I am playing with a new routine for the MDB. I ask kids what a bully looks like and as I get feedback, I draw a mean looking face. I then say to the kids that we are going to learn together how to deal with bullies like this.

At that point the drawing speaks, interupting and taunting.

I then say to the kids that one thing we learn is that by working together we can make the bully go away (and I start the erasing procedure).

Thats the basic skeleton of the idea.

I am using it as an opening because it explains what we are going to do in the show, it has a few laughs so they know we are going to have fun, and empasises the idea of working together to make bullies go away.

I know a lot of folks are doing anti-bully show and thought this might be a springboard for someone.

Actually, I'd recommend that you change it from "making the bully go away" to changing a bully to a buddy. Change the descending eyebrows and the shadow under the eyes and the frown to someone who is smiling because he realized it's better to be a buddy.

I use my MDB at the end of the bullying show. I use it like an echo cup. What I say to it, I get in return. "I like your glasses."
"Thanks. I like your glasses too." etc. But if I say something that isn't so nice I get a bad response. "I don't like your new haircut." "Well, at least I HAVE hair!"

I understand the approach but my rotuine shows how we can work together to make the bully go away. Bullies thrive on an audience for example, and if we don't give them one, they get bored and the bullying often stops.

I'm just providing another option.

One of the best books I've read on bullying is by Frank Peretti entitle The Wounded Spirit. It's his personal story of facing bullies throughout school. Great tips from a victim's point of view!

I am still missing one cardboard box which I packed 3 years ago when I wished goodbye to the teaching scene. Neale, it includes my anti-bully program. My emphasis was that a solid family life usually results in more respect for one's peers. It also includes my maternal grandma's graduation certificate from teacher's college in 1876. My siblings are still ticked off that I can''t find it.
Neale and Tony, the victim of a bully is in a real bind and I suppose there are a different number of ways to deal with it.
I found kamikaze bicycle was effective. One of the advantages was that after a week in hospital both kids got to know each other better.Ron

Here are some ideas for Axtell products in a bullying program:

Bulldog sings "Where have you been Bully Boy, Bully Boy?"
Lion is in the play, lion and the mouse.
Rat plays the part of a victim. (He LOOKS like a victim!)
Diva insists she isn't a bully, but plays the part of a girl who spreads gossip on the internet.
Amazing Ape is bullied by lion, or tiger and asks a caring friend to tag along. Who? King Kong!
Laughing Louie loves jokes and tries to tell some about Two blondes, midget in an elevator, fat man and a skinny man, Canadian and an Englishman, etc. But you stop him at each one and explain that you are picking on people because of how they look or where they are from. Stick to knock, knocks, riddles or funny poems.

Pizza-To-Go: Explain that people are like pizza. It takes different ingredients to make a decent pizza and it takes different types of people to make a decent world.

Here's my take on using the MDB for a Bully show

Ive heard, there are bullies around the school.
Can you help draw one, so Ill know what to be on the lookout for.
I draw the eyes and mouth.
Have children add the other facial features that THEY THINK a bully would have.
After the face is drawn, begin discussion of who are bullies, why they do it, etc..
Discuss bully actions..
At this point, the face comes alive and complain that is what he is going through.
Instead of being a bully, he is actually a nice person being bullied
Continue discussion with children and the MDB.........................

I get a very positive response to using the MDB in bullying talks by having a bully then asking the children what bullies have done to them... as they shout out "black eye" or "bloody nose" or "split lip" I give them to the bully... he quickly learns what he thinks is fun is really painful and changes his ways. Then the frown changes to a smile, the eyebrows come up and the frown lines on the forehead disappear.

I like that approach. Let the bully see what it's like to be the victim. Do you do it at the beginning or the end of the show?

I have to disagree, though I don't know all you say with it. It seems that many teachers wouldn't appreciate seeing a lesson on giving a black eye, split lip, etc. to someone, even a bully. Chances are many bullies have had their share of being victims before, and that is what turned them into bullies.

There are multiple anti-bullying sites on the web that can provide a great source of information to share. It's also good to see if your state or province has a particular anti-bullying program that they utilize. Then you can reinforce the lessons that are already being taught at the school.

Tony, I agree. Whatever subject we present, we need to make sure we are not only entertaining, but educating. So, we need to self-educate first. Content is crucial if we want to go beyond "fluff." Because I work as a bullying prevention educator, last fall I went to the International Bullying Prevention Conference in Indiana. For those who don't want to go that route, http://www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov is a website sponsored by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and I would highly suggest it as a resource. For content, some crucial points are: 1) It's important to report bullying or "tell" (Kids can do this annonymously, just like when you would report a crime to police) 2)There is a difference between tattling/snitching and "telling" or "reporting." Tattling/snitching is trying to get someone IN trouble. Telling is trying to help yourself or someone else OUT of trouble. 2) Fighting back only escalates things and YOU can get into TROUBLE. The principal/administration doesn't real care "who started it", violence in school isn't tolerated. Fighting back is a ticket to the principal's office. Also, adults who solve problems with violence end up in jail. 3) Kids who are bystanders have a lot of power to help stop bullying. They can report bullying and not laugh when someone is being teased. Kids need not and should never put themselves in harms way when sticking up for other kids (i.e. running into a fight (get an adult instead). Other simple things like saying "Hey, come sit with us! or even telling the target of bullying "I'm sorry that person is being so mean," go a long way. 4) Most bullying is not physical, but rather emotional (teasing) and social (exclusion.) Studies show the most painful type of bullying is exclusion or leaving someone else out. All the more reason to include kids who are being left out. That's easy to do! Points like this can be woven into your bullying prevention shows in fun, creative ways that you come up with.

The British Columbia Ministry of Education has a full curriculum called Focus on Bullying, which is a 400 page document with complete lesson plans.

I am writing my show to parellel it so I am re-enforcing what they are teaching in schools.

Thanks Neal! I went on their website http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/specialed/bullying.pdf and looks like a really good resource.

I discussed my use of the MDB in the bullying skit with several superintendents, principals, teachers and counsellors. They thought the technique I used was very effective and had a positive message. Perhaps I didn't express it as clearly as I should have.
But that specific skit has been requested by other schools who are on the grapevine.

Great! By checking up on what we're doing with the customer, or the state or province guidelines, we keep up with meeting their needs. Thanks for clarifying.

Great thread.... I love the sharing on these subjects like this in the forum.

There are many creative ways to approach a subject.

I'd try not to glorify the "Bully" by gaiving him too much power over the victims in the shows. Movies do that enough.... The victim learns to stands up to it with the help of the adults around him and the bully learns lessons on how to control his anger and learns about friendship.

There is a very effective program that is dealing with preschool aggression. It's called the Incredible Years, and it was created by the University of Washington's Carolyn Webster-Stratton. They use our DinoStar puppet as the mascott "Dina". http://www.incredibleyears.com



Ax

I sent the final script to Steve to look over. He may be offering it as an Axtrax at some point.

Neal you should post the text here if you want to share it. We'll give it a look over for an AxTrax application.

Ax

Magic Drawing Board
What does a bully look like?
Copyright 2009 Neale Bacon


V= ventriloquist
B= board
Directions are in brackets as well as times you need to get responses from the children.

Good morning boys and girls. Today, I want to talk to you about something very important. We are
going to have some fun along the way too. I have a question for you all. How many here know what a bully is, raise your hand. (response) Now, how many have had a bully pick on you? That could be calling you names, hurting you or maybe taking some of your stuff or wrecking your stuff, hands up? (response)
Well today we are going to learn together what bullies are and what they do. We will learn what to do if a bully picks on you, what to do if a bully picks on someone else, and how to be a good friend.
So lets start at the beginning. I want to ask you some questions, and we will see if we can draw a picture of a bully.
(get out the board)
V: I like to save paper, so I use my white board here to draw on. So lets start by drawing his head.
(draw the head on the board. You can draw the neck, head and shoulders as well)
V: I am not a great artist but I will try my best and it will be great, especially with your help. Now he needs some eyes. (draw the eyes). Are bullies nice or mean? (response) Mean? Then he should have mean eyebrows. (Draw eyebrows slanted down to make mean eyes) Oh he already looks mean. Even a bully needs to breathe so I better add a nose. (draw nose)
V: Do bullies smile a lot or frown and try to look tough? (response) OK, then we will draw a frown for our bully.(draw mouth with corners down) Ohh hes a mean looking one. Lets finish him off. (draw hair etc)Oh we better give him some ears too.(draw ears)
V: When I was your age, there was a bully in my school. Looked a lot like this guy, actually. Every day when I would go to the playground, he would watch for me. (eyes move towards you) He would watch over the playground to see who he would pick on that day (eyes go back and forth until kids see it)
The eyes are moving? No, its a drawing, I dont think the eyes move. Anyway this bully would watch every day (eyes move again) ..What? The eyes moved again?(to the board) Did your eyes move?
B: No
(kids will respond he talked etc)
V: I didnt think so ... hey wait a minute. Did you say talk?
B: No
V:Yes you did.
B: So what?
V: Well thats not a good way to start being friends. You told a lie.
B: So who wants to be friends?
V: Oh I see, you think you are a tough guy, eh?
B: I am a tough guy all right. I like to pick on little kids. I take their stuff, and I do mean stuff. Ha ha ha
V: You are a bully because thats what a bully does.
B: So what?
V: So what? Thats not nice.
B: Who cares skin head? (fill in your own insult)
V: Dont call me names. I dont like it. How many of you like it when someone calls you names? (response) Thats right no one does. There is an old saying that sticks and stone may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. Do you think thats true? (response ) Thats right words DO hurt. What did I do when the bully called me a name? I said stop it and that I didnt like it. If someone calls you a name, what do you think you could do? (responses from kids but you want to explain they can tell them to stop and walk away)
B: Hey fatso! I was talking to you!
V: Oh oh. What do you do if the bully doesnt stop? (responses from kids and then explain they can go to a teacher or other adult) If they dont stop, you go find a teacher or other adult and ask them for their help.
B: Oh you are a tattle tale. No one likes a snitch so no one will like you.
V: No. There is a big difference between being a tattle tale and asking for help. Boys and girls..If I go to a teacher and say Bobby is looking at me is that being a tattle tale or asking for help? (response) Thats right. Bobby isnt hurting me by looking at me. How about Susie took more than one cookie at snack time? Right. That is just tattling. What if I said John just stuck a pencil in my arm? (response) Right, wow you guys are smart. That is asking for help because John just hurt me. What about Sandy called me a mean name? (response) Right. Names can hurt. No one should call you names, or say means things about your skin colour or how you dress or where you are from, or whether you are smaller or heavier or whatever. Thats just not right.
B: (sounding a bit worried) Are you going to tell someone?
V: I dont have to tell someone. All my new friends here heard you, and they can help me.
B: How?
V: Boys and girls, when you see someone picking on your friend, you can just say stop it. Lets practice on our bully picture. When I count to 3 you all say Dont call my friend names Ready? 1-2-3 Dont call my friend names!
B: But, but they were supposed to laugh.
V: Boys and girls you never want to laugh along with a bully because that will just make him do it more.
B: Hey wait, if no one laughs, its no fun.
V: Thats right. Being picked on is never fun. So what have we learned? What is the first thing you should do if a bully is picking on you? (try to ignore him/her) If ignoring him doesnt work? (then go get help) What if we see a bully picking on someone else? ( tell them to stop) And if they dont stop? (go get help)
Wow thats great! You guys learned a lot. You see ( erase ears) you dont have to listen to what a bully tells you.
B: Hey what are you doing?
V: and if a bully picks on you, you can tell him to stop (erase head outline)
B: I feel weird.
V:If he doesnt stop, (erase his nose) its OK to ask for help.
B: I cant breathe
V: Bullies try to make you believe stuff, like they are so big and tough. They like an audience when the pick on someone. They like you to watch or laugh but that only encourages them more. (erase eyes)
B: Hey why is it so dark?
V: You see, if we work together,.(As you erase mouth, bully tries to talk Ill get you etc.) we can make bullies disappear. (Finish wiping board and put it away)

Thanks for sharing! Excellent routine. You could throw in an "open mind" joke when you erase the top of his head.

Thanks Neale.
Simply, "Un-Believe-a-Bully"

Hi Neale,

I like it! One suggestion might be to think about making the bully a girl. When I do my presentations, I make the bully smiling. One of the reasons they smile is that they have MORE of something (POWER). Other kids have a lot of POWER to help stop the bullying (as you pointed out in the script). I like your ideas!