"When a student comes to see me I try to understand where they're coming from without having any pre- conceived ideas about who they are or what they should be accomplishing. I try to understand that they are just individuals at this particular time and place who have a need. I am there to offer my help to try and address that need in whatever way I can."

The word "self-esteem" implies that esteem is something we give to or feel about ourselves, similar to how we understand the concept of "self-respect". If a tutor is proud of a student's efforts it doesn't necessarily follow that the student will share her tutor's feelings. Conversely, a student may be quite satisfied with her progress while the tutor feels some disappointment in the success of a lesson. We can encourage someone to give themselves credit for their successes but the ownership of that credit has to come from within.

It must be understood also that a person's self-esteem can fluctuate and change with a given situation. A student can spend a satisfying afternoon baking perfect loaves of bread then come to class in the evening and feel frightened and insecure. THERESA ZIOBROWSKY from Cold Lake is convinced that to feel comfortable in any given situation people need to know that they are welcome and accepted for who they are:

"A person's self-esteem increases when that person is validated, which includes being honoured, accepted and acknowledged as a person with unique strengths and weaknesses. A student is more likely to accept their strengths and weaknesses when they believe they are valued as a person. As human beings we all need that. People don't need labels they need acceptance."

Literacy workers understand that they cannot build someone else's self-esteem for them but that they can provide a safe and positive learning environment in which students and tutors can relax and enjoy their learning and begin to experience success. JAN THIFSSEN from Athabasca describes the changes she sees in her students as they began to feel more comfortable in the classroom and with themselves:

"I look for the soft things - whether someone comes to school more often or if they come on time. I look for changes in attitude and how they talk about others and about themselves. Sometimes I am able to see that someone has become more tolerant of others or is beginning to feel more at ease in different settings."

Taking her thoughts a step further, Jan added:

"And I wonder sometimes if it's just a coincidence that my own self-esteem has been increasing as I see the changes in my students and realize that there are some things that I am doing right as a teacher in the classroom."

Self-esteem is not just an issue for students. Literacy workers have talked openly about not being recognized for what they do. being underpaid and treated poorly because they are at the bottom of the adult education ladder (see Reflections 2 and 3). They admit that their own self-esteem has been bruised and weakened by the stresses of the job. They are quick to recognize the needs of their students but the question started to emerge, "Who is there to validate and accept them for all their strengths and weaknesses?"