I always hear references to how public schools are more concerned with teaching kids to feel good about themselves than about actual facts, but I’ve never seen any real examples. I certainly have heard of self-esteem and noticed people such as self-help book authors and talk show hosts revering it, but I’ve never actually seen it institutionalized into schooling (besides on TV parodies). So is this really as big as an epidemic as everyone says it is?
I work with kids in schools as a therapist.
No, it’s not an epidemic.
Some schools do implement a social emotional learning curiculum, but that’s quite different. New Haven Connecticut comes to mind.
The thing is, you can’t teach self esteem, it’s more of a by-product of behaving in a way that’s in line with your morality, not being at war with yourself or others. Teachers that set their kids up to do this are likely to have more successful students academically and behaviorally.