"I'm OK--You Have Self-Esteem "

I'm writing in response to the blog "I'm OK--You Have Self-Esteem ". I found it interesting and eye opening. It described how it is necessary for students to feel that they are worthy and important in order to succeed in the classroom. The author explained that teachers also feel the need to critique their students in a harsh manner in order for students to be able to keep up with our competitive world at large in other realms (economic, medical, etc). I believe there needs to be a balance between harsh criticism, critique, and self-esteem boosting activities. If kids are constantly being told how amazing they are, what's going to make them want to work harder? They will then feel discouraged if someone tells them that they really aren't as amazing as others told them. Kids should be rewarded for their smarts and capabilities but we need to limit our praises for them. They can't be good at everything and we shouldn't let them think that they are- it's only realistic. The author described the bad effects of too much self-esteem with a story of high school athletes raping a "mildly retarted" eight year old girl. These athletes had probably been told their whole lives how great they were on the field and maybe their egos went to their head. Who's to say? What's important to learn here is that kids need to fail to succeed but they also need to know that they are good at things and they can accomplish something bigger.