Another rare piece of good news: The “self esteem” movement is losing favor in the nation’s schools. The Washington Post has the story here.
A growing body of research over three decades shows that easy, unearned praise does not help students but instead interferes with significant learning opportunities. As schools ratchet up academic standards for all students, new buzzwords are “persistence,” “risk-taking” and “resilience” — each implying more sweat and strain than fuzzy, warm feelings.
“We used to think we could hand children self-esteem on a platter,” Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck said. “That has backfired.”
The self-esteem movement has been one of the most destructive trends ever seen in American education and culture generally. Only by earning praise, not having it bestowed freely, can children mature into productive, achieving adults. I cheer the demise of this pernicious fad.
— JAB