Teaching in a school of third thru eight graders, we rarely have
presenters who can catch the attention of every age group. Yesterday we were
lucky enough to have a guest speaker who held all 660 students and every member
of staff in the palm of one hand while spinning a basketball in the other!
I have never seen Jim Basketball Jones present before so I was a
little unsure of what to expect but what a treat. As nearly 700 people streamed
into the gym from every possible direction, far from being intimidated Jim
immediately took command, organizing the seating the way he wanted and teaching
us about his audience expectations .He asked for us to be patient listeners,
responding carefully and thoughtfully to his words and to bring forth our best
efforts to participate with purpose. The ground rules established, he began to
juggle and spin several basketballs and I can honestly say my jaw dropped! His
skills were mesmerizing and our students were enthralled as he pulled up volunteers
to spin basketballs on their fingers, their faces, on top of pens they were
holding…it was a joy to behold. But this was not just an amazing spectacle, it was
an hour loaded with character education.
In between tricks and stunts Jim told stories, evocative stories
about children and adults he had encountered in the past who had taught him
much about life and how to live it. His first tale was about a teacher at a
previous presentation who had volunteered to take a shot at the hoop in the
hopes of winning a basketball. She wanted to win so that she could be remembered
at the school, but the consequence for missing was to do ten push-ups. When she
did in fact miss, and it was obvious she was unable to complete the consequence,
he asked for the other teachers to volunteer in her place. When nobody offered,
the hand of a kindergartener popped up and a little boy gladly offered to take
her place because he wanted to be there for his teacher, just as she was always
there for him. The little boy had cerebral palsy and to everybody’s amazement
the child completed the task. From that point on he was always known as “Champ”
by his peers and teachers.
One tale after another conveyed moving messages about kindness,
perseverance, honesty and integrity. It was thrilling to see the entire
audience turn to their neighbor and declare that they were each important, that
they mattered, that nothing would stand in the way of their goals. Even a game
of Simple Simon provided an opportunity to demonstrate key concepts such as
leadership, striving for excellence and supporting and helping each other. Jim’s
concluding tale about his personal struggle with learning disabilities and
eventual success left much for us to ponder and there were several misty eyes
in the room.
This was a fantastic assembly for our whole school to enjoy upon
our return from mid-winter break. For me, it was a compelling reminder of the
power of a story well told. As a child, teachers asked Jim why he spent so much
time and effort learning how to spin basketballs as it served no real purpose.
His response: because it makes me happy. Maybe the most effective way to teach
character education is to simply support and encourage our students to pursue
their passions with courage, determination, and dedication.
