Keynote \ Education \ Coaching

Emotional Intelligence School Assemblies

“This time for sure!” Bullwinkle J. Moose
I Deserve to Be Loved

My Philosophy of School Assemblies

• Get them All involved. No one gets to sit in the back with a coat over his head, feeling like a failure because he is once again not winning any award.
• Have fun. Research shows everyone learns more when they are having fun. Besides, it is low in carbs.
• Surprise them. Sometimes I will write a song with them on the spot.
• Give them a chance to be brave in a supportive environment. We all learn more when we feel safe enough to take risks.
• Teach them life skills in a way they will never forget. Research shows that novelty and emotional content get information into long-term memory, hence, the puppets and hats.

When I work with schools I like to start with an all school assembly. Eight to ten students meet with me for a half hour, and then we present an interactive assembly about creating environments that bring out the best in everyone. I call this “Home Court.” I also have all the students stand up and act out a Perseverance Poem.

After the forty-five minute assembly, I work in individual classrooms and then debrief with teachers after school. The more days I have with a school, the deeper and more long-lasting the change.

“Vicki made a significant difference for our students on their assessment test scores. Teachers are thrilled with her and the children love her. She has helped us with setting up a positive school climate and increasing our students’ love of writing. She brings a breath of fresh air into the building whenever she comes."
—Lin Colwell, Taft Elementary

Sample Topics

• Learning to Love Writing
• Creating Environments that Bring Out the Best in Everyone
• Home Court

Home Court

“Why is it that teams win more often on Home Court?”

I ask any group I work with. The answer is simple: support. Support is free. Support is powerful, yet we don’t often teach children how to support each other. We simply hope they will be supportive. I believe it is important to explicitly teach what you want people to be able to do. Start small, build on accomplishments, make it fun, and you will be amazed at what happens – almost instantaneously.

“What happens when you practice something?"

The answer is: “You get better at it.” We are always practicing something. We practice being afraid or being brave. If we practice being brave, we will get better at it. Our world will get bigger. We will be able to do things we never dreamed we could do. And it all starts right now!

Home Court Cheer

This is simple, fun, and immediately engages the entire group. If you can have some older students with you as you teach this, especially if you are doing an assembly, you will increase the buy-in for the rest of the students.
Smile, Nod, Yes! All Right! Cool! We can do it! No one is ever forced to take a risk, but all are encouraged to be as courageous as they possibly can. This is important! People will take enormous risks as long as they know they are in charge and can stop anytime they want.

Perseverance: A Poem

© 1999 Vicki Hannah Lein

(Hold your hands, fingers curved over fingers.)
Ahem. (Put fist to mouth and clear throat.)

Perseverance! (Point right index finger high in the air.)
means never giving up (Shake head vigorously back and forth.)
even when people laugh at you when you make a mistake.
(Laugh a mean laugh.)

Perseverance! (Point finger again.)
means never giving up (Shake head vigorously back and forth.)
even when the problem seems very, very big (lift your hand up like you are building a mountain)
and you feel very, very small. (Make a box with your hands that gets smaller and smaller.)
(Cry like a baby: wah, wah, wah.)

Perseverance! (Point your finger again.)
means never giving up (Shake head vigorously back and forth.)
even when you don’t know how to do something.
(Scratch head and say, “Huh?”)

Perseverance! (Point your finger again.)
means never giving up (Shake head vigorously back and forth.)
even if you are horribly embarrassed.
(Put your arms over your head and say, “Don’t look at me!”)

Perseverance! (Point your finger again.)
means getting used to reaching goals.
(Jump out with your arms spread and say, “Ta da!”)

Perseverance! (Point finger.)
means getting used to success.
(Shine your fingernails on your shirt.)

Perseverance! (Point your finger.)
means building muscles for life as big as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s!
(Assume a body builder pose.)

Perseverance is fun. Perseverance is cool.
Perseverance will serve you well
all your life, as well as in school.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. (Bow.)