“What a person thinks of himself that is which determine his fate”

–Walden Thoreau

Self-esteem enriches all aspects of life by facilitating people to have positive feelings about themselves, to have increased personal output and satisfactory interpersonal relationships. Individuals who have positive feelings about themselves are more capable of defining goals and objectives, identifying strengths and dealing with disappointments. They are also more willing to accept responsibility, view mistakes as essential in the process of growth and development and are personally motivated. Self-esteem has its foundation in a "strong sense of self-worth which survives both failure and success; mistakes and disappointment, acceptance and rejection from others". Like all other walks of life, teaching as a profession needs high sense of self-esteem. Researchers have shown that teachers with high self- esteem can in turn develop a sense of self-esteem in his/ her students and can eventually enhance the academic performance of the learner. Teachers who have a high level of self-esteem manifest themselves in the classroom as confident and relaxed and have a respectful attitude towards students. The ethos engendered by such a person who projects trust and belief in the child's capacity and who has a warm supportive presence which enhances the child's view of himself /herself as someone of worth, results in an enhancement of the student's performance as well. Teachers who have a high level of self-esteem are more likely to be flexible and exploratory in their approach to teaching and it will definitely influence his/her style of teaching and ability to develop good pupil-teacher relationships. The present paper is a thematic intervention which explores the scope of teacher’s self esteem and its effects on student learning.

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Keywords: Self- Esteem, Academic Performance, Self-worth, Growth and Development.