School Show Performers is a Facebook group of elementary and middle school assembly show presenters from around the world. There are over 1200 members, many of whom are full-time assembly show performers. If added up, the combined experience of just the full-time performers in the thousands of years. It’s a group where we share our experiences, good and bad, with the intention of learning from each other. It’s a wonderfully beneficial group for those seeking to improve their craft and share stories from the road.
There are heartwarming stories of seeing children excel when chosen to participate and frustrating tales of flat tires, fire alarms being pulled in the middle of school performances, and bees that steal the show when window is left open. But these little incidences are what add variety to our days. And teachers will attest that no two days are ever alike when 400 children are running about. It’s the little things like these that make the job of an elementary school performer exciting.
The overwhelming majority of stories on this Facebook group are ones of encouragement and success. Professional assembly performers know how to entertain their young audiences and are adept in improvisation so when “little” things happen -like a principal suddenly grabbing a microphone and saying, “we must take cover, a tornado has been spotted in our town,” – we know how to be flexible. But barring a tornado or a swarm of lost bees, there is one simple thing a school official can do to help an assembly performer deliver their best performance.
Success in an assembly show starts before the show even begins. Excitement builds as soon as the children are called from their classrooms. A child’s anticipation of seeing something new and fun can be seen easily on their little faces. But before the show can officially start, the children need to know that what they are about to see is something that is important. Assembly shows certainly are fun, but they are also taking the place of valuable classroom learning time. Teachers want assembly shows to be worthwhile from an educational standpoint. Attention needs to be focused on the message and respectful behavior is required. The easiest way to show students that the assembly they are about to watch is important is when someone of authority that the children know – the principal or teacher – simply introduces the performer.
When an assembly presenter receives a proper introduction it does more than just start the show.
In 98% of the schools we present our shows in, our audiences are absolute gems, but when problems arise in that 2%, it inevitably happens when no introduction is offered. Sometimes we just get a nod from the person in charge that all classes have arrived and it’s show time. And that’s fine too because we know how to calm and focus an audience before even taking the stage. But why risk it? If you’re the person planning the assembly shows for your elementary school, telling the principal or teacher that the presenter prefers a proper introduction is a small insurance policy that costs nothing.
And the introduction doesn’t need to be scripted or drawn out. It can be as simple as, “We are so excited to welcome a special guest to our building today. I know there will be opportunities for some of you to come up on stage and be a part of the assembly show fun, so please remember your good audience manners. Let’s start our enrichment program with a round of applause for our performers. “