3 Secrets to Having a Great School Show

If you are responsible for scheduling a speaker for your next school assembly you may be overwhelmed with all the decisions you will be making and the choices you have.

The following three tips will help to insure you get a great perfomance with true educational value. This means you want a presentation that not only presents core curriculum ideas clearly, but in a memorable and entertaining fashion.

First, make sure your performer has a proven track record. Many magicians and authors attempt to enter the school show business without the necessary skills. Most people who attempt to produce a great school show fail after a few years. It is nearly impossible to have longevity unless you are getting repeat customers. It is just too costly getting new customers, so all great school show companies rely on repeat customers and referrals to grow and stay in the business. Make sure you check the history of the company, references and volume of business. The longer they have been around and the more school shows they have delivered suggests quality.

Second, make sure your performer gives a strong message. Unless you are using your school show as just a fun reward, you need to justify the time out of class. School shows can be both, fun and educational, but make sure they are really up to the task of blending both objectives successfully.

Presenters can be a great inspiration to your students and will motivate and direct them towards setting their goals and believing they can live their dreams. Make sure the message your performer delivers isn’t just a passing phrase here and there, but a substantial, strategically delivered theme of the show. Curriculum based programs emphasizing Math and Science can motivate students to excel in these areas.

Third, check to see if the presenter has materials for the teachers to use in the classroom. The follow up after a presentation helps to anchor the ideas presented in your students. Personally, I leave all schools that schedule me a copy of my science books I have written for students plus additional materials for the teachers.

Dennis Regling has been a professional trainer and speaker for over 22 years. In the past 10 years, he has presented his math and science assemblies in over 1400 schools in 25 states. Dennis is the author of two science books for grade school students and over 20 books for professional entertainers. He will present his “Magic of Science” program at the National Engineering & Science Festival in Washington, DC in October 2010.

Dennis Regling can be contacted at 1-800-858-5402 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-800-858-5402 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or at his website: http://www.greatassemblies.com

Creative School Assemblies can Stimulate a Thirst for Knowledge

by Jim Woodard

A drab history lesson can become an exciting and motivational experience for students who attend school assemblies. As a professional storyteller, I often prepare and deliver special programs for school assemblies. A few weeks ago when a principal called and requested a program, I asked what special subjects were being studied at that point by the students. "The major study right now is California history," the Southern California school principal said. "But we're having a tough time getting our students motivated. They seem to think the subject is quite a drag." I suggested planning and delivering a storytelling program focusing on The Great California Gold Rush - certainly a key historical event in California and nationwide. The principal approved the subject and I started preparing for the presentation.

It turned out to be a smash success for the 4th and 5th graders in that auditorium. They were all attentive and responsive. Students in a couple of the classes subsequently sent me notes, expressing how they felt about the presentation. Here are a couple of their comments:

"Thank you for telling us how people found gold during the California Gold Rush. You made it sound real, like it was happening right now. I got really excited about it."

"Thanks for telling us the story of the Gold Rush. I didn't know history could be so interesting - not boring at all. You made it come to life. I hope you come again and tell more stories about history."

My point here is that school assembly presentations can be exciting and a motivational experience for students, even when the subject is one that many students consider to be drab and boring. The key is in the planning and delivery of the presentation. By incorporating related and captivating little stories at strategic points within the program, students attention level remains high and they become involved and excited about the subject being discussed. And, of course, they comprehend and retain the information better.

The age-old practice of oral storytelling is the oldest and still a viable form of educating youngsters. Also, as a result of the positive audience response to an introductory story, the speaker has more self confidence in delivering his primary message and can do so more forcefully. School assembly speakers would be well advised to seek and use special stories that not only fascinate students but have viable educational and motivational qualities in themselves. The inclusion of the right stories the right positions within a prepared assembly presentation can be the spark that ignites a winning presentation.

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Jim Woodard is a professional storyteller and writer. He has delivered hundreds of storytelling programs for groups in West Coast cities and the Midwest. He also writes a nationally syndicated newspaper column. Phone 805/658-6697 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 805/658-6697 end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Web site: www.storyteller.net/jwoodard/

Developing an Educational Program for Schools

BY DAVID HEFLICK
Author of How to Make Money Performing in Schools


When considering artists for all-school performances, principals almost always look for programs that have educational value in addition to entertainment value. To design a program that is truly educational, the artist must articulate a theme, determine performance pieces and other program elements that relate to the theme, and then weave the elements together so that the theme develops in a logical, meaningful fashion.

It is possible for an artist to design from scratch, without any prior conceptions regarding what performance content might be included, a program of performance pieces, narrative, and other elements to develop a predetermined theme. Most often though, artists go about it the other way around. Having an existing repertoire, they are looking for ways to assemble a series of performance pieces in order to create a program.

For each piece in your repertoire that has potential for inclusion in a performance for young people, list the following: the work's message or theme, additional concepts that underline the main concept, any actions or behavior modifications suggested in the piece, particular emotions expressed in the piece, factual or historical aspects to the piece. After you have analyzed the performance pieces in your repertoire, study the results, looking for common threads. You will likely identify one or more common denominators that may be turned into themes and sub-themes. The next step is to weed out the pieces that don't really fit, determine whether you have enough content to develop the theme, and if needed, begin the search for additional material.

Next, begin creating non-performance content (NPC) that will tie the works or pieces together. The first step in the creation of NPC is to explain, on paper, the concepts addressed in each of the pieces. Once you have created a narrative for each piece in your program, determine whether there are means other than direct delivery of narrative to convey the educational content of the narrative, such as audience dialogue (conversation between the artist and the audience), activities, or demonstrations. Using a variety of vehicles to convey NPC makes the show more interesting and entertaining, thus engaging the audience. This, in turn, enhances student retention of the concepts addressed.

The next step in program design is deciding on the most logical progression of the components of the program. Heavier material should be placed at the beginning of the program and lighter material toward the end. Activities, demonstrations, skits, audience participation, and other non-performance content should be strategically placed to maximize audience engagement.

Making the effort to transform a series of performance pieces into an effective, educational program can be a challenging task. But the end result will exponentially increase the impact and retention of your message, enhance your reputation in the schools, and result in a significant increase in bookings.
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Copyright 1999, David Heflick. This article is based on excerpts from the revised, second edition of "How to Make Money Performing in Schools," which contains an extensive chapter on program development. Visit http://www.schoolgigs.com for more information on performing in schools.