CAREER LIFE CONNECTIONS

Name:

SELF-WORTH
Objectives

Students will do the following:

1.Explore the concept of self-esteem

2.Analyze their personal strengths and weaknesses
3.Consider the role self-esteem plays in a healthy lifeMaterials

The class will need the following:

•paper and pencils
•newsprint and markers
•construction paper and colored pencils
•old magazines
•scissors and glue
•computer with Internet access (optional but very helpful)

Procedures

Give student’s ample time in class to complete the inventory. Then ask students to
take the information they learned about themselves and create a drawing, collage, or
short essay that illustrates who they are. Make available paper, art supplies, and
magazines to cut up. Give students about 20 minutes to complete their projects.

Then tell students they are going to complete a personal inventory during this lesson
to help them achieve better self-understanding. Tell students to follow the directions,
filling in blanks or checking the answers that apply to them. You may copy the
inventory for students, read it out loud, or write it on a piece of newsprint and post it in
the classroom.
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Personal Inventory
School Subjects
1. I like ______________.
2. I do not like ________________.
3. I am good at __________________.
4. I am not good at _______________.
5. I am good at this subject, but I do not like it: ____________.
6. I am not good at this subject, but I like it: _______________.
7. Activities
8. I like __________________.
9. I do not like ________________.
10. I am good at _________________.
11. I am not good at _________________.
12. I am good at this activity, but I do not like it: _________.
13. I am not good at this activity, but I like it: ____________.
14. I prefer being involved in individual activities _____ or group activities ___.
(Check one.)
15. Relationships with Friends and Adults (Check the statements that apply to you.)
16. I am generally well liked: ____________.
17. I am generally not well liked: ___________.
18. I have a group of friends: ________.
19. I prefer having one or two friends: _______.
20. I am a leader: ___________.
21. I am a follower: _________.
22. I prefer people who like the same things I like: ___________.
23. I prefer people who like different things: _____________.
24. I have the support of significant adults in my life: __________________.
25. I have the support of a group of peers: ______________________.
26. Food Preferences
27. I like to eat ____________.
28. I do not like to eat __________.
29. I do ____ do not _____ eat a balanced diet. (Check one.)
30. Relaxing
31. I relax by __________.
32. I like relaxing alone _____ or with other people ____. (Check one.)
33. After this activity, I always feel calm and peaceful. _______________.

Discussion Questions

Using what you learned about yourself from the inventory, do you think you have high
self-esteem or low self-esteem? What is one thing you can do to build your self-
esteem? (Be sure to tell students that they need not share this information with anyone.
These are questions that they can think about as they begin to learn more about
themselves.)
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Evaluation
Use the following three-point rubric to evaluate students' involvement in class
discussions, their attitude toward completing a personal inventory, and the quality of
their projects:

Three points: was highly engaged in class discussions; demonstrated positive attitude
toward completing the personal inventory; created a realistic project highlighting the
results of the inventory.

Two points: was moderately engaged during class discussions; demonstrated mostly
positive attitude toward completing the personal inventory; created a project that
highlighted some key points from the inventory.

One point: was not engaged during class discussions; demonstrated negative attitude
toward completing the personal inventory; was not able to produce a project highlighting
the results of the inventory.

Self-Esteem Builders

Have students develop a list of activities that may also help them build their self-esteem.
For example, students can tutor a younger child, help coach an elementary school
sports team, or assist in an arts and crafts program for young children.

Make sure your students note how the child they are assisting felt about his or her
abilities when they first started and whether their attitude changed over the course of a
couple of months. Encourage students to notice signs of improved ability in the subject
or activity, such as more facility in reading, better performance on the sports field, or
more proficiency in crafts.Then ask students to observe signs of improved self-esteem,
such as more self-confidence or a more optimistic outlook. Do students see a
correlation between improved competence in a specific area and greater self-esteem?
Are their own findings consistent with the definition of self-esteem they learned about in
this lesson? Aside from helping the younger child improve his or her skills, what else did
they do to elevate the child's self-esteem?

Self-Worth
When you get measured at the doctor's office, does the medical professional use a
random stick to reveal your height? Hopefully not. If they did, you might be 3½ sticks tall
in one doctor's office and 12 sticks tall in another. That sounds ridiculous, right? But
when it comes to measuring self-worth, many people use something just as unreliable
as a random stick.

You may not even consciously think about what type of stick you use to measure your
self-worth. But it's likely that, deep down, you know. After all, when you feel like you're
measuring up, you feel good about yourself. But when you feel as though you've fallen
short, your self-esteem likely plummets. So while you may be aware of those
fluctuations in how you feel, you might never stop to think about what type of measuring
stick influences you so much.
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While there are many ways you might measure your worthiness in life, it's important to
consider whether some of them are unhealthy. Here are five common — yet unhealthy
— ways people measure their self-worth:

1. Your Appearance

Some people measure their self-worth by the numbers on a scale. Others determine
their value by how much attention they can attract with their appearance. The media
sends a message that "you're only as good as you look," and many marketing strategies
target people's insecurities over everything from weight gain to aging.

That's not to say good looks don't serve as an advantage in life; they certainly can. But
a beautiful body or a handsome face won't last forever, and hair loss, wrinkles, and a
middle-age spread can feel catastrophic for someone whose self-worth depends on
their physical appearance.

2. Your Net Worth

You likely know at least one person whose self-worth is measured by their income or
material possessions. But people who measure their self-worth by their net worth may
never feel "valuable enough." And it's not just wealthy people who define themselves by
the size of their bank accounts — many people live beyond their means in an attempt to
feel "good enough." But going deep into debt to create a façade of wealth backfires in
the end because while goods and services have monetary value, they don't reflect your
value as a human being.

3. Who You Know

There are several ways people depend on others to give them value. While one person
may only feel good about herself when she's in a relationship, someone else may feel
as though name-dropping well-known people will gain the admiration from others he
needs to feel good.

Some people only feel worthy when they can surround themselves with important
people. A lengthy list of personal contacts and a busy social calendar help them feel
valuable and important. But depending on other people to make you feel good is like
chasing a moving target. You can't control what other people think of you, and you
certainly can't please everyone all the time. You'll never be able to receive enough
praise and positive reinforcement to genuinely feel good about yourself.
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4. What You Do

A career helps many people feel worthwhile. In fact, many people introduce themselves
by saying what they do: "I'm a computer programmer," or "I'm a lawyer." Their job isn't
what they do — it's who they are. Their career reinforces to them that they're
"somebody." But basing your self-worth on your job title is a big risk. An economic
downturn, unexpected shift in the job market, or a major health problem can put an end
to your career and lead to a major identity crisis. Even a planned retirement may
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destroy your self-worth if your identity is tied to your job title. If you've always measured
your self-worth by what you do, you won't feel good about yourself when your career
ends.

5. What You Achieve

Sometimes people want to be known solely for their achievement. That person who
brags about her latest business success may only feel good when she talks about her
accomplishments. Or an individual who just can't stop beating himself for a mistake he
made might struggle to move forward, because he didn't achieve what he needed to feel
good.

While it's normal to feel proud of your accomplishments, basing your entire self-worth on
your achievement is like building a house on an unsteady foundation. You'll need to
experience constant success to feel good about yourself — and that means you'll likely
avoid doing things where you could fail.

How to Feel Good About Who You Are

The way you choose to measure your worth affects the kind of life you'll live. Use a
measuring stick based on factors you can control — not the external events in your life.

When you know who you are — and you're pleased with the person you've become —
you'll experience a sense of peace through life's inevitable ups and downs. You'll
believe in yourself regardless of whether you've been fired, gone through a divorce, or
failed to get a promotion.

Instead of chasing things that temporarily boost your self-esteem, measure your self-
worth by who you are at your core. Behave according to your values and create a life of
meaning and purpose.