Teachers' Resource Pack
Teachers' Resource Pack
for
School Performance Tours
My Friends and I
A note from the writer
During the months I spent researching and writing the show I was reminded
again and again about the seriousness of bullying. In one of the more elite
Sydney High Schools a student was stabbed by another student. Not
surprisingly the crime was motivated by bullying.
The situation in Primary schools can get just as ugly. In my role as a
foster parent I witnessed a seven year old student, bully his teacher, both
mentally and physically to the point where the teacher took stress leave and the
student was suspended from school for longer and longer periods.
A friend, a lawyer working in legal aid, told me of a recent case she worked on, of a
shooting in a high school in which the perpetrator was not just the victim of
bullying at school but also at home from his elder brother.
But it is always the personal experience which affects us the most and it was
interesting to read that writer after writer on the subject spoke of the
Victim's need for revenge on the Bully. Boy did I identify with that.
I cannot imagine where I'd be now if I had carried out even a fraction of the
revenge I fantasized about taking out on my tormentors in high school in
Queensland in 1969.
OK, so I came to the project with passion, but what could I hope to achieve in
45minutes. What were the show's objectives? I came up with the
following.
Offer a step plan (that kids could understand) to deal with bullies; present a
positive program that will compliment and support your primary school's
anti-bulling program; and above all it had to be entertaining.
Research Material
and the basic strategies they suggest
http://www.kidshelp.com.au
This site changed since I first wrote these notes. Originally of all the websites I looked at I thought this to be the best.
It is still worth a look. Once there click on "Other Stuff" , "Kids stuff" then
"Bullying". It's gives
clear, to the point information. There are also good guide lines for
teachers when dealing with, understanding and helping the bully.
http://www.scre.ac.uk/pdf/bullying/action.pdf
What I found most interesting about this PDF file was the case scenarios Pages
26 to 31. They give an account of what has happened to six students
and the actions taken by teachers, which in most cases sounds appropriate.
However in each case the situation has deteriorated. You are asked to plot
a further course of action. I found it challenging.
Bully Busting by Evelyn M. Field Finch Publishing
Sydney
Deal with your feelings
Understand why you are bullied
Build your self-esteem
Become a confident communicator
Create your own power pack
Develop a support network
Evelyn M Field also has a website
www.bullying.com.au
There is provision on Evelyn's website for students to submit their own stories.
Back Off Bully by Mark Dobson Published by DoubleDay
A very easy book to read, concise with good information.
How do you stand?
Don't react
Don't argue, just agree
Don't throw stones
Block their path
The secret weapon: The journal
www.nobully.org.nz/advicek.htm I liked this site, and think it
is useful for a couple of reasons.
1. It is, age appropriate for primary students, to the point and has the
basic strategies.
2. It is a New Zealand website so making Australian children aware that
bullying is not something that they alone suffer, the problem is world wide.
Pre-show activities
1. An exercise to do with the class
The Law of Averages -
(This idea comes from the Book "Bully Busting" Page 81)
What you'll need - DICE, PAPER, PENCIL.
- If you can manage dice, pencil and paper for each
student the exercise is much more fun for everyone.
- Or have the students work in pairs, one rolls the dice, the other keeps the
tally.
This is a great way to show students that persistence
pays.
While their first, second or even third or forth attempt at stopping a Bully may
not work, the law of averages suggests that persistence pays off.
In the game of dice everyone wants to roll a six. Six
is the best, but no one rolls a six every time, but sixes do come up with
persistence.
On a piece of paper have students write down the numbers one to six (one under
the other down the left side of the page).
Now get them to roll the dice ten times placing a mark along side the number
they get each time.
Check with the class to see who has scored sixes. The rule of averages -
they should all have at least one (six).
But don't forget Murphy's Law (If it can go wrong it will) so if someone hasn't thrown a six, get the class to all throw another 10 times, and compare scores. Keep going until everyone has thrown at least one (six).
Persistence pays! Even Persistence against bullies!
2. Explore with your students the strategies for dealing with bullies.
Does your school suggest a strategy for students to use? With older students discuss the strategies offered on some of the websites listed above, how do these differ from the strategies of the school. Do they contradict or are they complementary of each other. Questions to discuss with students: what is the opposite to bullying, is it possible to be friends with everyone, what is the different between being friends with someone and being friendly to them,
3. Reading and Listen
The idea is to familiarise or reacquaint the audience to
rhyme.
In the show an updated quirky version of the Cinderella story is told in verse.
The idea came after reading the Roald Dahl Revolting Rhymes, which I
found kids just love. My two favourites from the book are Little Red
Riding Hood and The Three Little Pigs. I adore the way he connects the two
stories. If reading to your students from Revolting Rhymes be warned
that the Roald Dahl version of Cinderella contains the word slut, our Cinderella
story in the show does not. Apart from being written eight beats to the
line and rhyming the word Cinderella with Feller, there is no similarity between
the Cinderella story in My Friends and I and the Dahl version.
Post-show activities
Discuss the performance.
Questions for back in class while the play is fresh in the students
and your mind.
1. Did Louise (the puppet girl) ignore the Bully when he
called her friend names? Ans. No.
2. What did Louise do? Ans. She joined in
the bullying and called her friend the name.
3. What did her friend do? Ans.
She and their other friend ignored Louise.
4. How did this make Louise feel? Ans. Very
upset because they refused to talk to her until she apologised and they forgave
her.
5. Do you think Robbie was being bullied?
This is definitely a discussion for the older grades. When Louise's mother
asks "Who is Robbie?" Louise tells her that "He is new and that nobody likes
him". Why does Louise's mother get upset? Ans. Because she
thinks that the other students haven't given Robbie a chance to make friends and
because of this he has started bullying.
6. When Louise's mum goes to speak to the school
counsellor, what does the counsellor say he will do? Ans He
has spoken to Robbie's parents and he is going to help Robbie make some friends
at the school.
Revise the anti bullying
strategies used in My Friends and I with students.
Bully proof yourself.
Put another way:- Don't give the bully what they want - don't get upset
1. Warn - talk firm
2. Walk away
3. Tell a trusted adult
and when telling give all the facts, the What When Where and Who
What was done/said?
When was it done?
Where was it done?
Who did it? Who saw and hear it?With Older students talk about the advantage of keeping a written record of what happens, and the need to write it down as soon after it has happened as possible.
The Characters in the Show:
Q. Why were there puppets in the show?
A. Lots of reasons.
To make the show visually more interesting.
To give the performer other characters (people) to interact with
in the play.
Q. How many Characters can the class remember from the show?
Q. How many of them were
puppets?
A. Louise, Mr Nancarrow, Robbie.
Q. How many of them were represented by a mask.
A. Most of the characters in the Cinderella:- Cinderella, Dad, Step Mum
'Myrtle', the step sisters 'Daisy and Maize'
Q. How many characters did the performer play?
A. Lousie's Parent, Cinderella's Mum, the School Teacher, Great Aunt Glenda, the Policeman.
Q.
What type / styles of puppets were used in the play?
*hand puppet (Louise could be called a hand puppet
* rod puppets (Mr Nancarrow 'the school principal'
* humanette (Robbie was a humanette)
N.B. Requirements:
An indoor area 3.5 square mts. A min ceiling height of 2.6mts.
and good vehicle access.
us a Booking