Bullying Assemblies Not Just For Students

I have been performing the Stronger Than A Bully assembly show for a few years now and have always received positive responses from the teachers and faculty.  Anytime a performer receives a nice comment as the teachers exit the auditorium, it adds a bit of icing on the cake. We watch the faces and reactions constantly during the performance to check for attention level and to see if they are getting the message. And to be honest, we watch the faculty as well.

I want to see the level of interest in their faces and also if they are looking at their students for the same reasons I am. I would assume any presenter would do the same thing. Stronger Than a Bully always registers high with the students and staff. Well, almost always. I think out of a few hundred performances I have had two critiques who just didn’t “get” the program, which shows you just can’t please everybody.

The program has generated quite a bit of discussion and questions after assembly in the classroom as teachers ask their students their reaction to the program. Responses range from confessions of bullying or being the subject of bullying to personal accounts of seeing others bullied. Teachers have told some amazing and wonderful stories about their students, but there was one time after the show that really caught me off guard.

A “seasoned” teacher with silver hair - and I say that with all kindness as I also fit into that category - approached me after everyone had left and tearfully explained how she had been the victim of bullying for months from a neighbor. She was widowed and had a quiet and humble demeanor and I saw how troubled she was about this neighbor. She confessed that it would occur two or three times a week and it had really caused her much grief. It was verbal bullying as the neighbor would say cutting remarks and hateful words that they knew would vex the teacher. The teacher had just been ignoring them and would quickly go into their house or, if leaving, would drive away without conversation. 

She said she liked the acronym I used in the bullying program S.M.I.L.E. that teaches you to Stay cool, Make eye contact, Identify the attack, Lead positive conversation, and Erase it. She said she was going to try it on her neighbor and to no longer just ignore it but to respond with a positive attitude and without intimidation. She smiled and thanked me and said she felt this would work and give her confidence and would hopefully end the actions of the harassing neighbor. She walked away with confidence and a lighter heart.

Many times we realize when we present these messages to students we may be doing a lot of seed planting and may not see results for a while as the seeds have to be nurtured and given time to grow to fruition. However I felt that this teacher would face her giant soon and would come out the victor.It taught me a lesson. You never know just who may be sitting in the audience that can benefit from the lessons taught. It just might be a teacher, a parent, or the students. I have to say I am proud to be a school assembly presenter.

by Dave Mitchell, School Assembly Presenter


Dave Mitchell is a guest blogger for Mobile Ed Productions and is the presenter of the Stronger Than a Bully, You've Got a Friend, Ben Franklin, Imathimation and Reading: More Than Words assembly programs.