When the Kids Come First

Enhancing Self-Esteem

James A. Beane

&

Richard P. Lipka

"This volume crystallized many of the beliefs of leading middle-level educators when it was first published. It gave voice to the unapologetic, child-centered philosophy that was responsible for much of the early success of middle-level education. Reading When the Kids Come First again makes me realize how timeless its message is. . . My hope is that the sound and valid viewpoints presented in this volume will receive a fair and wide hearing."

John J. Lounsbury, 1999

Cognitive learning is hard won by someone whose life is in affective disarray. At the core of this affect is clear self-concept and positive self-esteem which in the case of young adolescents unifies the physical, social, and cognitive characteristics into a sense of identity, adequacy, and affirmation. Beane & Lipka provide us with a model of what a self-enhancing school could be—a place that helps young people to clarify their self-concepts, develop positive self-esteem, formulate values, and understand their relationship to the social world around them. The unique strategy that makes this child-centered book such a realistic and invaluable tool is the authors’ belief that "if one wants to know about young people’s self-perceptions it is probably better to ask them directly than to make inferences from behaviors or from standardized instruments that reflect adult values." Therefore, you will find the author’s model of a self-enhancing school reflects much of what they heard as adolescents voiced their beliefs and ideas. This book is more timely now than when it was first published as public education faces the "standardization’’ of curriculum and testing, the "cult of efficacy" model of pedagogy, and the suspension of democratic principles in all aspects of public schooling.

2000/112 pp./ Paper $19.95/ISBN: 1-891928-07-4