Success in school and in life is sometimes thought to depend on innate intelligence. However, student self-esteem is more highly correlated with student success than is intelligence quotient. There are many educational practices that are highly correlated with student self-esteem which can be grouped into three categories: teacher attributes and attitudes; classroom methods and techniques; and school environment. Teachers must accept students as persons of infinite worth and value, with absolute dignity as human beings worthy of the utmost respect. Classroom techniques and teaching methods that raise student self-esteem do so because they simultaneously raise student achievement. Self-esteem flourishes in schools that feel small, in which students feel that they belong to an important group, where individual membership is recognized and acknowledged, and in which they feel a sense of ownership. Two conclusions can be drawn about self-esteem. First, there are no neutral interactions between human beings. Every interaction with another individual affects self-esteem either positively or negatively. Therefore educators must be fully conscious of the power they have to affect students' self-esteem. Inadvertent or thoughtless actions may lower a student's perception of himself. Second, it appears that there must be significant restructuring of the educational system in order to allow and encourage the kind of school environment and personal interactions needed to promote self-esteem in students. (LLL)