PERSONAL

DEVELOPMENT
Lesson 4: The Challenges of
Middle and Late Adolescence
CONTENT STANDARD:
The learners demonstrate an understanding of
the challenges in the middle and late
adolescence and expectations of and from the
adolescents

PERFORMANCE STANDARD:
The learners shall be able to clarify and
manage the demands of teen years.
LEARNING COMPETENCIES:

At the end of the lesson, learners shall be

able to:

a. Explain the different facets of the

challenges that adolescents may
encounter;
b. Establish ;openness in expressing one’s
feelings on the expectations of significant
others; and
c. Communicate a sense of appreciation
LET’S START

How can you, as an

adolescent, balance the
expectations of significant
people in your life and your
personal aspirations?
According to Brian Tracy,
“successful people are always
looking for opportunities to
help others; while
unsuccessful people are
always asking the question,
“what is it for me?”
As you grow older, expectations both
inside and out compel you to make
decisions in life. Decision making is
indeed the working of an adult person.

Remember, you are now in the middle or

late adolescent stage. And you at stake
with expectations from your peers,
teachers, and your parents.
ACTIVITY #1: MANNEQUIN CHALLENGE OF AN
ADOLESCENT
a. Time Needed: 60 minutes
b. Resources Needed: pen and worksheet
c. Procedure:
Your teacher will divide the class into different groups
with the same number of students as members. Your
group will plan out a portrait play on a specific
situation in everyday life in which a developmental
challenge for an adolescent is seen. Each group will be
given 15 minutes to plan out your presentation. Your
group will choose one reporter to explain the group
portrait. Pay attention to your classmate’s presentation
According to Geldard and
Geldard (2006), a time when a
young individual starts to feel
like being free and
independent is known as the
period of adolescence.
ACTIVITY #2: FEELING AT A GLANCE
a. Time Needed: 45 minutes
b. Resources Needed: chair, pen and
worksheet
c. Procedure:
Your teacher will ask you to find a partner. Follow the
instruction in performing this activity. After which,
answer the following questions together with your
partner. Your teacher will wrap up what you learn in
this activity
STEPS:
1. Students decide who will be person A and person B.
2. Person A will share his/her problems, wishes or
desires to person B, while person B will just listen for
three rounds:
1st round – person B will say nothing but just
AGREE
2nd round – person B will always DISAGREE as
person A
will repeat his/her problems, wishes, and desires
3rd round – person B will always IGNORE as
person A will
repeat sharing his/her problems, wishes, or
desires
GUIDE QUESTIONS:

a. When I was listened to, I felt like….

_______________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

b. When someone disagreed with what I shared, I felt

like….
_______________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

c. When someone ignored with what I shared, I felt

like….
_______________________________________________________
The Challenges of
Middle and Late
Adolescence
Young people, as well as significant others
around them, have to deal with this period of
development called adolescence. This period
of adolescence is the age of change. Young
people, being vulnerable in their adolescence,
can develop unhealthy habits which become a
problem later in their adult life when
improperly guided (Gongala, 2017).

Challenges refer to a task or a situation that

test someone’s abilities.
Adolescence has three stages namely:

a. Early adolescence – from 12 to 14 years

old
b. Middle adolescence – from 15 to 17
years old
c. Late adolescence – from 18 to 20 years
old
Common challenges that adolescents in both
early and middle stages face, according to
Wayne State University Physician Group:

1. Attitudes and Behavior – every attitude

is a combination of feelings, beliefs, and
evaluations. Behavior refers to the actions or
reactions of an object or organism. Attitude
predicts behavior.
2. Sexual Relationship – an intimate
relationship is an interpersonal relationship that
involves physical and/or emotional intimacy.
Humans have a general desire to belong and
love, which is usually satisfied within an intimate
relationship.

3. Academic Concern – school-related

concerns, in particular, were positively associated
with academic stress arising from other-
expectations, which were found in female only.
However, it is plausible that adolescents who are
4. Group Belongingness – a sense of belonging
is a human need, just like the need for food and
shelter. Feeling that you belong is the most
important in seeing value in life and in coping
with intensely painful emotions.

5. Health and nutrition – nutrition in the intake

of food, considered in relation to the body’s
dietary needs. Good nutrition - an adequate,
well-balanced diet combined with regular physical
activity – is a cornerstone of good health.
6. Developing/Regaining self-esteem – is the act
of gaining control and not being critical to others.

7. Roles – they are part of one’s identity which

specific activities or obligations for which they are
held accountable when they assume or are
assigned.

8. Material poverty – It is the scarcity or the lack

of a certain (variant) amount of material possessions
or money. Absolute poverty, extreme poverty, or
destitution refers to complete lack of the means
necessary to meet basic personal needs such as
9. Parents working abroad – several studies
showed how migration of parents is indeed heart-
breaking for children, making them long for
parental care, get confused over gender roles, be
vulnerable to abuse, and even develop
consumerist attitudes.

10. Career choice – it determines success in the

next stages of life.

11. Self-Identity – it is the recognition of one’s

potential and qualities as an individual, especially
12. Values and beliefs – values are stable long-
lasting beliefs about what is important to a
person. They become standards by which people
order their lives and make their own choices. A
belief will develop into a value when the person’s
commitment to it grows an they see it as being
important.

13. Depression – it is a mental condition

characterized by feelings of severe despondency
and dejection, typically also with feelings of
inadequacy and guilt, often accompanied by lack
14. Defining responsibilities – this means the
state or fact of being responsible, answerable, or
accountable for something within one’s power,
control, or management.

15. Time management – it is the ability to use

one’s time effectively and productively.
The Importance of
Affirmation
Young people continue to venture self-
discovery in their adolescence, which
can be both stressful and anxiety-
provoking. Affirmation through positive
feedback will help a lot.
We have to see and appreciate the
beauty of giving positive feedback as our
way to help each other to cope with the
struggle of being an adolescent. In fact,
feedback is considered to be a vital
discourse of effective learning. Young
people improve their self-confidence,
self-awareness, and enthusiasm about
how he or she behaves when favorably
perceived by others.
 Open and constructive
communication with others is an
important step to self-awareness.
ACTIVITY #2: THE AFFIRMATION CIRCLE
a. Time Needed: 30 minutes
b. Resources Needed: timer, pen and
worksheet
c. Procedure:
Your teacher will instruct the class to arrange the chairs
forming two parallel lines. Students will sit on the chair
facing each other. It the number of students is odd, one
student will have no partner for a moment. He or she
will sit on the chair while waiting spot. Each pair is given
1 minute to say something to each other. It is the
opportunity for the pair to say thank you or even say
sorry. As much as possible, you will be asked to focused
When the time is up, your teacher will ask the class to
move one seat to the right, the same goes for the
student who seated on the waiting spot. Another
student will be on the waiting spot. The same process
will be done every after 1 minute until you came back in
your original sitting arrangement
*KNOWLEDGE CHECK
I. Multiple Choice. Read the situations carefully and
determine the challenges encountered by an
adolescent. Choose the best letter that corresponds
to your answer.

1. Ally was overwhelmed by the academic

demands he experienced as a Grade 11
student. He made a to-do list to ensure that he
could accomplish everything based on its level
of urgency.

a. Depression c. Time management

b. Group belongingness d. Material poverty
2. Jane excels in almost all her subjects because
she feels being supported by her classmates and
friends.

a. Sexual Relationship c. Values and beliefs

b. Group belongingness d. Career choice

3. Shane doesn’t want to go to school because she

is bullied in school. She tends to isolate herself
from others.

c. Academic concern c. Values and beliefs

d. Depression d. Time management
4. Kerk was forced by his friends to try smoking.
Despite his parent’s reminder not to engage in
vices such as smoking and drinking alcohol, Kerk
gave in to his friends’ invitation to feed his
curiosity as well.
a. Group belongingness c. Material poverty
b. Depression d. Career choice

5. Simeon, an incoming Grade 11 student was

confused as to what strand to take as he still
doesn’t have a clear direction on what to pursue in
college.
c. Values and beliefs c. Career choice
II. Identification. Identify the challenges being
experienced by an adolescent as specified below

____________1. Andy always ends up frustrated

whenever he cannot get the perfect score or get the
highest score in class.
____________2. Karen as eldest siblings tends to copy
her parents' behavior towards her siblings.

____________3. Aira’s parents were proud to say that

she is becoming independent doing household chores.
____________4. Celine grew up in her nanny’s care.
When her single mother returned from Kuwait after 8
years, Celine loathed her mother for not being around
when she needed her.

____________5. Rowena is being described by her

friends as “a put together person” for being ahead of
her time and is neatly organized
III. True or False. Write T if the statement is True and F
if the statement is False.

1. Behavior predicts attitude

2. Self-identity refers to the act of gaining control and
not being critical to others.
3. Depression is a mental condition accompanied by
the lack of energy and disturbance of appetite and
sleep.
4. Group belongingness is an intimate relationship
that involves physical intimacy especially
characterized by sexual activity
5. A value will help develop into a belief when the
person’s commitment to it grows and the person
 ENCOURAGEMENT 101: The Courage to Be
Imperfect
By Temothy D. Evans, Ph.D
Encouragement is the key ingredient for improving
your relationships with others. It is the single most
important skill necessary for getting along with
others – so important that the lack of it could be
considered the primary cause of conflict and
misbehavior. Encouragement person’s psychological
hardiness and social interest. Encouragement is the
lifeblood of a relationship. And yet, this simple
concept is often very hard to put into practice.
The first step to becoming an encouraging
person is to learn to distinguish
encouragement from discouragement. As
a rule, ask yourself: Whatever I say or do,
will it bring me closer.
We all have the power to be more
encouraging people. The choice, as
always is yours.
 THE POWER PERSONAL DECLARATION
by Dr. Emily De Carlo

So often we accept the declarations that other

have made concerning our own lives, wellbeing or
fate. It is imperative that we recognize that in order
to achieve what we want in life, we must not give
our power away to others by accepting their
declarations concerning our affairs. When one
decides that he or she will boldly declare good
fortune, wellness, joy, etc. relative to his in her life,
all of heaven will break loose! Goodness and mercy
surely follow.
From birth, we are often told what we are going to be.
Sometimes, this is good thing, but suppose you have
been told time and time again that “ you will not
amount to anything just like your mother and
father”? This is dangerous declaration because it
seats into motion the actualization of an unwanted
occurrence. All of us want to amount to something! In
order to counteract this and all of the negative
declarations with their destructive potential, one
must consciously replace with them with one’s own
declarations. In so doing, you are now in control of
setting into action what you really want to occur. You
can declare that goodness and mercy shall surely
The following of some declarations that you may want to make
concerning of your life:
I declare:
That I am totally free from addictions,
That I will survive any attempts of other to control my life.
That I am free in my mind, body, and emotions.
That I am a loving individual with the capacity to give love.
That I am a child of God with all rights and privileges thereof.
That I will contribute to the welfare of the others.
That I will be an ambassador of goodwill to all I meet on the journey.
That I will be a good example for others to follow.
That I will help all that I can to reach their goals.
That I will speak words of encouragement to others.
That I will find the goodness in life and focus on it.
That I will not succumb to the negative influences of others.
That I will read the information that will encourage my personal,
And spiritual growth.
That I will commit to being the best I can be.
For me, being happy is…
BEING HAPPY

You may have defects, be anxious and sometimes

live irritated, but do not forget that your life is the
greatest enterprise of the world. Only you can prevent it
from going into decadence. There are many that need
you, admire you and love you.
I would like to remind you that being happy is not
having a sky without storms, or roads without accidents,
or work without fatigue, or relationships without
disappointments.
 Being happy is finding strength in forgiveness,
hope in one’s battles, security at the stage of fear, love
in disagreements.
Being happy is not only to treasure a smile, but
that you also reflect on the sadness. It is not just
commemorating the event, but also learning lessons in
failures. It is not just having joy with the applause, but
also having a joy in anonymity.
Being happy is to recognize that is worthwhile to
live, despite all the challenges, misunderstandings and
times of crises.
Being happy is not inevitable fate, but a victory for
those who travel towards it with your own being.
 Being happy is to stop being a victim of problems but
become an actor in history itself. It is only to cross the
desserts outside of our selves, but still more, to be able to
find an oasis in the recesses of our soul. It is to thank God
every morning for the miracle of life.
Being happy is not being afraid of one’s feelings. It is to
know how to talk about ourselves. It is bear with courage
when hearing a “no”. It is to have the security to receive
criticism, even it is unfair. It is to kiss the children, pamper
the parents, and have poetic moments with friends, even if
they hurt us.
Being happy means allowing the free, happy and
simple child inside each of us to live; having maturity to say,
“forgive me”. It is to have a sensitivity in expressing, “I need
you”; to have the ability to saying, “I love you.” So that your
 In your spring-time, may you become a lover of joy.
In your winter, may you become a friend of wisdom.
And when you go wrong along the way, you start all
over again. Thus you will be more passionate about life.
And you will find that happiness is not about having a
perfect life but about using tears to water tolerance,
losses to refine patience, failures to carve serenity, pain
to lapidate pleasure, obstacle to open the windows of
intelligence.
Never give up…Never up on the people you love.
Never give up from being happy because life is an
incredible show. And you are a special human being!