “de jour” had seen its moment in the sun, its “15 minutes of fame.”
The self-esteem movement and its entirely unwarranted and unproven academic efficacy, unfortunately, continues to run strong; this “feel-good” educational fiasco is a travesty, instilling nothing but self-deception and mediocrity in students. Academic challenge must be reinforced and academic achievement again recognized as the true measure of learning. The real world doesn’t recognize self-esteem as much more than egocentricity, except, perhaps, by certain new-wave psychologists.
Positive reinforcement and instilling the belief that one can succeed is, of course, vital. Additionally, unfair and harsh criticism must never be a teacher’s practice. Successful parents, teachers, and bosses know this.
However, the “feel-good … it’s not your fault … ‘smiley-face’” approach is problematic. Recognizing and correcting errors is natural – a vital part of learning in any endeavor: Growing up, academics, on-the-job.
But when self-esteem supersedes learning, and when self-esteem becomes the end in itself, how receptive will students be, how receptive can they be, when self-esteem is separated from achievement, and nothing then inspires the student to do the challenging work needed. Why do it? They’ve been praised and rewarded merely for existing.
Teachers need to be hard and demanding, and then create self-esteem in students for genuine achievement.
Frankly, in many cases, self-esteem is often negative. A student’s sense of self-esteem that has him or her thinking well of himself or herself with no basis of achievement to warrant it can lead to conceit, hubris and a false sense of entitlement. A student who is rewarded for nothing learns to expect something for nothing.
The consequences: No academic struggle for achievement, no sense of a work ethic, and eventually inevitable failure. Where’s the self-esteem there? In classes I teach, I often hear such comments as, “I’m entitled to my opinion.” I agree, but I point out that “You’re not entitled to anybody taking that opinion seriously if it has no merit besides merely being your opinion.”
Students are sometimes stunned by that comment. Many have gotten used to having almost anything they say and think falsely praised, and doing the hard work of thinking and using informed knowledge and logic has often not been demanded.
In addition to poor academic achievement, other negative results ensue from our honoring the self-esteem concept above self-achievement and accomplishment. One whose egocentricity has been nurtured by false praise is more likely to be linked with bad behavior.
Roy Baumeister in an article in Psychological Review, suggests that unfounded self-esteem has caused problems ranging from “school yard bullying and juvenile delinquency to … murder, rape, and other crimes of violence.” Psychologists have long recognized that a person who thinks he or she is great but has no objective reason for thinking so, is likely to turn against those who don’t share his or her good opinion.
When one asserts one’s superiority, violence often results. Consider the demagoguery in today’s political world. False senses of superiority, senses of entitlement, violence … no need to pinpoint the locations and the individuals.
It is possible that the reason American students score so low in math and science in comparison to students in other countries is that their self-esteem is high, and they are satisfied with themselves and their minimal accomplishments.
They’ve been rewarded for being told how good they are, and even if they are not so good, they believe they are. Rarely does a semester, even a single course go by, when students don’t say something like, “All I need (or want) is a C,” or “I just need to get the credit,” or “ … so all we have to do is … ?
My firm belief is students have been rewarded and praised for doing minimal work and reaching minimal standards, and they ask little of themselves, and little is what they give. In science, we demand evidence and proof for theories and conclusions. Academic writing requires research and substantial documentation when ideas are asserted. It is doubtful you or I would take medicines whose efficacy was not supported by research. There is no research and documentation to conclude that the self-esteem movement accomplishes anything positive at all and, in fact, it very likely produces exactly the opposite.
Self-esteem for modest and illusory accomplishments perpetuates nothing positive of note.
Ted Brett teaches English at Gavilan and Evergreen community colleges. His e-mail address is Tedbrett\@aol.com. The Board of Contributors is comprised of local writers whose views appear on Tuesdays and Fridays.
