High school vs. Self-esteem

So far I really enjoyed cluster 3 on the self, the social, and moral. It focused on the theorist Urie Bronfenbenner and how self-concept and self-esteem are very different concepts even though they can be confused for one another. I was interested in the self-esteem portion of this cluster and how I could relate it to Bronfenbenner's theory of development. Self-esteem is the overall judgement we as individuals feel about ourselves. The book defines self-esteem as "an overall, general feeling of self-worth that incorporates your self-concepts in all areas of your life" (Woolfolk, 2014, p 109).

I was interested in self-esteem as a whole because adolescence is a time where self-esteem becomes a factor in academics. I can remember the feeling of judging myself too harshly because I did not look a certain way or felt different from my peers. Self-esteem is the way you feel about yourself, and if you have poor self-esteem it can effect your academics. Girls are especially effected by self-esteem issues. Adolescence, in general, can be a tough time. Emotions are high and peers have a big influence on a high school students social identity. The point/counterpoint section of cluster 3 focused on what schools can do to help improve student's self-esteem. They spoke of including programs designed to increase a students self-esteem, such as, a curriculum that focuses on self-esteem issues, developing activities on sensitivity training, and structural changes on in the school to promote positive personal identitiy (Woolfolk, 2014, p. 110). I feel that these programs would have a positive effect on adolescents because if it is being taught and practiced by the school there will likely be less student shaming or bullying between students.

Urie Bronfenbrenner spoke about the bioecological model in development. This theory recognizes that the physical and social contexts in a persons life has an effect on the persons development, both social and academic.He developed the thoeoy surrounding ecosystems, because each piece of the of our life interacts and influences each other. I enjoyed learning about his theory through the cluster as well as through Becky's powerpoint presentation. I was able to test my knowledge on the topic and I was able to make a connection between his theory and self-esteem. The microsystem which is the personas immediate family members or activities can effect a persons self-esteem. If a mother is putting her child down constantly, that child will not have a good feeling about themselves. On the other hand if the child is constantly praised and loved, they would have a better feeling about their self-esteem. The mesosystem also has influence on the individual. This stage involves the social interactions the individual has in their life. This is the portion of the theory that peers have a big influence on the student's development and self-esteem. Because the student is in school a third of their day, they are greatly influenced by their peers and their peers opinions. This is where the school can make a difference. If the school is able to promote positive self-esteem programs, they may be able to guide the students in positive development both socially and academically.