What 44 Years in Education Has Taught Us
Forty-four years ago, we debuted The Amazing World of Light assembly (pictured below) as our first assembly program. Larry Thompson, a Michigan school teacher, believed that students learned best when they experienced the lesson firsthand, so he created Mobile Ed Productions, Inc. to “bring the field trip to you”. Mobile Ed is now the leading provider of school assemblies across the country and presents educational assemblies for thousands of schools annually.
Larry’s passion for education and his experiences in entertainment helped him find a unique niche in education. Not only was Larry a school teacher in Livonia Public Schools for several years, but he was well known as the magician Mr. Whoodini on the Detroit TV program Bozo the Clown. After recording episodes each morning for Bozo the Clown, many spotted him teaching his students while still wearing his costume!
Our team designs each of our assembly programs to teach curriculum requirements to students in relevant and entertaining ways. We use costumes, hands-on activities, audience participation, and live demonstrations to capture students' attention and inspire them to be motivated learners. Students walk out of our assemblies with a smile and a new attitude toward learning.
Today, Mobile Ed offers programs that teach:
- Character development
- Anti-bullying
- Social-emotional learning
- Science
- Reading and writing
- Performing arts
- History
For our company anniversary every March, we like to celebrate and reflect on how we’ve grown in our ability to educate and impact our students. Working in education for 44 years, we’ve learned a few things about being an educator that might help you:
- Every Student Loves to Learn. Even a student with a negative attitude loves to learn when put in the right conditions. Learning about students’ interests, learning styles, and what kind of support they need will bring out excitement for learning they didn’t know was there.
- An Interactive Approach Has Never Let Us Down. Effective learning happens when students are engaged. Making your lessons hands-on and interactive can be simple to implement, and it always pays off in your students’ attitudes and improved performance.
- Technology is Your Friend (Even When it Doesn’t Feel Like it). The rapid technological changes can be intimidating, but taking the time to learn them well can ultimately benefit you and your students. Find technology recommendations.
- Be Personal When Possible. Getting to know your students and letting students get to know you builds a foundation of trust that creates a safe environment for optimal learning. The same principle applies to your team and building staff.
- Affirm! Affirm! Affirm! Affirmation is a powerful tool in our lives but especially in our classrooms. A few positive words can change your student’s attitude and your own. Affirm your team as well; we’re all working hard.
- Give Yourself More Time Than You Think. We do this as a favor to ourselves. Sometimes we don’t need it, and sometimes those extra few minutes in the morning or an extra day of planning can make a significant difference.
- Humor Works Wonders in the Classroom. Laughter might be the easiest way to start building a connection with our students. Keep students engaged by letting some humor slip through in your lessons. We love seeing our students smile!
- Those First Five Minutes Determine the Day. What attitude do you emanate when you begin class? When you greet students and begin class, these few minutes set the tone for the rest of the day. Take the opportunity to choose the direction of your day.
- Laugh it Off and Keep Going. Yes, we’re tasked with essential roles, but don’t take yourself too seriously. Laugh a little! You’ll make a mistake once in a while: learn from it and adjust as needed.
- Accept Help (and Ask For it too). You have a team working behind you. Accept any guidance, resources, or advice handed your way and give it a try; it could impact your classroom immensely. Your team wants to help, so don’t hesitate to ask for it.
Learn more about the dozens of educational programs we offer on our website.