STUDENT LEARNING MANUAL

(How The Learner Must Know)

MET # 1: Knowing the Self

Learning Outcomes:

The learner can demonstrate an understanding of oneself by conducting self-exploration, simple

disclosure and maintaining a Journal in order to appreciate and value oneself and deal with other
people better and become an effective individual.

Introduction:

Welcome to the exciting stage of development- the teenage years. Being aware of yourself as a
growing teen- ager is one of the most interesting journeys that an adolescent encounters. Self
development is a challenge that most teenagers like you are faced with. The change from being
a teen into a young adult requires a certain level of maturity because the journey is filled with trials
that you need to deal with. As you go through the teen age highway of self understanding, you
will discover your strengths and weaknesses and your wholeness as a person. In this journey of
self discovery, you will form a deeper understanding of who you are and, in the process, answer
the question – “Who am I?”.

The Adolescence stage is a colorful and vibrant

stage. Emotions can be very intense. The struggles
of an adolescent happen mainly because at the onset
of physiological development during puberty, physical
changes bring in a lot of discomfort which you may
find confusing. As these changes happen, turbulent
emotions may also arise. Managing These can be
very challenging and thus may entail equipping you
with emotional management skills.

For you to be fully equipped in all aspects, become

an effective individual and to achieve life goals, you
must make use of all the personal resources – talents,
skills, energy and time.Your knowledge of yourself
and how you manage yourself impacts directly on
your personal effectiveness. Being self-aware,
making the most of your strengths, learning new skills
and techniques and behavioral flexibility are all keys
to improving your personal performance. Our
personal effectiveness depends on our innate characteristics – talent and experience
accumulated in the process of personal development. Experience includes knowledge and skills
that we acquire in the process of cognitive and practical activities.
Therefore, knowing and understanding more about yourself is of paramount importance. Get to
know more about yourself by assessing yourself through the activities presented below. You may
choose to start with any of the following self-discovery activities that you are more comfortable
with. Remember that you are expected to complete all the activity in one week. If there are items
here that you feel needs further clarification, you may reach me through our LMS or through
messenger.

One of the most basic ways of knowing oneself is through self-inquiry. How well do you
know about yourself? Let us find out through the Johari Window.

JOHARI WINDOW MODEL

The Johari Window is a simple technique that allows people to identify their strengths,
weaknesses, and blind spots. The exercise works like this:

1. A participant selects a set number of adjectives from a list they feel best describe
themselves
2. The participant then selects, from the same set of adjectives, the characteristics that
best describe another person (a manager or report in this case)

Once the adjectives are selected, they are then placed into four buckets, or windows:
 1. Open – attributes that you selected for yourself, and other people also selected for
you
1. Typically a person’s most prevalent or obvious characteristics
2. “Everyone knows that I am X…”
2. Blind Spot – attributes that others selected for you, but you did not select for yourself
1. Subconscious characteristics, or external perceptions that you don’t identify
with
2. “I didn’t know that I am seen as X…”
3. Hidden – attributes that you selected for yourself, but others did not select for you
1. Characteristics that are not externally present or obvious
2. “I feel like X… but I don’t share that”; “You don’t see X in me?”
4. Unknown – attributes that neither you nor others selected for you
1. Irrelevant characteristics
2. “I’m not X…...

Instructions:
1. Refer to the Johari Window Sheet.

2. In the first area (Public Area), write down personal things that you have
already shared to your classmates. This may include information that is
open for everybody to see, like the things that you have shared when you
introduced yourself to the class.

3. In the second area (Blind Spot), ask some classmates to write something
that they see or know about you. This may include information that you
are not personally aware of, but others may have noticed in you.

4. In the third area (Hidden Area), write down the private information that
you don’t want others to know about yourself. This may include secrets
that you are still not willing to share to others because of some reasons.

5. Please leave blank the fourth area (Unknown Area), because this contains
information that you and others do not yet know.

6. Worksheet is provided on the next page.

1. Which of your strengths and weaknesses appear the most in almost if not
all of the four areas? How do you feel about them? Do they reflect some
characteristics of your stage being an adolescent?
2. Which of the areas give you the most challenge in dealing with or
managing yourself and why? What particular steps can you do to respond
to these challenges?

3. What can you do to enhance your strengths and correct your weaknesses?
This Johari’s Window model diagram is an example of increasing the open area by reducing the
blind area, which would normally be achieved through the process of asking for and then receiving
feedback. The open area can also be increased through the process of self disclosure, which
reduces the hidden area. The unknown area can be reduced by the observation of others, which
reduces the blind area; by self discovery, which reduces the hidden area; or by mutual
enlightenment via group experiences and discussion, which increase the open area. Furthermore,
identifying your strengths and weaknesses will equip you with the skills needed in managing
yourself well. Your positive traits will serve as your added forces within you. The extent of your
capacity to face your weaknesses by finding ways to correct them will propel you towards
achieving your life goals.

Imagine yourself looking into a mirror. What do you see? Do you see your ideal self or your actual
self? Your ideal self is the self that you aspire to be. It is the one that you hope will possess
characteristics similar to that of a mentor or some other worldly figure. Your actual self, however,
is the one that you actually see. It is the self that has characteristics that you were nurtured or, in
some cases, born to have. The actual self and the ideal self are two broad categories of self-
concept. Self-concept refers to your awareness of yourself. It is the construct that negotiates these
two selves. In other words, it connotes first the identification of the ideal self as separate from
others, and second, it encompasses all the behaviors evaluated in the actual self that you engage
in to reach the ideal self.
 The actual self is built on self-knowledge. Self-
knowledge is derived from social interactions that
provide insight into how others react to you. The
actual self is who we actually are. It is how we think,
how we feel, look, and act. The actual self can be
seen by others, but because we have no way of
truly knowing how others view us, the actual self is
our self-image. The ideal self, on the other hand, is
how we want to be. It is an idealized image that we
have developed over time, based on what we have
learned and experienced. The ideal self could
include components of what our parents have
taught us, what we admire in others, what our
society promotes, and what we think is in our best
interest. There is negotiation that exists between
the two selves which is complex because there are
numerous exchanges between the ideal and actual
self. These exchanges are exemplified in social
roles that are adjusted and re-adjusted, and are
derived from outcomes of social interactions from infant to adult development. Alignment is
important. If the way that I am (the actual self) is aligned with the way that I want to be (the ideal
self), then I will feel a sense of mental well-being or peace of mind. If the way that I am is not
aligned with how I want to be, the incongruence, or lack of alignment, will result in mental distress
or anxiety. The greater the level of incongruence between the ideal self and real self, the greater
the level of resulting distress. Personal development modules ultimate aim is greater self-
knowledge that will lead to higher alignment between these two personality domains.

It is in understanding yourself that you may become more capable of actualizing your potential to
the fullest. When you know yourself more, you are empowered to cope well with the demands in
school, at home, and of your relationships with others.

Activity: 1: Self – Concept Inventory

Take a look at your own self-concept and answer the following self-concept inventory in your
journal. Give yourself a rating using the scale:

0 = very weak; 1 = weak; 2 = somewhat weak 3=somewhat strong; 4 = very strong

___1. I have strong sex appeal.

___2. I am proud of my physical figure.
___3. I am physically attractive and beautiful/handsome.
___4. I exude with charm and poise.
___5. I am easy to get along with.
 ___6. I can adjust to different people and different situations.
___7. I am approachable; other people are at ease and comfortable with
me.
___8. I am lovable and easy to love.
___9. I am a fast learner, can understand with one instruction.
___10. I am intelligent.
___11. I have special talents and abilities.
___12. I can easily analyze situations and make right judgments.
___13. I can be trusted in any transaction.
___14. I have a clean conscience and carry no guilty feeling.
___15. I have integrity and a good reputation.
___16. My friends and classmates can look up to me as a model worth
emulating.
___17. I can express my ideas without difficulty.
___18. I talk in a persuasive manner that I can easily get people to accept what I say.
___19. I can express my ideas in writing without difficulty.
___20. I am a good listener.
___21. I am emotionally stable and not easily rattled when faced with trouble.
___22. I am logical and rational in my outlook and decisions.
___23. I feel and act with confidence.
___24. I am a mature person.

Scoring:
How do you perceive yourself?

Look at the results of your self-concept inventory and answer the following questions:
(Write your answers in your Journal)

1. In what areas do you consider yourself strong (with score 14-16 or somewhat
weak (score of 10-13) and very weak (below 10).

Answer:

2. Are there qualities you consider as your weakness but other people consider as
your strength? What are these? Check with a partner.
Answer:

Example: A lady can say “I`m ugly” yet other consider her very charming. Or conversely,
one can have the illusion of saying “I am very intelligent or competent” when most of his
ideas sound unreasonable or illogical to most of the people. There is indeed a big
difference between what you see in yourself (real self-image) and what is projected in the
eyes of the others (your social image).
3. How realistic is your self- image?

4. To what extent does it reflect your real self?

The body constitutes your physical attributes, your health and your posture and poise. Your
thoughts, the way you think, and how you perceive things around you affect how you feel about
them and bring about sensations. These emotions and sensations that you experience prompt
you to act and behave the way you do. The union of these elements make up your character or
personality and essentially distinguishes you from others.
 “A pen is certainly an excellent instrument to fix a man’s
attention and inflame his ambition” – John Adams

Journal Writing is a means for recording personal thoughts, daily experiences, and insights. It is
a process of conversing with self through writing. This helps you to review or reread earlier
reflections and a progressive clarification of insights. This becomes a tool to aid you in terms of
personal growth, synthesis, and /or reflections of new information and self discovery and
awareness.

Therefore, journeying with you through the different activities of your Personal Development
subject and expressing your reflections, thoughts and ideas by writing it in your Journal is of great
help in achieving growth, creating better relationships and making wise decisions in life.

Let the journey to self discovery begin...

THE POWER OF JOURNAL WRITING: UNFOLDING YOUR PERSONAL JOURNEY

The purpose of journal writing is to help you become the Scriptwriter of your life. There
are four (4) practical reasons to maintain a journal:

1. It is cost-efficient and available. Emotional stress can be dealt with in many ways
like talking to a friend over a cup of coffee, eating, traveling, shopping, painting
and many more but writing is the most inexpensive. Notebook and pens are easy
to find, available and do not cost so much.
2. It is preventive and pro-active. Writing yields self-awareness. When you write, you
can discover your strengths and limitations. You will know what your reactions
are in different situations and what better ways to prevent, avoid or face your
fears.
3. It is creative and productive Journal writing expounds your imagination. You can
see various dimensions of your problem, different points of view and better
solutions.
4. Lastly, it is personal and private. Unless you want to share your stories, you have
the choice to keep them to yourself. Writing is our time alone, it is your way of
loving yourself. You will not be judged by your writing.
You just need one (1) notebook to maintain a personal journal. You may use these
questions as you write in your journal:

1. How do you find this day? What are the positive things that happened? What are
those things that made you irritated or upset?
2. As you reflect the ups and downs of your day, what may be the greatest lesson
you can learn from them? What actions have you done well and what actions you
can do better?
3. What do you really want in life? What do you want to achieve for yourself, your
family, your community and your country?
4. As you close the day, what are the small and big things you are thankful of? Who
are the people that made your day extra special?

1. How does Journal Writing help you to discover more about yourself?

Synthesis

1. Based on the activities, what have you discovered about yourself?

2. What is the importance of knowing and understanding yourself?

3. How does self-awareness and self understanding help boost your self-confidence and
pave the way to self acceptance and better relationships with others?
Self is the union of elements namely: body thoughts, feelings, or emotions, and sensations that
constitute the individuality and identity of a person. Self-awareness allows you to identify your
strengths and weaknesses, which empower you to actualize your potentials to the fullest and to
value yourself more, thus helping you reach your goals. Self-awareness is attained through self
assessment which consists of personal observations and self reflections. Also, listening to
feedback is important because it allows you to validate your perceptions of who you are.

By becoming aware of yourself , you are more equipped to accept yourself and be more open for
self improvement. Also, a deeper understanding of who you are allows you to see your potentials,
thus utilizing them to the fullest. Becoming self-aware helps create your own individuality and
promotes wiser decision-making when confronted with critical issues in life such as setting goals,
making career choices, and relating with significant others. Further, awareness of your strengths
boosts your self-confidence; hence, you are able to do what others realistically say that you can
do. As your self awareness increases, so does your sense of security because you trust yourself
and you feel secure as to who you are. This, in turn, promotes your capacity to establish healthy
relationships with others. Finally, self awareness gives you a clear direction in achieving your
goals in life.
References:

- https://i.pinimg.com/564x/d4/d3/da/d4d3da9288450872ac45802f33b2e161.jpg
- https://i.pinimg.com/564x/7f/6a/8c/7f6a8c280d3367937736b7479e4a39b9.jpg
- https://www.seerinteractive.com/blog/the-johari-window-a-simple-exercise-to-
improve-your-one-on-one-
meetings/#:~:text=The%20Johari%20Window%20Model&text=The%20exercise
%20works%20like%20this,or%20report%20in%20this%20case)
- Personal Development Reader, First Edition 2016, Department of Education
- Personal Development (A Worktext for Senior High School Students -
Libed/Borres (C & E Publishing, Inc. 2018)
- Personal Development Module - Diwa Senior High School Series ( Diwa
Learning Systems Inc.2016)