DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 374 343 CE 067 331

TITLE Self-Esteem: Issues for the Adult Learner.INSTITUTION Academy for Educational Development, Washington, DC.

National Adult Literacy and Learning DisabilitiesCenter.

SPONS AGENCY National Inst. for Literacy, Washington, DC.PUB DATE 94NOTE 13p.

PUB TYPE Collected Works Serials (022)

JOURNAL CIT Linkages; vl nl Sum 1994

EDRS PRICE MFO1 /PCO1 Plus Postage.

DESCRIPTORS Adult Basic Education; *Adult Literacy; *LearningDisabilities; *Literacy Education; PersonalNarratives; *Self Esteem

ABSTRACTThis issue of a newsletter on adult literacy and

learning disabilities focuses on self-esteem. Contributors include aprofessional in learning disabilities, an adult basic educator, astate literacy resource provider, and two adult students who tell howthey overcame struggles with low self-esteem to confront theirliteracy difficulties and learning disabilities. The followingarticles are included: "How Not to Feel Stupid When You Know You'reNot: Self-Esteem and Learning Disabilities" (Sally L. Smith);"Breaking the Low Self-Esteem Cycle" (Judy-Arin Krupp); "Stacking theDeck: Four Aces of Self-Esteem" (Linda Andresen); "Anger andFrustration: Manifestations of Low Self-Esteem" (Cheryl Ashe andCammie Pisegna, as told to Charles W. Washington); "No More PityParties" (Billie Kenner, as told to Kathy Copps); "Tim's Story" (TimKing, as told to Neil Sturomski); and "Tips to Help ImproveSelf-Esteem." (KC)

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Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made* from the original document.***********************************************************************

National Adult Literacy &Learning Disabilities Center's

From theDirector...

I recently attended a nationalconference with professionals in thefield of adult education and literacy.I was amazed at the number of timesthat the issue of self-esteem came upboth in workshops and in individualconversations. It seems that more andmore practitioners are seeing howcrucial it is to address issues of self-esteem in adult education and literacyprograms, especially with studentswith learning disabilities. Manyparticipants noted that when self-esteem was elevated, students madegreater progress in improving readingskills.

The premiere issue of LINKAGESfocuses on self-esteem. It was our aimto make the range of contributors asbroad as possible, including aprofessional in learning disabilities,an adult basic educator, a stateliteracy resource center director, alocal literacy provider, and two adultstudents who tell how they overcamestruggles with low self-esteem toconfront their literacy difficulties andlearning disabilities.

The National ALLD Center, funded bythe National Institute for Literacy,hopes that this and future newsletterswill serve as LINKAGES for students,literacy providers, and learningdisabilities specialists. Our mission isto raise national awareness about therelationship between adult literacyand learning disabilities. We hopethat this newsletter will helppractitioners, policy makers, andresearchers better meet the needs ofadults with learning disabilities.

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Learning Disabilities

Summer 1994Vol. 1, No. 1

SELF-ESTEEM: ISSUES FOR THEADULT LEARNER

How Not to Feel Stupid When You Know You're Not:Self-Esteem and Learning Disabilitiesby Sally L. Smith

One of the biggest battles we have teacliing people with learningdisabilities is dealing with negative self-images. Many of themhave been teased and taunted all of their lives, and they feel sorotten about themselves that, even when they succeed, they are not

comfortable with themselves.

Usually, as early as in kindergarten, children with learning dis-abilities are smart enough to figure out that their peers are able torecognize letters and play with symbols successfully and they arenot. This sense of inadequacy is nailed down by subsequent defeatsand failure. Some individuals with learning disabilities have an all-pervasive feeling of not being on the same level as their peers.They may feel that they are "stupid" and "dumb." And they fearothers feel the same way about them.

Table of Contents

How Not to Feel Stupid WhenYou Know You're Not 1

Breaking the Low Self-Esteem Cycle 3

Stacking the Deck: Four Aces of Self-Esteem 4

Anger and Frustration 5

No More Pity Parties 6

Tim's Story 8

Tips to Help Improve Self-Esteem 10

Selected Readings I I

BEST COPY AVAILABLE

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They are constantly looking for any situationwhere they could possibly fail and be made fun of.So much of their energy is consumed by fear offailure that the learning disabled often don't havemuch energy left to tackle their learning dis-abilities and invent strategies that will help themto learn.

The image we have of ourselves as children oftenaffects how we feel about ourselves as adults.Children who feel overweight often turn intoadults who are obsessed with their weight eventhough they are thin. Similarly, children who feellike failures may turn into adults obsessed withfailing even if they are successful.

There are many ingredients that contribute tosuccess in life that tests do not measure and thattraditional teaching most likely does not reward.These include subtle ingredients that have to dowith drive and determination, the setting of reach-able goals, ingenuity, resourcefulness, and inter-personal skills.

What we find with adults with learning disabilitiesis that often they have a wealth of untappedpotential. To photograph with an unconventionaleye, to build a beautiful boat, to compose a sonata,to organize a party, or to ease the last days ofsomeone who is terminally ill these are theskills that humanize our civilization and make lifeworth ',lying. People with learning disabilities canrealize that they are not stupid, or lazy, or bad, orincompetent, but, rather, that they are intelligentpeople with a mass of potential. They can begin toprize their uniqueness and feel better aboutthemselves.

To buil self-esteem, a person has to know his orher strengths and interests, at the same timeknowing wl..tt he or she has the most trouble withand what strategies help. As actor/director/producer Henry Winker told children at the LabSchool of Washington, "The feeling of feelingstupid when you are not is terrible. Your person,your personality, your inner song is a lot moreimportant than the speed at which you get things

done." When people like themselves, everythingseems possible. They can dare to risk a littlefailure.

Elizabeth Daniels Squire, author, says, "It cer-tainly is more inspiring to think of yourself as aperson with a problem you can get around byworking a little harder, trying alternatives, and notgiving up, than trying to think of yourself as anawkward klutz who is jinxed and has bad luck..."People with learning disabilities must not viewthemselves as victims of fate. They must seethemselves as agents of change and think of theirlearning disabilities not as problems but asopportunities to problem - solve.

Accomplishing what one wants to do can be doneeven if it is not done the way everyone else doesit. Learning disabilities are simply one of thefacts of life part of the way in which somepeople operate. Being learning disabled doesn'thave to keep a person from chasing dreams. Itjust means that he or she chases them differently.No matter what we do, we are in charge of our-selves as we chase our dreams. The responsibilityfor learning and growing rests with us.0

A little advice to the learning disabled:

* Recognize your strengths and weaknesses;Know what accommodations you need;Invent your own strategies; andBe able to ask for help when you need it.

I

Sally L. Smith is professor of education in charge of thegraduate program in Special Education: LearningDisabilities at the American University in Washington,D.C., and founder and director of the Lab School ofWashington. She is the author of Succeeding Against theOdds: Strategies and Insights from the Learning Disabled

. . . `132.1iedlarruca....,4

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Breaking the Low Self-Esteem Cycleby Judy-Arin Krupp

Conjure up the feelings that accompany low self-esteem by thinking about some arena of life inwhich you repeatedly fail or receive negativefeedback. Perhaps others taunt and tease youabout your inabilities. Maybe you never seem toconnect a bat with -I ball, or repeatedly havenonproductive interactions with a significantperson in your life. Such events diminishconfidence. They lead to avoidance as well asdepression and fear of failure.

Individuals with readingdifficulties often exper-ience similar negativefeelings. They lackesteem as readers andlearners and often do notprize themselves asindividuals. No wonder

to read. At some point, however, the pain offaking it may become greater than the pain oflearning to read. When that happens, the personmay take the risk of joining a literacy program.

Entering a literacy program requires modifyingone's self-image no easy task. People withhigh self-esteem take risks more easily than thosewith low self-esteem. Most people who havereading problems do not esteem themselves asreaders. They take a huge risk when they decideto learn to read. What do these adults give upwhen they enter a literacy program? Theyrelinquish the belief that they can't read. They

give up the face-saving

What literacy programs can and mustdo is establish a climate in which adultlearners can develop the confidence intheir own potential that underlies self-esteem.

many adults with lowliteracy skills have established an elaborate, self-protective system in hopes that others will notperceive their inabilities!

What is self-esteem? Self-esteem means how youfeel about yourself. A person who has difficultyreading may derive high self-esteem fromsuccessful compensating strategies. For example,a person with reading difficulties may pridehimself on being such a good actor that othersdon't realize he can't read.

Self-esteem creates self-image, the picture wehave of ourselves. We work hard in life toreinforce our self-image. The person in ourexample might claim to have forgotten the printedmaterials for a meeting so someone else will readthe salient points, or he might cough when askedto read so some other person at the meeting willread. But if he pictures himself as an incompetentreader and student, then he may do things in lifethat increase his feelings of ineptitude. He maynot enter a literacy program. He may not even try

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techniques they have livedwith for years. They giveup pretending in order tomaintain a sense of self.They give up false security.In exchange for letting goof these self-protectivedefenses and for risk-taking, they rediscover

capacities previously deemed unavailable. Theliteracy program provides an opportunity to gaina clearer self-concept and positive self-esteem.

Notice the word "opportunity" in the previoussentence. No one can build the self-esteem ofanother. What literacy programs can and must dois establish a climate in which adult learners candevelop the confidence in their own potential thatunderlies self-esteem. Such environments en-courage learners to: make choices and hold themresponsible for the results of their decisions; setclearly defined limits and achievable goals; andfocus on strengths while reframing negativethoughts. Such an atmosphere optimizes thechances that adult learners will feel good aboutthemselves while learning to read. As they beginto feel competent as readers, their sense of self-esteem escalates. As esteem increases, theirchances of achieving go up.

As confidence and competen: , develop, adultsexperience positive feelings about self, and they

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gain a new picture of themselves and of life. It isan affirmative image that enhances their quality ofexistence.*

Judy-Arin Krupp is a nationally and internationally knownconsultant who helps individuals understand themselves andothers in order to increase productivity and quality of life.She is the author of Adult Development and The AdultLearner.

Stacking the Deck: Four Aces of Self-Esteemby Linda Andresen

In the game of solitaire, a player strives to find theaces in each suit of cards upon which to place theremaining cards of that suit in ascending order. Asolid approach to training practitioners in adulteducation is similar to the principles of solitaire inthat we have identified four "aces" upon whichtraining is based: awareness, assessment,accommodation, and advocacy.

The first ace in training is awareness. Every adultliteracy provider, administrator, teacher, and tutormust have a full understanding of learningdifferences. We must be aware that, many timesbefore students can even begin to move towardtheir academie goals, we must first assist them ingaining confidence and building self-esteem.Practitioners must provide the students with pos-itive learning experiences; perhaps the firstpositive experiences they have ever had. Manystudents come to adult education programs ascasualties of life's circumstances: confused, fullof self- doubt, and ostracized by others who don'tunderstand them. It is essential to provide anatmosphere in which wounds can heal andstudents can move with confidence toward thefuture.

Given a supportive environment, over time thestudent feels more comfortable with disclosingpast painful learning experiences and begins tolose some of the fear of failure. As practitionersshow that they have faith in students, the students

will begin to have more faith in themselves, andself-esteem will grow.

The next ace is assessment. Practitioners have tohe trained to use effective assessment techniquessuch as personal interviews, observations, check-lists, and in-depth questionnaires. Students areinclined to begin to trust someone who showsgenuine interest in knowing more about them:their past struggles, strengths, weaknesses, andlearning styles and helps them acquire greaterself-esteem. As students reach a new under-standing of how they can best learn by buildingupon their strengths, their feelings of self-esteemelevates.

The third ace is accommodation. Dependingupon the results of the assessment, the practitionerhelps each student set realistic goals and suggestsdifferent accommodations to help reach thesegoals. Accommodations help the students putsome type of method to the madness they havebeen experiencing throughout their lives. Thestudent should implement accommodations athome, in the community, and at work. Asstudents discover more about how they can learnbest, successes begin to grow. As success grows,so does self-esteem.

The final ace is to get students to advocate forthemselves. As self-advocates, students informothers of the types of accommodations they needto complete a task. This is one of the mostdifficult steps for a person with a learningdisability to take. Self advocacy involves:admitting to having a learning disability; speakingfor yourself; taking the risk of being ridiculed orrejected; and willingly confronting difficultsituations.

When students practice self-advocacy, they aresending out several messages. One message is thatthey care enough about a task to inform people ofthe types of accommodations they will need tocomplete it. Another message is that they arewilling to trust someone to handle the informationthat they shared about themselves in a mature

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manner. The most important message is that thestudents care enough about themselves to informothers of what they know works best for them.

When literacy providers help students becomeaware of how they learn best, assess theirstrengths and weaknesses, find accommodationsfor their learning needs, and begin self-advocacy,then the deck is stacked for their fliture success. 4,

Linda Andresen is the Adult Basic Education DevelopmentCoorci;nator at Regional Education Service Agency III andthe Director of the West Virginia Center for Adult Literacyand Learning.

Anger and Frustration: Manifestationsof Low Self-Esteemby Cheryl Ashe and Cammie Pisegna as told toCharles W. Washington

Low self - esteem has many different mani-festations. Withdrawal, depression, and lack ofself-confidence are all symptoms of low self-esteem. At the Literacy Program in St. JosephCounty, many of the adult students express angerand frustration, because they do not completecertain tasks easily or efficiently. When thesefeelings are turned inward, they reinforce feelingsof low self-esteem.

At the Literacy Program,sponsored by the St.Joseph County PublicLibrary and the LiteracyCouncil of St. Joseph,we help students dealwith the anger andfrustration caused bytheir reading difficultiesby introducing them todifferent learning stylesand in some cases, bylearning disabilities.

The first phase of theextensive interviewing

students about their learning experiences anddifficulties so we can get a sense of the readinglevel and the types of learning styles that may beeffective. The interviews are usually educationalas well as liberating for the students. Theydiscover that there are different learning stylesthat may help them learn. The students also beginto understand that it is not their fault that theycould not learn the way others around them could.

With this knowledge, many of the students beginto redirect the self-contained anger and frustrationthey experienced as a result of their learningdifferences. They look back over their educationalexperience and question why no one explained tothem that they were not to blame for their repeatedacademic failures. We try to help students under-stand, that similar to how a person who is blindmay need braille, raised lettering, or taped booksto read, they, too, may need alternative methods tolearn to read because of their learning disabilities.

As they deal with their anger and frustration,many of our students seem to develop a level ofenthusiasm about the challenge of learning toread. They begin to see their reading difficulties asa problem that can be solved instead of a secretthat must be hidden. We have some students whotake their homework with them to work andspread it out on the lunch table. Some of ourstudents carry a bag with the Literacy Program's

emblem on it. One student,11111=1:111iii

...many of the adult students expressanger and frustration because they donot complete certain tasks easily orefficiently. When these feelings areturned inward, they reinforce feelingsof low self esteem.

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educating them about

Literacy Program is ansession. We ask the

on his way to a work site,had a truckload of his co-workers drop him off at thelibrary so he could explainwhy he would be missing atutoring session.

What may help thesestudents deal with theirreading difficulties with

such enthusiasm is the tone we try to set at theLiteracy Program. We refer to the adults in ourprogram as students. We feel that terms like"client" and "learner" suggest that they aredifferent than other people in the school system.

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We stress that there is not much differencebetween students studying to get doctoral degreesand students learning the alphabet. Regardless ofthe subject mattei., they both have to study.

As administrators, we make an effort to get toknow the students. We try to let them know thatthey are treasured individuals who are worthy ofour attention and respect. We make a point ofknowing each of them by name and engaging insocial interactions with them.

Our tutors are also important factors in ourprogram. They relay the message that each studentis important and worthy of the time and energyspent with them. When some students slack off,often it is the tutor who encourages them tocontinue.

It is important to provide the opportunity for thestudents to be aware of their accomplishments.Every month the tutors write a report of studentprogress. We then report successes in a newsletter.Some of the stories have even been covered in thelocal newspaper. We have an annual awardsceremony where a person with reading difficultiesspeaks about his experiences. All of the studentsare given certificates for the time completed. Evenminimal successes are rewarded. We let thestudents know that all victories should becelebrated.

Low self-esteem is common among many adultliteracy students. Even though students are notwallowing in self-pity, the anger and frustrationthey have as a result of blaming themselves fortheir reading difficulties may have a negativeeffect on their self-image. These students do notneed to feel sorry for themselves, nor do they needpity from literacy providers. What they do need isto be educated about their learning differences.These students also need to experience how itfeels to know that someone cares about them.When students see that others care about them,they are inclined to care more about themselves.+

Cheryl Ashe is a Special Services Librarian at the St.Joseph County Public Library in South Bend, Indiana,

where she oversees a volunteer-based adult htcracyprogram.Cammie Pisegna is a Special Services Paraprofessional atthe Si. Joseph County Public Library in South Bend,Indiana.

No More Pity Partiesby Billie Kenner, as told to Kathy Copps

When my cousin was twelve years old, shewanted a boyfriend. When my best friend wastwelve years old, she wanted a new dress. WhenI was twelve years old, I wanted to die.

My desire to end my life at such an early agestemmed from the frustration and confusion Iexperienced because of what I know now is alearning disability. When I was growing up Ididn't catch on to things as quickly as other kidsmy age. I could barely read, and I couldn't dosimple math functions. I turned to the teachers,and they couldn't help me. I turned to my family,and they couldn't help me. I looked to myself, andI couldn't help myself.

At home, nobody understood what was going onwith me. I am sure my family sensed that therewas something wrong with me, but they justassumed it was laziness. I would hear themwhisper things about how simple I was or howstupid I was. I knew I wasn't stupid or lazy, but Ididn't know what the problem was.

The schools weren't helpful at all in dealing withmy learning difficulties. I was 15 years old in theseventh grade and just didn't fit in. I rememberonce .tting on the floor and crying for hoursbecause I couldn't read.

All my feelings and frustrations finally reached apoint where I couldn't deal with them anymore,and I ran away from home and dropped out ofschool in the eighth grade. I was 16 but only ableto read things like street signs and a few words Ihad memorized.

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I lived in the streets for a while. Later I lived with

friends or relatives. There weren't many jobopportunities for me because of my lack oftraining and lack of education.

I was never afraid of work. I picked up any job

that was a challenge and developed my ownaccommodations when I could. I wasn't afraid to

try anything, but if I. thought people -would find

out that I couldn't read I would leave.

When I was 29 years old, I admitted to someonefor the first time in my lifethat I could not read. Thedirector of a gospel choir Iwas singing in. openlyasked if I had a problemwith reading the song

book. I admitted mydifficulties with readingand he readily took on thechallenges of teaching me. He was perceptive

enough to choose reading materials that interested

me. The more I read, the better I felt about

myself.

make change which he would count out and Iwould count back to the customers. Most of the

customers were repeat customers and generally

very nice, but always there was the anxiety ofbeing found out and embarrassed by my learning

problems.

After working for over 10 years as a waitress, I

decided I wanted something more. I thought Iwould like working in a hospital so I applied tothe University of the District of Columbia for

training as a Nursing Assistant. I lied abouthaving a GED and was

11101111111111

This has all been a slow process thatbegan later in my life than for mostpeople, but the seed is now plantedand I know I will continue to grow.

My lifeline to learning was cut when my choirdirector got married and relocated. I was reading

at about a third grade level by this time, and itwould be a while before I made any moreprogress.

I was working as a waitress at a club and throughsheer wit managed to keep that job for about ten

years. I was always afraid from the day that Iapplied for the job that someone would find outthat I couldn't read or write. I was able to write

down orders because I had memorized the firstthree letters of each drink and was then able tomatch the three letters to the posted signs andprices over the bar. Receiving money and

counting change were nightmares which left me

feeling dumb and often taken advantage of by a

few of the customers. I devised strategies formanaging the bills, such as having the customers

count out the bill, or if the bill was over $20 Iwould take it to the register and have the cashier

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accepted into the pro-gram. Somehow, I man-aged to get through theprogram with Bs and Cs.I did the required readingby reading each wordletter by letter. I joinedstudy groups and en-

couraged others to read things I couldn't figureout, and I would follow intently as the text wasread. I made flash cards, I wrote and repeatedwords hundreds of times until I could rememberthem, and I did what I had to do to learn what I

was supposed to learn. I was able to keep myreading problem a secret, even from my study

group.

I passed the program but my problems followed

me to my job assignments. I was great with thepatients and the hands-on nursing duties. It wasthe little things I couldn't do, such as reading

schedules and charts and writing down patientinformation (blood pressure, pulse, temperature).I had problems with numbers. I couldn't read theschedule so I was late for work and I took the

wrong days off. I had constant feelings ofinadequacy and incompetency. I was eventuallyfired because all of my little mistakes added upand I couldn't seem to take oral directions orsequence the tasks I was asked to do.

After I was fired, I became angry. I cried for two

days. I was pitiful. When I finally got myselftogether, I told myself, "No more pity parties!" I

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decided that my inability to read would not makeme lose another job. I knew I needed help, so Istarted calling people to find out how I could gethelp. I relied heavily on the telephone informationservice because I couldn't read the telephonebook. I would call and say, "Who do you callwhen you get fired from your job because youcan't read?" Eventually I contacted a VocationalRehabilitation counselor who arranged for me toget a psychological evaluation. When the eval-uation was complete, I was assigned a therapistwho felt I needed to deal with my problems ofself-esteem as well as my literacy issues.

My Vocational Rehabilitation counselor also ar-ranged for me to have an educational evaluation todetermine if I had a learning disability. It was oneof the happiest moments of my life when thetester informed me that I was normal and that Icould learn. This wonderful news put an end to somuch anxiety and frustration that I was ex-periencing. I began to feel good about myself.

When I started taking classes in a program foradults with learning disabilities, I had a difficulttime opening up to the teachers and therapists. Ihad a hard time switching classes and getting usedto two teachers in one night. I was makingprogress at this time, but I still had a lot of painfulmemories from my past to deal with. I had to healmy emotional scars so I could ri.ove on with mylife.

And that's what I did and am still doing. Now, Ican honestly say I feel good about myself. I amstill attending classes. I have improved my read-ing and comprehension skills tremendously. Thishas all been a slow process that began later in mylife than for most people, but the seed is nowplanted and I know I will continue to grow.

I was 40 years old when I was -vagnosed ashaving learning disabilities. Through my owntenacity and determination, I found out where Ineeded to go to get help. But now I wonder aboutthose who are suffering some of the same painsthat I have suffered and who can't find it within

themselves to seek the help that they need. I thinkabout the poor who can't afford to be tested. Ithink about the children with learning disabilitieswho are being abused and are h _ginning to believethe things said about them because they can't read.

Just as I was determined to help myself, I amdetermined to help those who may not know howto help themselves. I will use that same self-loveand determination to stay motivated to study toget my GED so I can become a teaching assis-tant.+

Tim's Storyby Tim King, as told to Neil Sturomski

"There is not a child who we can't teach," theschool principal told my mother. This statementleft my mother frustrated and angry because I wasnot doing well in school. And it made me feel badabout myself as I thought about how I couldn'tcatch on to school work like my classmates in thefirst and second grades. I thought about how I

repeated the third grade. I thought about how Iwas having problems keeping up in the fourthgrade. I felt like I was a child who couldn't betaught.

While in the fourth grade I was diagnosed ashaving a learning disability. I started to attendspecial education classes to work on reading andspelling skills, but I still felt like a child whocouldn't be taught. I had a hard time in publicschools because I felt like I was not normal. I hadto leave my classroom to attend special educationclasses and I still wasn't doing well in the regularclass. I just couldn't keep up.

By the time I was in junior high school, mylearning disabilities really made me feel like I wasan outcast. I didn't have many friends. I had fourspecial education classes that 1 would try to slip i,and out of without other kids seeing me. Theteachers were pretty good, but they directed mostof their attention to students with behavior

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problems. I wasn't really into school because itmade me feel bad about myself.

When I was in theseventh grade I wentthrough one of the mosthumiliating experiencesin school. The teacherassigned each of us a partto read in a play while

I was their equal on the wrestling mat or on thefootball field. I felt good because I could do thesame things that these kids could do.

I had never thought of telling any ofmy employers about my learningdisabilities. I tried to hide the fact thatI had learning disabilities.

being recorded on a taperecorder. When my partin the play came up, I couldn't read my lines. Theteacher tried to help me sound out words. I feltreally bad because the guy taping the play had tokeep stopping the recorder. To add to myembarrassment, a girl I had a crush on was in theclass.

It became obvious that I wasn't getting the kind ofhelp I needed in the public school system. Mymother looked into other types of education. Shelearned about the Lab School of Washington, aprivate school that deals with students withlearning disabilities. She felt that the publicschool system should pay for my tuition sincethey couldn't provide the type of help that I

needed. The public school system was a bitreluctant, but they agreed to pay after my motherthreatened a law suit. I enrolled at the Lab School,and I studied there for two years.

I made my biggest improvements while I was atthe Lab School. The teachers take you back tosquare one. I got a chance to really work on thefundamentals at a slower pace and with a lot moreattention from the teachers. I also felt a lot betterabout myself because I was in a classroom whereeverybody was like me. We all had learningdisabilities. I began to like school because I waslearning things.

At that time, the Lab School only went up to theninth grade, so I had to return to the public schoolsystem for the tenth grade. While in high school Iwas on the wrestling and football teams. I likedcompeting with other students because I felt like

10

While in high school I

tried to lead a double life.I had special educationclasses that were apartfrom the regular classes,and I didn't want any ofthe other athletes to seeme going in and out of

these classes. I would bolt out of these classeswhen the bell rang for dismissal and blend in withthe other students. I know some of the otherathletes knew I had special education classes butthey didn't say anything about it. I think some ofthe students in the special education classes kindof looked up to me as somebody with a learningdisability who did things that the regular studentscould do.

I held several part-time jobs throughout highschool. I worked as a cook, a stock clerk, and afurniture deliverer. After graduating from highschool, I held on to the job delivering furniture fora while. After I left the job delivering furniture, Igot a job delivering medical supplies. After that Istarted work as a shop man with a paintingcompany. I felt that all of these jobs were deadend jobs.

I found that in the jobs where I could advance, Iwould have to do a lot of paper work. I would getvery confused with the paper work and fallbehind. I was promoted to supervisor at afurniture store and I fell so far behind with mypaper work that they hired somebody to help me.I appreciated the additional help as well as how itwas handled. My boss didn't make a big deal outof it. One day a woman just walked into my officeand said, "Tim, I was told to help you get caughtup on your paper work." When shy wastransferred to another position, I fell behind in mypaper work again.

CI a LI le LkoresiLambs DbobIlltlei

Page 10

I had never thought of telling any of myemployers about my learning disabilities. I didn'tknow how they would handle it. So, like I did inhigh school, I tried to hide the fact that I hadlearning disabilities.

I realized that I was not happy with my life. I

applied for a job as a customer servicerepresentative with a lawn company. I wrote onthe application that I had learning disabilities.During my second interview I told the vicepresident of the company that I had learningdisabilities. The company was impressed by metelling them about my learning disabilities, andwas hired.

I had not done much reading since I graduatedfrom high school. I felt a need for more structuredlearning. I wanted to pick up some more readingskills and improve my reading level. It was veryfrustrating to want to read faster but having toread over things two or three times for comp-rehension. So, I decided to go back to school.

I enrolled in the Night School at the Lab Schoolof Washington. The Night School is a program atthe Lab School that is for adults with learningdisabilities. Going back to school made me feelbetter about myself. I felt very comfortable in thissetting because, here, we were all in the sameboat. I came to realize that I was not there toprove anything to anybody else, I was there tobetter myself.

Now that I understand and can better accept thatI have learning disabilities, I have a whole newattitude about my life. As for my future, I wouldreally like a job that will allow me to use more ofmy mind and less of my body.

.:6

Tips to Help Improve Self-Esteem

Practitioners who want to help adult studentsimprove their self-esteem may find some ofthe following suggestions helpful:

Be patient and understanding;Be non-judgmental;Help students set realistic goalsaccording to their capabilities;Offer praise and positive reinforcementregularly;Maintain a sense of humor and share it;Be an alert listener;Treat students with respect;Be sure that non-verbal messagesreflect a positive and supportiveattitude;Accept that a lesson may not always gothe way you planned;Try to make the content of a lessonrelevant to the student's real lifesituations;Become accustomed to working withdifferent learning styles;Encourage self-reliance. Let thestudent participate in makingdecisions.

Source: Kramer, P. (1990). The dynamics ofrelationships. Silver Spring, MD: =EqualPartners.

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LINKAGESPage 1 I

:MU.' Uwe."Loan*, Moab lifts

Selected Readings

To learn more about how self-esteem effects adult students. contact your local library for the follow ingpublications. This list is not intended to be all-inclusive and is not an endorsement of any publisher or an'materials. Whenever possible. we have included ordering information in case the publication is not availablein your area.

Gerber. P.J. & Ginsberg. R.J. (1990). Identiing alterable patterns of success in highly successlul adult.%with learning disabilities. Richmond, VA: Richmond School Education.

Kramer. P. (1990). The dynamics of relationships. Silver Spring. MD:=Equal Partners. (A ailablefrom =Equal Partners, 3371 Beaverwood Lane, Silver Spring, MD 20906. Telephone: (301) 871-9665.)

Krupp. J. (1984). The adult learner: A unique entity. Manchester, CT: Adult Development and Learning.(Available from Adult Development and Learning, 40 McDivitt Dr., Manchester. CT 06040.)

Molek, C. (1990). Special delivery systems: Self-esteem exercises. Learning disabilities curriculum.Lewistown, PA: TIU Adult Education and Job Training. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No.Ell 333 142.)

Smith, S.L. (1991). Succeeding against the adds: Strategies and insights from the learning disabled. i.osAngeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher, Inc. (Available from Putnam Berkeley Publications. 390 Murray I liltParkway, East Rutherford, NJ 07073. Telephone: 1-800-631-8571. Also available on cassette tapethrough the loan program of Recording for the Blind (RFB), 20 Roszel Road, Princeton, NJ 20542.Telephone: 1-800-221-4792.)+

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LINKAGES is published semi-annually. Individual copies are available free of charge from theNational ALLD Center.

The National ALLD Center thanks our Program Officer, Susan Green, at the National Institute forLiteracy, for her time in reading and reviewing this document. We also thank the followingindividuals who reviewed the draft manuscript and provided thoughtful suggestions and comments:Ivan Charner, Vice President and Director at the National Institute for Work and Learning; LisaKipper, Editor at the National Information Center for Youth and Children with Disabilities; KeithLenz, Model Director of National ALLD Center at the University of Kansas Institute for Researchin Learning Disabilities; and Mario D. Payne, Resource Associate at the HEATH Resource Center.

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to addressing human development needs in the United States and throughout the world. Under contracts and grants, theAcademy operates programs in collaboration with policy leaders; nongovernmental and community-based organizations;governmental agencies; international multilateral and bilateral fenders; and schools, colleges, and universities. In partnership

with its clients, the Academy seeks to meet today's social, economic, and environmental challenges through education and

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The National ALLD CenterThe National ALLD Center was established in October 1993 by the National Institute for Literacy under a cooperative

agreement with the Academy for Educational Development and the University of Kansas Institute for Research in Learning

Disabilities.

The Center is a national resource for information on learning disabilities and their impact on the provision of literacy services.

We encourage your inquiries and will either directly provide you with information or refer you to an appropriate resource.

StuffNeil A. Sturomski, DirectorEve Robins, Senior Information SpecialistCharles W. Washington, Program AssistantMeredith Reynolds, Graduate Intern

LINKAGES Editor, Charles W. Washington

Academy for Educational DevelopmentNational ALLD Center1875 Connecticut Ave., N.W. 9th FloorWashington, D.C. 20009-1202Phone: (202) 884-8185Fax: (202) 884-8422

This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute for Literacy under Grant No. X2571330002. Any opinion, findings, and conclusions

or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Institute for Literacy.

This information is in the public domain unless otherwise indicated. Readers are encouraged to copy and share it, but please credit the National ALLI)

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