Early in the basic-communication course we used two activities in the small performance sections specifically designed to awaken students to themselves—a confirmation of their life and existence. The first had them sit in the middle of a circle with the rest of their small group of 15 to 20 students sitting around them. They were to remain silent as they turned their chair to face each of the surrounding students while each one, separately, “reflected” their impression of the student in the center. Although occasionally a student would say something that could be interpreted negatively by the student in the center, most comments were not only positive but encouraging even flattering as well. Student reports of this exercise were always positive, and as a result, use of the activity was continued for more than twenty years.
The second activity was labeled the “Interview-Introduction-Name Exercise.” Students were first labeled A or B moving clockwise in a large circle around the room. To begin the interviews, A’s were to interview B’s who were seated to their left to find out as much information as they could so that they could introduce this student to the class. Then, all students were to turn fully around in their seats to form new dyads (groups of two). Now, B’s were to interview a new A with the same goal in mind—so they could introduce A to the class. In this way, once the process was complete, all students would be able to introduce the student on their left, and we could proceed around the circle learning the names of all students----repeated by everyone as introductions continued. These interviews gave students an identity, made them stand out as unique, and put some distance between them and the others in the class. It is an outstanding and effective means for learning the names of all students. (I had teaching assistants—especially those who taught two or three sections of the course—take notes as the sequence proceeded, so they could review the names before coming to class the next time.)
Now, you must understand that these two activities occurred within the context of a basic, required, speech-communication course. I say that because in such circumstances, some students could be inclined not to take the course seriously; thus, whatever activities engaged in might not be perceived as significant, worthwhile, valuable, or relevant. The overall design and purpose of these two activities—along with what followed in the course---served as a metaphor for life.
The point of the activities—beyond simply beginning the course with a couple of startling exercises—has to do with identity. Both exercises are designed to be confirming: offering students proof or verification that they are valuable, appreciated, respected, and important. Experiencing this confirmation of life—whether in class or other places—is a prelude to everything else they will learn and do. Once they have found this feeling, they will then not only be ready to discover but express their uniqueness as individuals.
The comments that follow on identity come from a book called The Identity Code (Random House, 2005). In that book, Laurence Ackerman explains the various ways in which identity is the foundation of our lives and how, with it as the foundation, it can be a better and more productive world. The basic purpose of the book is to convince readers they have value in the world simply as a result of being who they are.
When students have a sense of who they are, they begin to discover why they are here. It is as if they have found a natural gyroscope that guides them to a place or position from which to take charge of their lives. It is on the strength of that gyroscope that their decisions will be wise, and the outcomes—no matter what challenges and hardships they face—will be the right ones.
All the activities that follow from these first two give students real opportunities to make important decisions and derive solutions. The lectures are designed not just to underscore, reinforce, and buttress what goes on in the performance sections but empower students by revealing their potential, It is, indeed, these decisions and solutions which provide clear separation between themselves and other students in the class. Because they can observe the decisions and solutions of other classmates, all students are able to step back and see, really see, themselves in relationship to others. How are they different? How are they the same? It is the answers to these questions that allow them to set the boundaries that mark out turf belonging to them.
What the basic course is designed to give students—and as a corollary, what they truly need in life—is independence. Independence is the ability to think and act on their own and in their own best interests, despite what others may expect of them. By defining themselves as separate from others, they find their own integrity as individuals. It gives them a place to begin forming ideas, framing beliefs, and discerning attitudes that are uniquely their own. In moments of great intensity like when they are under the pressure of deadlines, experiencing conflicting demands from various courses, trying to deal with the competing demands of family, friends, relationship partners, and their classes, it allows them to make the necessary decisions based on who they are and who they are not.
Standing alone strengthens students. There will always be unfamiliar emotions, misgivings, and resistance, but when students make their decisions and follow through with solutions, there will also be exhilaration and hope. Facing up to initial discomfort, even aloneness, is a definite and specific sign of progress. When students stay with it, it is their passage to discovery. It is part of the development of their powers as individuals in their own right.
Life offers many opportunities for making decisions and deriving solutions, but it doesn’t often offer the similar opportunities to others of our same age and status. When we can compare our decisions and solutions with relevant, immediate others and even embrace, adapt, and adopt strategies and use them as our own in a helpful, positive, encouraging, and hopeful environment, the rewards are often instantaneous and valuable.
There is no easy path when it comes to unleashing the remarkable energy that one’s identity contains. Finding it, however, is just a start. As people understand their unique capacities and live according to them, they become happy being who they are. As Ackerman writes in the final chapter of his book, “A Framework for Living,” “Consider your identity your source of life. It makes you vibrant, wise, agile, powerful, even playful. It is the sun within you, whose energy need never die.”
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Yes, it’s an advertisement for a course. That said, the essay by Karl Perera, “Personal Identity,” at the website, More-Self-esteem.com is a very good one because he not only outlines the seven components of self-esteem, but he carefully shows “How . . . your personal identity [can] help you improve your self esteem.” Great specifics here.
“Self Identity and Memory” is the title of this very long, highly technical, heavily documented, well-written (but academic) paper that explains exactly why self identity is so important. You can access this paper by John F. Kihlstrom, Jennifer S. Beer of the University of California at Berkeley, and Stanley B. Klein of the University of California at Santa Barbara at their website---accessed by clicking on their names (above). Their research was supported by a number of research grants, and an edited version of this chapter appeared in M.R. Leary & J. Tangney (Eds.), Handbook of self and identity (pp. 68-90). New York: Guilford Press, 2002.
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Copyright June, 2010, by And Then Some Publishing, LLC.
Showing posts with label self-esteem. Show all posts
Showing posts with label self-esteem. Show all posts
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Hidden benefits of college
by Richard L. Weaver II
Financial rewards, increased knowledge, and social contacts may be some of the obvious benefits of getting a college education, but there are numerous benefits that are not so obvious and which may, indeed, be overlooked when students and parents make their decisions about either going to college or not. For many, it is these benefits that make the cost, time commitment, and energy worthwhile. I call these the hidden benefits of a college education.
Often, students who enter college do so with a specific idea about what they want to study, and what they want to be when their education is complete. There is nothing wrong with this kind of focus, and, for many, it offers precisely the direction they need to make the most of their college education. When I said, above, “there is nothing wrong with this kind of focus,” perhaps I should add, “if you maintain an open mind and flexibility.”
There is so much more to college life than classes, subject disciplines, and majors. I will label this “so much more”: exposure. Many students think they know exactly what courses provide, instructors dispense, and experiences deliver and, yet, it is the hidden benefits that often surprise — even astonish. “I had no idea,” is a common statement made by those who have entered the ivy walls with an open mind and flexibility.
The “exposure” comes from other classes — outside of one’s major — often, the required courses themselves. The “exposure” comes from the different instructors and how they choose to present their material, explore various approaches, and challenge their students. The “exposure” comes, too, from how students interpret, assimilate, and absorb the information. It is this unique juxtaposition of subject matter, presentation, and interpretation that cannot be predicted and, yet, can yield such incredible results.
When the focus of college is on awareness and the introduction of new ideas and new insights, one cannot escape being fascinated — even captivated . That’s where the open mind and flexibility come in. Instructors do not ask that students accept — unless it is on a temporary (for class purposes) basis — but they do want them to listen, concentrate, and consider. It is not about indoctrination, although some people may see it that way — as much as it is about weighing and considering. It is the development of good thinking, reasoning, and decision-making skills. And to develop these in the best manner means giving students something worthwhile, different, and challenging to think about. It means helping them break out from their limited and personal, often traditional, stereotypical, commonplace, and rigid kinds of thinking and reacting. It means getting them out of the boxes they may not even know they are in and getting them to investigate new boxes they didn’t even know existed. This promotes tolerance and open-mindedness.
Another hidden benefit of a college education is communication, whether it be written, spoken, or nonverbal. College offers opportunities to record reactions, write papers, and prepare reports. At times, some of these “opportunities” seem to be busy work on the way to getting a degree. And yet, confirmed in many studies that have been completed, accurate, effective communication is one of the greatest weaknesses in the workplace. Every opportunity to record one’s thoughts and reactions in writing should be grasped as another chance to formulate thoughts, shape ideas, and structure impressions. To have trained, knowledgeable, authorities assisting students to better express themselves should be accepted as a rare and unique gift designed to make them more effective.
Oral communication is not totally different from written. Even though many students feel they are already talented speakers — after all, they have been talking since they were born — few are as effective as they think. Speech communication courses compel students to examine the basics of effective communication: skillful listening, adept use of words, useful methods for supporting opinions, adroit patterns for organizing thoughts, as well as powerful ways for expressing them.
There are hidden, underlying benefits of speech-communication courses as well. First, think about the breadth and depth of ideas exposed to because of the speeches of others. Second, think about the critiques, evaluations, and assessments. Imagine the opportunities students have not just for comparing their efforts with others, but for projecting (internally, of course) specific methods for self-improvement because of the work they see others present. There are an overwhelming array of possibilities for making great strides in their personal ability to grow, change, and develop.
There are nonverbal communication benefits of a college education as well. These can occur on a personal basis with friends, relationship partners, and other students as they interact on a daily and continuing basis. And it isn’t just their talking to others, but also it is the reactions they receive to what they project. They have unrestrained opportunities to test the way they communicate, make changes, and develop their repertoire of reactions and responses.
In the communication classroom, focus on nonverbal communication is a natural part of the evaluations and critiques students receive. For the shy, performance opportunities often serve to bring them out of their shells. For the more natural, it gives them a chance to perfect, hone, and polish their abilities — concentrated practice with critiques that offer suggestions for improvement and development.
Another important hidden benefit of a college education is growth in self-esteem. You could say, “But, that happens naturally outside the ivy walls,” and you are correct; however, when you are regularly challenged with new ideas, when you are often forced to think and solve problems, when your communication abilities are pressured to grow rapidly, and when you are surrounded by a compelling, nurturing, and encouraging environment precisely constructed to improve your self-esteem, you cannot escape development and maturity.
There are many other hidden benefits, of course, and the acquisition of words is certainly one of them. With increased vocabulary, it is easier to put your thoughts into words, to articulate your ideas and, even more important, to express precisely what you intend. When you hear about the benefits of college — increased financial rewards, knowledge, and social contacts — you seldom hear about the hidden benefits of exposure, communication, self-esteem, and vocabulary, but these may even be more important to your success, future life, and happiness.
“Multiplying college benefits for everybody,” is an essay written by Jay Matthews, a Washington Post Staff Writer. Matthews adds an important ingredient to those I’ve discussed in the essay and that is the effect a college education may have on other family members as well as the value of open-enrollment policies. Matthews writes an outstanding essay with important information.
Kathleen Porter has written an essay entitled “The Value of a college degree,” in which she presents the economic value first, and then discusses many of the other benefits. Porter supports her essay with 10 reputable references. This is another worthwhile essay.
Contact Richard L. Weaver II
Financial rewards, increased knowledge, and social contacts may be some of the obvious benefits of getting a college education, but there are numerous benefits that are not so obvious and which may, indeed, be overlooked when students and parents make their decisions about either going to college or not. For many, it is these benefits that make the cost, time commitment, and energy worthwhile. I call these the hidden benefits of a college education.Often, students who enter college do so with a specific idea about what they want to study, and what they want to be when their education is complete. There is nothing wrong with this kind of focus, and, for many, it offers precisely the direction they need to make the most of their college education. When I said, above, “there is nothing wrong with this kind of focus,” perhaps I should add, “if you maintain an open mind and flexibility.”
There is so much more to college life than classes, subject disciplines, and majors. I will label this “so much more”: exposure. Many students think they know exactly what courses provide, instructors dispense, and experiences deliver and, yet, it is the hidden benefits that often surprise — even astonish. “I had no idea,” is a common statement made by those who have entered the ivy walls with an open mind and flexibility.
The “exposure” comes from other classes — outside of one’s major — often, the required courses themselves. The “exposure” comes from the different instructors and how they choose to present their material, explore various approaches, and challenge their students. The “exposure” comes, too, from how students interpret, assimilate, and absorb the information. It is this unique juxtaposition of subject matter, presentation, and interpretation that cannot be predicted and, yet, can yield such incredible results.
When the focus of college is on awareness and the introduction of new ideas and new insights, one cannot escape being fascinated — even captivated . That’s where the open mind and flexibility come in. Instructors do not ask that students accept — unless it is on a temporary (for class purposes) basis — but they do want them to listen, concentrate, and consider. It is not about indoctrination, although some people may see it that way — as much as it is about weighing and considering. It is the development of good thinking, reasoning, and decision-making skills. And to develop these in the best manner means giving students something worthwhile, different, and challenging to think about. It means helping them break out from their limited and personal, often traditional, stereotypical, commonplace, and rigid kinds of thinking and reacting. It means getting them out of the boxes they may not even know they are in and getting them to investigate new boxes they didn’t even know existed. This promotes tolerance and open-mindedness.
Another hidden benefit of a college education is communication, whether it be written, spoken, or nonverbal. College offers opportunities to record reactions, write papers, and prepare reports. At times, some of these “opportunities” seem to be busy work on the way to getting a degree. And yet, confirmed in many studies that have been completed, accurate, effective communication is one of the greatest weaknesses in the workplace. Every opportunity to record one’s thoughts and reactions in writing should be grasped as another chance to formulate thoughts, shape ideas, and structure impressions. To have trained, knowledgeable, authorities assisting students to better express themselves should be accepted as a rare and unique gift designed to make them more effective.
Oral communication is not totally different from written. Even though many students feel they are already talented speakers — after all, they have been talking since they were born — few are as effective as they think. Speech communication courses compel students to examine the basics of effective communication: skillful listening, adept use of words, useful methods for supporting opinions, adroit patterns for organizing thoughts, as well as powerful ways for expressing them.
There are hidden, underlying benefits of speech-communication courses as well. First, think about the breadth and depth of ideas exposed to because of the speeches of others. Second, think about the critiques, evaluations, and assessments. Imagine the opportunities students have not just for comparing their efforts with others, but for projecting (internally, of course) specific methods for self-improvement because of the work they see others present. There are an overwhelming array of possibilities for making great strides in their personal ability to grow, change, and develop.
There are nonverbal communication benefits of a college education as well. These can occur on a personal basis with friends, relationship partners, and other students as they interact on a daily and continuing basis. And it isn’t just their talking to others, but also it is the reactions they receive to what they project. They have unrestrained opportunities to test the way they communicate, make changes, and develop their repertoire of reactions and responses.
In the communication classroom, focus on nonverbal communication is a natural part of the evaluations and critiques students receive. For the shy, performance opportunities often serve to bring them out of their shells. For the more natural, it gives them a chance to perfect, hone, and polish their abilities — concentrated practice with critiques that offer suggestions for improvement and development.
Another important hidden benefit of a college education is growth in self-esteem. You could say, “But, that happens naturally outside the ivy walls,” and you are correct; however, when you are regularly challenged with new ideas, when you are often forced to think and solve problems, when your communication abilities are pressured to grow rapidly, and when you are surrounded by a compelling, nurturing, and encouraging environment precisely constructed to improve your self-esteem, you cannot escape development and maturity.
There are many other hidden benefits, of course, and the acquisition of words is certainly one of them. With increased vocabulary, it is easier to put your thoughts into words, to articulate your ideas and, even more important, to express precisely what you intend. When you hear about the benefits of college — increased financial rewards, knowledge, and social contacts — you seldom hear about the hidden benefits of exposure, communication, self-esteem, and vocabulary, but these may even be more important to your success, future life, and happiness.
“Multiplying college benefits for everybody,” is an essay written by Jay Matthews, a Washington Post Staff Writer. Matthews adds an important ingredient to those I’ve discussed in the essay and that is the effect a college education may have on other family members as well as the value of open-enrollment policies. Matthews writes an outstanding essay with important information.
Kathleen Porter has written an essay entitled “The Value of a college degree,” in which she presents the economic value first, and then discusses many of the other benefits. Porter supports her essay with 10 reputable references. This is another worthwhile essay.
Contact Richard L. Weaver II
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
And Then Some News
You Rules!: All you need for Self Improvement is scheduled for release November 1st. The proof arrived and there are a few minor changes and it's on the way to becoming fantastic! Stay tuned...You Rules! answers the questions:
- How do you establish the characteristics for success?
- What are the essentials for a healthy lifestyle?
- What methods can you use to get where you want to go?
- How can you best exercise your creativity?
- What can you do to maintain your program of self-improvement?
- How do you look to a positive future?
Thursday’s essay, “Hidden benefits of college,” is another essay on education. I seem to be preoccupied with this topic, but having been involved in college life for most of my own, it makes some sense.
Share your And Then Some Story about benefits of a college education. For how many years have you been involved in college life? How successful are you or were you? Can you tell us how college has affected your life? When it comes to the hidden benefits of college, what would be YOUR message? Can you share your tips, stories, or suggestions regarding college? We would love to hear your story. Do you have a friend, a family member, a neighbor, or someone you just know from a distance who is or has been involved in college? Can you tell his or her story? Feel free to use a pseudonym for the person’ real name.
Click here to share your And Then Some story
Thursday's And Then Some Essay preview
Hidden benefits of college
by Richard L. Weaver II
Excerpt:
Financial rewards, increased knowledge, and social contacts may be some of the obvious benefits of getting a college education, but there are numerous benefits that are not so obvious and which may, indeed, be overlooked when students and parents make their decisions about either going to college or not. For many, it is these benefits that make the cost, time commitment, and energy worthwhile. I call these the hidden benefits of a college education.
And Then Some Works - see you THURSDAY!!
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