Many youth groups like to find guest lecturers from within their communities to speak to the teenagers. I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Hanoch McCarty speak last night. Dr. McCarty spoke on boosting children's self esteem. The lecture was excellent, and I highly recommend booking him in your community. I will not go into great length to tell you everything Dr. McCarty's two hour workshop included, but there is one little thing that he said in his wrap up that summed up the entire lecture.
Self esteem is the heart's bank account.
We make deposits in the form of unconditional love and support, and withdrawals in the form of harsh criticism and embarrasment. If the account is overdrawn, this can be seen in the form of drug abuse, teen pregnancy, alcoholism, even reckless driving. As educators, it is our job to keep those deposits coming. The overdraft fee is more than any of us can afford. I am also pleased to welcome Dr. McCarty as an IdeaNet subscriber.