Instructional Materials:

Poster of a movie star, or other famous person; large piece of newspaper.

Each individual is unique and special in terms of appearance, skills, ability, talents, and intelligence etc.  Self-esteem refers to the judgment a person makes about him or herself. It is the recognition of one’s qualities and abilities including values, goals, talents, worth, physical makeup and purpose in life.

Self-esteem is essentially a feeling we have about ourselves. We tend to base these feelings on self-knowledge, self-expectations, and standards for behaviour that we think others expect of us. When I am is pretty much what I could be is pretty much what I should be, then a person’s self-esteem is positive or healthy. When I am not what I could be and not what I should be then self-esteem tends to be low or unhealthy.

Self-esteem is closely identified with self-respect.  It includes a proper regard for oneself as a human being and an accurate sense of one’s personal place within the larger society and among family, friends and people.  Lack of self-esteem can lead to a feeling of unworthiness.

It is important for young people to know themselves, value themselves and feel good about themselves.  Teenagers need to identify and discover their positive qualities, personal strengths, physical attributes and special skills as well as abilities.