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Homeroom Guidance
Quarter 3
Thinking Aloud My Decisions
Introductory Message

For the learner:

Decision-making is a key concept in your development. You can be reflective or
impulsive in doing it. Thus, you tend to make well-thought out or rush decisions without
considering first its implications. In the process of decision-making, it is important that your
values are intact and that it should not be compromised.
As we enter the new normal, most of you are filling empty periods on a daily basis using
mobile communication, text messaging and chat sites in expanded personal and virtual networks.
The pandemic you are in may affect your character to cope with the situations. In these trying
times you have to follow the given protocols and ethical standards that make us dignified
humans capable of adapting to change and morally upright in thinking and doing. This module
will help you realize that as a human being, you may be capable to commit right and wrong
actions or decisions. It will introduce to you some learning tasks that will help you depict some
tendencies in making right and wrong decisions or becoming indecisive, and on how you can
resolve these by carefully considering some factors that may affect your decision.

This self-learning module has six interactive tasks, which are as follows:

Let’s Try This – which will help you to get ready to learn;

Let’s Explore This – which will guide you towards what you need to learn;

Keep in Mind – which will give you the lessons that you need to learn and
understand;

You Can Do It – which will help you apply the lessons learned in daily activities

What I Have learned – which will test and evaluate your learning

Share Your Thoughts and Feelings – which will help you express your
thoughts, opinions and feelings.
Make sure to read, think, follow, and enjoy every task that you are asked to do.
Have fun! Stay safe and healthy!
 THINKING ALOUD MY DECISIONS

Learning Objectives

At the end of this module, you are expected to:

1. identify the factors that affect the right and wrong actions or decisions;
2. recognize the tendencies of every individual to make right and wrong decisions or
actions; and
3. analyze situations that depict tendencies of making right and wrong decisions or actions.

Materials Needed:

 clean sheet of paper

 pen

Introduction

In the previous module, you learned how to accept others’ individuality. You even
formulated your personal policies or guidelines to uphold acceptance and respect of people’s
differences at all times.
In this module, you are up to another insightful learning episode. You will delve into the
decision-making process. Remember that you are free to choose a course of action from among
various alternatives. However, your choice has consequences; and you are responsible for your
own actions. You will encounter some factors that may affect your sound decision-making like
past experiences; biases; current situation or setup, and individual differences.
 Let’s Try This
Suggested Time Allotment: 20 minutes

Read the story of Anton, a Senior High School graduate, then answer the processing questions on
a separate sheet of paper.

Anton’s Indecisiveness

Anton who took up the General Academic Strand in

Senior High School has a hard time deciding what course to
enroll in college. He graduated with honors and has
received special citations. He is great in Science and Math
but he is also into arts and graphic designing. He was told
by his parents to decide for his course since colleges are
already closing admission and the school opening is
approaching fast.
He is spending night analyzing his options.
Sometimes he barely sleeps, over-analyzing all
considerations. There are also pressures from his friends for
him to join them in the university where
there are wide variety of Science course he can choose from. He also considers the suggestions
of his teachers who see his potential in graphic designing and multimedia arts.
Anton really wants to enroll in the most prestigious school to study the course that
perfectly fits him. After thorough self-deliberation, he comes down to two schools and four
courses. But this does not end his considerations; he still has more factors to visit.
His family and friends are starting to worry if he could ever make a final decision.
It has finally come one day when everything was in place. Anton finally decides to
enroll! He hurries to the school of his choice, but he’s an hour late! The enrolment has just closed
for his first choice. To add in more to his regrets, his second chosen program has also reached the
maximum number of students and it was closed days ago.
Sad and full of regrets, Anton goes home thinking of the lost time overthinking his options.
And that is because he can just not make up his mind.
Processing Questions: Write your answers on a sheet of paper.
1. Did you experience spending more time to make a decision that greatly affects
you or your future just like Anton? Share your experience.
2. If you are in his situation, what would be your next move?
3. What should you do so you won’t face the same problem as that of Anton?
 Let’s Explore This
Suggested Time Allotment: 15 minutes
Agree or Disagree?
On a separate sheet of paper, write AGREE or DISAGREE on the given situations. Read each
statement carefully to make sure that it best matches your opinion.
1. I cannot tell my best friend’s parents about his smoking and drinking tendencies because
I will betray his trust.
2. I should consider the advice of my parents when it comes to choosing my course in
college.
3. It is OK to take credit for other people’s work as long as it serves a good purpose.
4. Choosing a career that will employ easily is more practical than pursuing a passion
that will take years before getting a good earning.
5. The curriculum exit that you should choose after senior high school should best match the
track and strand you are taking.

Processing Questions:
1. What are the factors that you considered in answering?
2. Do your experiences at this time of pandemic change the way you decide on things? In
what way?

Keep in Mind
Suggested Time Allotment: 25 minutes

We make countless choices every day, from the very moment we opened our eyes in the
morning up to the time we fall back to our beds, and our choices are neither right nor wrong.
According to Steven J. Heine, author of the book Cultural Psychology, choice is
something that is surely valued everywhere; however, the extent to which people value choices
and exercise it is influenced by the context we are in. More choices are available to individuals
acting alone than to those who are part of interdependent group of people; however, the limits on
their choices are likely not experienced as aversive when individuals share the same goals as
their group.
For example, you choose not to attend classes because your peers invited you to join
them outside the school during class hour although you are aware of your responsibility in the
school. This phenomenon is be explained by Rollo May, an American Psychologist, who
articulated that human beings are inseparable from their environment, a simultaneous
relationship exists, and involving three models such as the following: (1) the physical and
physiological; (2) the social environment of the people; and (3) human being’s
relationship to their inner nature.
 Ludwig Binswanger, an existential psychologist, explained that humans have
complete freedom of choice or free will and are completely responsible for their own existence.
There was always the possibility of becoming something new or better because existence
changes.
How can you correct mistakes from the past? Change your mind set. Change is always a
choice. You need to realize that you can control your own behavior and need to make better
choices. Things don’t just happen. You can take much more effective control of your life through
planning.
What are the strategies to promote change and foresee the possible wrong decisions and
future actions? According to American psychologist Gerald Corey, first thing is to explore what
your wants, needs and perceptions are. Try to recognize, define, and refine how you wish to meet
your needs. Second, focus on what you are doing at present and think of your future direction.
Take action by changing what you are doing and thinking. Third, make a self-evaluation. It is
your responsibility to evaluate your own behavior. Lastly, formulate your action plan. Creating
and carrying out your plans enable you to gain more effective control over your life. If your plan
does not work, devise a different plan. Your commitment is essential to carry out your plans.

Factors that affect our decisions

We act or decide based on different considerations and factors. Most especially if the
situations demand a very important decision, we need to carefully assess our choices and
calculate the risk that we might face.
1. Environment. The people around us including the current setup affect the way we
see things. They can influence our beliefs and perception on the consequences of our
actions. There are times that we intend to compare how they face a certain problem
with the way we face it ourselves; this is something that we need to get away from as
we are all different including the situations we are in.
2. Experiences. Our past encounter with people and the results of our decisions
before mold how we act and decide today. For instance, if you have proven that a
certain person should not be trusted with your secrets, then you won’t entrust him/her
the confidential matters that you have. The same thing if you have a tested action to
be effective like your study habits which led you to get high grades, then, there is a
great possibility to replicate such practice. Our experiences whether good or bad
shape the way we behave nowadays.
3. Personal characteristics. We should also take into account the function of our
culture, attitude, personality, beliefs, abilities, gender, health condition and others in
terms of our way of making a decision. You have to recognize that there are enabling
and limiting aspects of your personal characteristics. For instance, in your culture,
there may be a stigma on the role of man or woman. It is now up to you whether you
want to live up to that expectation or not. You may want to look into what science
tells about healthy and unhealthy practices.
4. Facts or data. It is a good practice to decide based on the merit of actual facts or
data. It will definitely inform you on the exact scenario you are dealing with and you
can calculate how your decisions would impact the situation. For example, you need
to decide your curriculum exit. You may check the number of schools where you can
pursue whatever course you have plan to have. At the same time, you may look into
the data on SHS graduates who were employed after basic education and those that
ventured into business.
5. Motivation. Our drive to achieve certain things influences our decisions. Sometimes
we need to let go of small things in order to attain greater things. For example, you
slipped away your opportunity to be with your friends on a Saturday because it’s your
schedule for college application interview. Your goal to be a college graduate is
bigger than your desire to enjoy the company of your friends, so you opted to be at
the interview.

Your decisions will define the kind of choices you are taking. At the end of the day,
you will be the one to face whatever consequences these decisions bring. Hence, your
decision-making process is very important. If you are in doubt or confused about your
choices, you may want to go to someone who is well trained to guide and facilitate your
decision-making process like a Registered Guidance Counselor (RGC). If an RGC is not
available in your school, you may consider getting the insights of your trusted teacher,
parents or adults.