self-esteem

Self-Esteem

What is self-esteem? Self-esteem is how we value ourselves; it is how we perceive our value to the world and how valuable we think we are to others. Self-esteem affects our trust in others, our relationships, our work – nearly every part of our lives. Positive self-esteem gives us the strength and flexibility to take charge of our lives and grow from our mistakes without the fear of rejection.

We all know that self-esteem can be an important part of success. Too little self-esteem can leave people feeling defeated or depressed. It can also lead people to make bad choices, fall into destructive relationships, or fail to live up to their full potential. But what about too much self-esteem? Narcissism can certainly be off-putting and can even damage personal relationships.

Self-esteem levels at the extreme high and low ends of the spectrum can be damaging, so the ideal is to strike a balance somewhere in the middle. A realistic yet positive view of the self is often considered the ideal.

But what exactly is self-esteem? Where does it come from and what influence does it really have on our lives?

So what exactly is self-esteem?

In psychology, the term self-esteem is used to describe a person's overall sense of self-worth or personal value. Self-esteem is often seen as a personality trait, which means that it tends to be stable and enduring.

Components of Self-Esteem

According to one definition (Braden, 1969), there are three key components of self-esteem:

1. Self-esteem is an essential human need that is vital for survival and normal, healthy development.
2. Self-esteem arises automatically from within based upon a person's beliefs and consciousness.
3. Self-esteem occurs in conjunction with a person's thoughts, behaviors, feelings, and actions.

Self-Esteem Theories

The need for self-esteem plays an important role in psychologist Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which depicts self-esteem as one of the basic human motivations. Maslow suggested that people need both esteem from other people as well as inner self-respect. Both of these needs must be fulfilled in order for an individual to grow as a person and achieve self-actualization.

It is important to note that self-esteem is a concept distinct from self-efficacy, which involves the belief in future actions, performance, or abilities.

Factors That Can Influence Self-Esteem

As you might imagine, there are a number of different factors that can influence self-esteem. Genetic factors that help shape overall personality can play a role, but it is often our experiences that form the basis for overall self-esteem. Those who consistently receive overly critical or negative assessments from caregivers, family members, and friends, for example, will likely experience problems with low self-esteem.

Self-Esteem Synonyms:

• Self-worth
• Self-respect
• Self-value

 signs of positive self-esteem:

v  Confidence

v  Self-direction

v  Non-blaming behavior

v  An awareness of personal strengths

v  An ability to make mistakes and learn from them

v  An ability to accept mistakes from others

v  Optimism

v  An ability to solve problems

v  An independent and cooperative attitude

v  Feeling comfortable with a wide range of emotions

v  An ability to trust others

v  A good sense of personal limitations

v  Good self-care

v  The ability to say no

What is low self-esteem? Low self-esteem is a debilitating condition that keeps individuals from realizing their full potential. A person with low self-esteem feels unworthy, incapable, and incompetent. In fact, because the person with low self-esteem feels so poorly about him or herself, these feelings may actually cause the person’s continued low self-esteem.

signs of low self-esteem:

v  Negative view of life

v  Perfectionist attitude

v  Mistrusting others – even those who show signs of affection

v  Blaming behavior

v  Fear of taking risks

v  Feelings of being unloved and unlovable

v  Dependence – letting others make decisions

v  Fear of being ridiculed

How can you raise low self-esteem?

Feelings of low self-esteem often build up over a lifetime, and letting go of ingrained feelings and behaviors is not an easy task. It may take time, hard work, and it may require professional counseling. But there are some simple, positive thinking techniques that can be used to help improve self-esteem. These are called affirmations.

Using affirmations to stop negative self-talk is a simple, positive way to help increase self-esteem. Affirmations are encouraging messages we can give ourselves every day until they become part of our feelings and beliefs. Affirmations work best when a person is relaxed. But since people are often upset when they are giving themselves negative self-messages, they may need to counter negative messages with positive ones.

For example, replace the message “I made a stupid mistake, and I am no good at this job,” with “Yes, I made a mistake but I have learned from it, and now I can a better job.” Begin each day by looking in the mirror and giving yourself a positive message. The following affirmations can help you to work toward a positive self-image:

v    I respect myself and others

v    I am lovable and likable

v    I am confident, and it shows

v    I acre about myself

v    I am creating loving, healthy relationships

v    I am a good friend to myself and others

v    I accept myself just as I am

v    I look great

v    Life is good, and I like being a part of it

 THE SIX PILLARS OF SELF-ESTEEM

1. The Practice of Living Consciously

2. The Practice of Self-Acceptance

3. The Practice of Self-Responsibility

4. The Practice of Self-Assertiveness

5. The Practice of Living Purposefully

6. The Practice of Personal Integrity

(Please note the use of “The Practice of…” Self-esteem is not an idea. It’s a PRACTICE. :)

1.   THE PRACTICE OF SELF-ESTEEM

“What determines the level of self-esteem is what the individual does.”

It’s nice to talk about ideas, memorize inspiring words, and get an intellectual understanding of something. But it’s what we DO that leads to our self-esteem.

Branden continues by saying: “A ‘practice’ implies a discipline of acting in a certain way over and over again—consistently. It is not action by fits and starts, or even an appropriate response to a crisis. Rather, it is a way of operating day by day, in big issues and small, a way of behaving that is also a way of being.”

“To find it humiliating to admit an error is a certain sign of a flawed self-esteem.”

~ Nathaniel Branden

2.   THE PRACTICE OF SELF-ACCEPTANCE

“We can run not only from our dark side but also from our bright side—from anything that threatens to make us stand out or stand alone, or that calls for the awakening of the hero with in us, or that asks that we break through to a higher level of consciousness and reach a higher ground of integrity. The greatest crime we commit against ourselves is not that we may deny or disown our shortcomings but that we deny and disown our greatness—because it frightens us. If a fully realized self-acceptance does not evade the worst within us, neither does it evade the best.”

The practice of self-acceptance. It’s the second pillar of self-esteem. In his chapter dedicated to this pillar, Branden beautifully and powerful articulates the need to practice self-acceptance—which we might best be able to sum up as “my refusal to be in an adversarial relationship with myself.”

And, in addition to the acceptance of our light, he advises us that “As a psychotherapist I see nothing does as much for an individual’s self-esteem as becoming aware of and accepting disowned parts of the self. The first steps of healing and growth are awareness and acceptance—consciousness and integration.”

Check out the book for more mojo on integrating the disowned shadows within yourself. For now, how about a spotlight on the light… Are you accepting your own greatness?

3.   THE PRACTICE OF SELF-RESPONSIBILITY

“I am responsible for my choices and actions. To be ‘responsible’ in this context means responsible not as the recipient of moral blame or guilt, but responsible as the chief causal agent in my life and behavior.”

The third pillar of self-esteem: the practice of self-responsibility. We talk about this one *a lot.* (As you know if you’ve read many of these Notes! :)

Responsibility. Break it up into its two little word-segments: response-able. It’s simple: We’re responsible when we’re “able to respond” to life’s challenges as healthy, autonomous human beings. NOT as victims, blaming this or that for our challenges or feeling shame or guilt for not living up to someone else’s/society’s standards, but as individuals who own our abilities to manifest our desires as we engage in life.

So, question time: Can you turn your response-able dial up a notch or two?

4.   THE PRACTICE OF SELF-ASSERTIVENESS

“To practice self-assertiveness is to live authentically, to speak and act from my innermost convictions and feelings—as a way of life, as a rule.”

The practice of self-assertiveness. It’s the fourth pillar of self-esteem.

The essence of this pillar is to be REAL.

To drive this point home, remember the idea that “authentic” and “author” come from the same root. To be authentic is literally to be the author of your own story. Are you?

Here’s another angle on the power and practice of self-assertiveness: “Warren Bennis, our preeminent scholar of leadership, tells us that the basic passion in the best leaders he has studied is for self-expression. Their work is clearly a vehicle for self-actualization. Their desire is to bring ‘who they are’ into the world, into reality, which I speak of as the practice of self-assertiveness.”

5.   THE PRACTICE OF LIVING PURPOSEFULLY

“To live purposefully is to use our powers for the attainment of goals we have selected: the goal of studying, of raising a family, of earning a living, of starting a new business, of bringing a new product into the marketplace, of solving a scientific problem, of building a vacation home, of sustaining a happy romantic relationship. It is our goals that lead us forward, that call on the exercise of our faculties, that energize our existence.”

Living purposefully. It’s the fifth pillar.

Lest you think goal setting is not for “spiritual” peeps, consider this: “Understood correctly, there is nothing intrinsically ‘Western’ about a strong goal orientation. When Buddha set out in search of enlightenment, was he not moved by a passionate purpose?”

So, what’re your goals?

What deeply inspires you?!? Not what you think you *should* do or that you think would impress others, but the visions that deeply resonate with your highest values and ideals!

Are you clear?

Are you living in integrity with ‘em?

6.   PERSONAL INTEGRITY

“Integrity is the integration of ideals, convictions, standards, beliefs—and behavior. When our behavior is congruent with our professed values, when ideals and practice match up, we have integrity.

Observe that before the issue of integrity can even be raised we need principles of behavior—moralconvictions about what is and is not appropriate—judgments about right and wrong action. If we do not yet hold standards, we are on too low a developmental rung even to be accused of hypocrisy. In such a case, our problems are too severe to be described merely as lack of integrity.”

The practice of personal integrity. It’s the sixth and final pillar of self-esteem. Without it, the preceding practices “disintegrate.”

Do your ideals, convictions, standards, beliefs AND behavior all line up?

And, perhaps even more importantly, do you even have a sense of what your ideals, convictions, standards and beliefs ARE to use as a basis for your measurement of how you’re doing?!?

Well, do you?

… And, are they? :)

Formative and Summative Evaluation

Formative and Summative Evaluation

There are many different types of evaluations depending on the object being evaluated and the purpose of the evaluation. Perhaps the most important basic distinction in evaluation types is that between formative and summative evaluation. Formative evaluations strengthen or improve the object being evaluated -- they help form it by examining the delivery of the program or technology, the quality of its implementation, and the assessment of the organizational context, personnel, procedures, inputs, and so on. Summative evaluations, in contrast, examine the effects or outcomes of some object -- they summarize it by describing what happens subsequent to delivery of the program or technology; assessing whether the object can be said to have caused the outcome; determining the overall impact of the causal factor beyond only the immediate target outcomes; and, estimating the relative costs associated with the object.

• Summative assessment - Summative assessment is generally carried out at the end of a course or project. In an educational setting, summative assessments are typically used to assign students a course grade.
• Formative assessment - Formative assessment is generally carried out throughout a course or project. Formative assessment, also referred to as "educative assessment," is used to aid learning. In an educational setting, formative assessment might be a teacher (or peer) or the learner, providing feedback on a student's work, and would not necessarily be used for grading purposes.

Educational researcher Robert Stake explains the difference between formative and summative assessment with the following analogy:
" When the cook tastes the soup, that's formative. When the guests taste the soup, that's summative. "

Formative assessment

Formative evaluation includes several evaluation types:

• needs assessment determines who needs the program, how great the need is, and what might work to meet the need
• evaluability assessment determines whether an evaluation is feasible and how stakeholders can help shape its usefulness
• structured conceptualization helps stakeholders define the program or technology, the target population, and the possible outcomes
• implementation evaluation monitors the fidelity of the program or technology delivery
• process evaluation investigates the process of delivering the program or technology, including alternative delivery procedures

Summative assessment

Summative assessment (or Summative evaluation) refers to the assessment of the learning and summarizes the development of learners at a particular time. After a period of work, e.g. a unit for two weeks, the learner sits for a test and then the teacher marks the test and assigns a score. The test aims to summarize learning up to that point. The test may also be used for diagnostic assessment to identify any weaknesses and then build on that using formative assessment.
Summative assessment is commonly used to refer to assessment of educational faculty by their respective supervisor. It is imposed onto the faculty member, and uniformly applied, with the object of measuring all teachers on the same criteria to determine the level of their performance. It is meant to meet the school or district's needs for teacher accountability and looks to provide remediation for sub-standard performance and also provides grounds for dismissal if necessary. The evaluation usually takes the shape of a form, and consists of check lists and occasionally narratives. Areas evaluated include classroom climate, instruction, professionalism, and planning and preparation.[1]
Summative assessment is characterized as assessment of learning and is contrasted with formative assessment, which is assessment for learning.
It provides information on the product's efficacy (its ability to do what it was designed to do). For example, did the learners learn what they were supposed to learn after using the instructional module. In a sense, it does not bother to assess "how they did," but more importantly, by looking at how the learners performed, it provides information as to whether the product teaches what it is supposed to teach.

Characteristics

1. It tends to use well defined evaluation designs. [i.e. fixed time and content]
2. It provides descriptive analysis. [i.e. in order to give a grade, all the activities done throughout the year are taken into account]
3. It tends to stress local effects.
4. It is unoppressive and not reactive as far as possible.
5. It is positive, tending to stress what students can do rather than what they cannot.

Summative evaluation can also be subdivided:

• outcome evaluations investigate whether the program or technology caused demonstrable effects on specifically defined target outcomes
• impact evaluation is broader and assesses the overall or net effects -- intended or unintended -- of the program or technology as a whole
• cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analysis address questions of efficiency by standardizing outcomes in terms of their dollar costs and values
• secondary analysis reexamines existing data to address new questions or use methods not previously employed
• meta-analysis integrates the outcome estimates from multiple studies to arrive at an overall or summary judgement on an evaluation question

Formative versus Summative Evaluation

Formative evaluation is a process of ongoing feedback on performance. The purposes are to identify aspects of performance that need to improve and to offer corrective suggestions. Be generous with formative evaluation. Share your observations and perceptions with the student. You might simply share your observation and then ask the student if (s)he can think of a better approach for the next time. Formative evaluation need not make a judgment. When giving formative feedback, offer some alternatives to the student, e.g., "That procedure will be more comfortable for the patient if you?." If you observe unsafe or questionable practices, address those directly and immediately with the student.
Use the student's patient management documentation as well as your observations of performance to offer formative evaluation. The student's charting reveals organizational skills, priorities, thought process, and judgement. Over the duration of the student's experience with you, point out improvement to the student.
Summative evaluation is a process of identifying larger patterns and trends in performance and judging these summary statements against criteria to obtain performance ratings. The faculty assumes responsibility for completing the summative evaluation at the end of the course. However, faculty rely upon your evidence and perceptions to justify ratings.
The table below compares formative and summative evaluation according to the kind of information provided and the timing.

	Formative Evaluation	Summative Evaluation
What information	Specific description of daily events	General trends based on specific descriptions
	Organizational skills	Overall attitude
	Needs assessment	Comparison with evaluation tool
When to give	At the time of the incident	Mid-point in the course
	End of the day	End of the course
	Weekly re: progress

Give both formative and summative evaluation to the student in private as a general rule. However, formative evaluation is needed if safety concerns arise in a student's practise while with a patient. Also, at times you will lose a learning opportunity if you do not give the student a chance to practise an alternative approach at the time, but reserve your suggestions for a later conversation. Use your judgement and employ tact and sensitivity to avoid embarrassing the student.