1. UNDERSTANDING IDENTITY AND
NEEDS OF ADOLESCENTS
Teacher’s Workshop
Workshop by: DIVYASHU SHARMA

3.  WHO says “An adolescent is an age group between
10-19 years.”
 Neither a child nor a mature adult, at the same time
can exhibits characteristics of both.
 Period of huge change. New feelings, emotions and
thoughts, different from childhood.
 Body and brain grows rapidly.
 They are prepared for leading an independent life.
 Process generally takes 11 to 23 years and attempts
to move towards independence for developing
unique identity.
 Power without control. As they have power of adult
and mental status of child.

4.  Physical Development
 Social Development:
 Ego Identity (What I am and What I stand for)
 Role Diffusion (running from activity to activity)
 Gender :
 Gender Differences
Mental process continues to develop, experience and learning have a
greater impact than biological factors.
 Gender Identity
Recognition of gender develops by age 3 once its established child usually
adapt their behaviour and thoughts to accepted gender specific roles.
 A Gender Role
Gender related activities help an individual to establish an Identity, a
person adopts gender-role stereotypes about “typical” behaviour of males
and females accepted by society.
 Peer Pressure:
Peer group rarely forces an adolescent to try new activities
which may legitimize by indulging them.

6.  Their world is of emotional upheavals.
 Sometimes strong and opposing feelings being to
arise spontaneously.
 Sometimes feel confused and doesn’t know how
to cope with them.
 Completely not sure about the feelings are normal
or natural.
 These feelings need to be discussed so that can
learn the skills of coping with emotions.
 If not so, can feel that adults do not understand,
which means something is wrong.
 This disturbance can be tackled only by
communicating feelings.

7. PROBLEMS DURING ADOLESCENCE
 Their
problems are many and often involve
adolescent’s relationships with peers as well as
search for identity.
 Substance abuse
 Eating Disorders
 Anorexia Nervosa
 Bulimia
 Suicides and attempted suicides
 Sexual Behaviour
As the exposure is much more. Many surveys indicate
a dramatic increase in adolescent sexual activity. The
things are there but irony is that still adolescents are
uninformed.

8. WHAT TEACHERS CAN DO!!!
As everyone is unique. To ensure that they develop
confidence and good working habits. As teachers
need to help them increase there self motivation
and self discipline.
 IMPORTANT COMPONENTS OF ONE’S IDENTITY
AND SELF ESTEEM
 Developing independent opinions and views
 Setting Goals
 Forming values and beliefs
 Understanding and developing one’s qualities, skills,
intelligence and talents
 Self motivation and self discipline

10. Think independently and begin to
form a distinct identity.
Demand of greater freedom.
They are young and energetic.
Surging hormones push towards
Exploration, Adventure and Risk
taking.
Brain is not fully matured.

11. DISCIPLINE AND ITS IMPACT ON SELF ESTEEM
 At times there is need to discipline students when
they cross the limit of acceptable behaviour.
 Style of teacher has a huge impact on the
adolescents sense of self respect and self
confidence.
 Self respect and self confidence together form the
sense of self esteem.
 There are three distinct styles :
 Authoritarian
 Democratic
 Indulgent

12. AUTHORITARIAN
 External discipline is enforced on the adolescent/
child.
 Rules and regulations are determined by the teacher
without any explanation.
 “ Because I Say so…”
Underneath emotion of adolescence/ child:
 (Fear of punishment to keep check on behaviour, verbal,
emotional, or physical violence is used to dominate the
child.)
The Adolescent/ Child develops as:
 (Does not develop self discipline, or self motivation. Will
grow into a dependent adult, meek and submissive to
authority but dominating those who are weaker .)

13. DEMOCRATIC
 Communication and consensus form the backbone of
teacher child interaction.
 Rules and regulations are not determined by the teacher,
they are logical.
 “ Your noise may disturb others in the class. How do you
think about what you are taking or asking in class can be
asked after the class without disturbing others.”
Underneath emotion of adolescence/ child:
 (Conflicts are resolved without recourse to violence of any form.)
The Adolescent/ Child develops as:
 (Learns to do adjustment, learns to settle disputes amicably and
is self motivated and self disciplined. Grows into well balanced
adult who is unlikely to have unlawful or escapist behaviour.)

14. INDULGENT
 No internal or external discipline on adolescent/
child.
 The adolescent/ child is left to do as pleases.
 “ Let them do what they want to do….”
Underneath emotion of adolescence/ child:
 (Knows no limits, no boundaries, no discipline
either.)
The Adolescent/ Child develops as:
 (Disdain for other people’s right, becomes self
indulgent and is a misfit in society. Its possible that
such adolescence may drift into drug abuse and
unlawful behaviour.)

15.  Most of us use a mixture of these
styles in our day to day interactions
with the students/ adolescence/
children. Depending on our own
parenting, beliefs and experiences.
 We may believe in one method
more than in others. We tend to use
that method most of the time. This
becomes our teaching style.

16.  Adolescents are often thought as a healthy
group. They are more vulnerable.
 Adolescents die prematurely due to accidents,
suicide, violence and other complications.
 Many more suffer chronic ill health and
disability and many serious diseases in
adulthood.
 These diseases roots in adolescence.
 Most common causes for chronic ill health and
disability are tobacco use, STI including HIV,
Poor eating and exercise habits, lead to illness
or premature death later in life.

17. AT LAST