Running Head: PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING

Personal Development Training

Taynee Miller
University of Utah

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING

Montessori Training
Instructional Strategies
Indirect Preparation is the way nature prepares the intelligence. This strategy facilitates
later learning because in every action, there is a conscious interest. Through this interest the mind
is being prepared for something in the future. Montessori incorporates this concept into its
curriculum. For example, a young child will enjoy putting together various triangular shapes,
totally unaware that because of his work their mind will later be more accepting of geometry.
The Montessori method also incorporates instructional strategies to help children foster
independence. Independence in Montessori classrooms means not depending on someone or
something other than the self. Students are given a follow-up work after every lesson that will
allow them to gain independence and self-satisfaction through accomplishing their own work.
Teachers are always throughout the room ready to help a student when asked to do so by the
student.
Throughout the day there are also indirect presentations. Because of the absorbent nature
of the young childs mind, every action or event can be seen as a lesson. This can be done
through your example, how you resolve a situation, or through any lesson you have given.
Children may also learn by watching other children work or by overseeing a lesson given to
another student. To check for mastery, the teacher will ask the child to give them the lesson. This
is an amazing way to learn what the child knows and enhance their understanding through giving
the lesson themselves.
Learning Differences
The Montessori environment and curriculum is designed to be completely inclusive. Each
classroom is a mixture of 3 grades and multiple learning abilities. In my classroom we have 1st-

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3rd grade with students ranging in ability from sever disabilities to advanced learners. This is
possible because in early elementary Montessori classrooms, lessons are given in small groups
according to abilities. Students are also grouped in different ways so that their groups arent with
the exact same people every time. This builds inclusion and classroom community.
Lessons are also built to help learning differences. The Montessori curriculum is built
using concrete objects and then throughout grades gets to more abstract learning. Montessori
lessons may also be given as a 3 period lesson:
The 3 Periods:

Period 1 Naming
o This is /b/, this is /t/, this is /s/.
o The child should name them.
Period 2 Association, Recognition
o Show me /t/.
o The child should then point to /t/.
Period 3 Recall
o place the 3 objects back in front of the child
o point to the first object and ask the child "What is this?"
repeat with the second and third object

As part of this training I was also required to implement a class bonding activity. Please
see below to read more about my activity.

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Inclusive Team Building Using Dance

Inclusion and team building can be taught in many different ways. One
of my favorite ways to do this is through dance. One of the fantastic things
about dancing is its inclusive because every student can move at their own
ability and comfort level.
In my dance activity, I used a dance lesson plan that was directly
related to the core and that I knew would benefit my students. We talked
about balance and different bases of support. We discussed how its easier to
balance on multiple bases opposed to one, and how bases can be more
stable depending on how close or spread apart they are.
Then we talked about falling. I observed in previous dance classes that
many of my students would fall and hit the ground hard. I knew this was an
important skill that many of my students needed to learn. I modeled how to
fall and discussed the correct way to do it. We talked about what it looked
like and what our body was doing.
Then we got to the practicing and team building part of the activity.
First, we practiced holding a balancing pose for eight seconds and then we
would fall from our pose and roll onto the ground and hit another pose within
eight seconds. Next, I had my students paired with another
student they dont normally work with. I had them do the same activity
together. However, they had to be
connected/touching in some way when holding their pose.
Steps For This Lesson
Discuss, model, and try:
o Bases related to balance.
o Falling and recovering.
Hold poses with different bases for
eight
counts.
Recover, fall, or roll for eight counts.
Pair students who dont usually work together.
Have the pairs do the activity together while physically staying
connected/touching while in their pairs. (Can disconnect when
falling/recovering.)
For the full lesson plan see:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/39905620/Dance%20Lesson
%20Plans/Balance%20%283rd%20-%204th%29.pdf
Other lesson plans: http://education.byu.edu/arts/lessons/dance

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My students loved this activity! They begged me to let them do it again

the next week with their SAME partner. Now keep in mind, these students
didnt normally work together or choose to work together, but they had built
a new connection with each other by working together and communicating
with their bodies.