DAVAO WISDOM

F. TORRES ST., DAVAO CITY

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Activity Title: Challenges During Adolescence

Learning Target: To explain some of the challenges in the adolescence stage.

Below are some challenges an adolescent (particularly Filipino) may experience during the
adolescent stage.

1) Academic concerns

The role of a student is the primary role of an adolescent who is still in school. Earnestness in
studies marks serious preparation for one's future career and professional life. However, an
adolescent should realize that academic grades are not the only indicators of learning but they
also need to learn self- discipline, openness, perseverance, diligence, valuing excellence,
healthy curiosity, analytical and critical thinking, understanding for the views and beliefs of
others, cooperation and team work for achieving goals.

2) Group belongingness

The sense of belonging is important to an adolescent. Even with the observation that an
adolescent sometimes seeks independence and autonomy from family and parents, there is an
urge to seek replacement of this support system. This time, the support can be in the form of
social groupings, such as school friends or peers, membership in organizations or sports teams
in school and in the community. However, adolescents must scrutinize the kind of group they
will join. They should not be deceived by organizations that assure superiority, exclusivity and
the “walang iwanan; damay-damayan” mentality which may lead them to dangerous situations,
or worse, lead them to dropping out of school. Belonging to a group should always be
characterized by respect for the opinions and beliefs of others, healthy interactions that foster
the personal development of each one, moral and compassionate leadership, and followership.

3) Attitudes and behavior toward interpersonal relationships

Adolescents are in the sensitive stage when some are interested in relationships. The challenge
is to have self-discipline and maintain friendly and chaste relationships so as not to jeopardize
their future career by irresponsible behavior and its consequences. There are adolescents,
however, who prefer to focus on their education as preparation for professional careers rather
than be involved in close relationships.

4) Health and Nutrition

Adolescents should know that health is wealth. Even if an adolescent feels he/she has a lot of
energy he/she should not forget to take care of his/her body. It is important to avoid or reduce
the intake of foods which are not so good for the health such as junk food, fatty and sugary
food. It is also important to maintain a healthy lifestyle, having enough sleep and not spending
too much time with the computer and other gadgets.

5) Developing and Maintaining Self-Esteem

This a very important challenge an adolescent must face with courage. Developing and
maintaining self-esteem requires an adolescent to enhance his/her sense of identity. This is,
however, not always easy to do so an adolescent should also prepare himself/herself

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F. TORRES ST., DAVAO CITY
psychologically and spiritually. Sometimes others' opinions or views about oneself can either
help or hinder the development of self-esteem. The adolescent must keep in mind that criticisms
should be taken as challenges instead of cause for discouragement. Another point is
“acceptance” of one's self and recognition of the fact that we have our own different bodies and
personalities. There is no need to compare and make oneself the same as any other person.
Accept and be confident that each one of us is different and special.

6) Roles

Roles of an adolescent should always be made clear and understood. These roles include the
role of being a son/daughter, a student, a member of an organization, a citizen, and a believer
of one's faith, among others. These roles should be clearly understood and an adolescent must
be able to integrate all for him/her to diminish role confusion.

7) Material Poverty

Since the Philippines until now is considered a poor country and a significant number of families
belong to the poverty level, many Filipino adolescents experience difficulties in sustaining a
good quality of life. Some adolescents stop going to school or face problems with complying
with the demands of school work because of lack of materials or financial stability. Some take a
job instead of going to school, thus diminishing their opportunities for education and skills
training. This is among the major problems faced by our country up to the present time.
However, the government now offers many scholarships for highly motivated and qualified
students.

8) Parents Working Abroad

Since the reality of poverty in the Philippines is still to be solved, many Filipino parents choose
to go and work abroad in order to provide their families with better living conditions. With this
reality, Filipino adolescents in this situation can experience challenges in facing day-to-day life
without their parents. This situation may lead the adolescent to loneliness, sadness, sense of
abandonment, resentment, rebellion, and over-dependence on others. If an adolescent is not
able to see and understand the reason for a parent's absence, then his/her personal
development may be affected negatively. In Philippine society, important roles are played by
other persons like relatives, authoritative persons in school and friends whom they can trust and
who are really concerned for their well-being. In this way, the adolescent will be able to
overcome family challenges.

9) Career Choice

As adolescents develop their sense of identity, there is also an urgency to choose the career
they would like to take. For this, they must consider their interests, passion and the things they
find fulfilling.

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 DAVAO WISDOM
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WORKSHEET

Name: ________________________________ Date: _____________________________

Grade and Section: _____________________ Strand: HUMSS HE ABM

ACTIVITY 1: HASHTAG
Direction: Base on your readings, as a young adult create your own hashtag that suits
to your experiences during your adolescent stage. Explain it in five to ten sentences.

#
Explanation:

Rubrics:

Content 20 Points
Organization 15 points
Mechanics 15 points
TOTAL 50 points

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WORKSHEET

Name: ________________________________ Date: _____________________________

Grade and Section: _____________________ Strand: HUMSS HE ABM

ACTIVITY 2: FREEDOM WALL

Expressing your feelings is very important when you feel pressured due to high expectations.
The aim of this activity is to help you express your thoughts and feelings to authority figures like
your parents.

Instructions:

1. Think of an expectation that your parents expressed recently or in the past wherein you felt
really pressured.

2. Collect your feelings and thoughts about their expectations where you feel really pressured.
Write them down.

FREEDOM WALL

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