School Assemblies: 5 Tips for an Effective Assembly

For centuries, school assemblies have been effective ways to communicate ideas as simple as school spirit and as complex as bullying. But not all assemblies are created equal. A successful one must have five key components. Starting with the most important:

1. Attention Grabbing

In order for students to listen and therefore learn, they must first be interested. Ask any teacher what the most difficult part of teaching is and they will tell you it is grabbing and keeping the student's attention. Companies with age-appropriate and interesting material will find that gaining the undivided attention of students comes naturally. The start of each assembly should be designed to gain interest. The rest will follow suit.

2. Engaging Content

Getting their attention is one thing, keeping it is another. As any parent, guardian, or teacher will tell you, children of all ages have short attention spans. The assembly should have content that appeals to that adrenaline-filled spirit in children. If it does, they'll be on the edge of their seat.

3. Time Considerations

It's important to be mindful of the length of your school assembly. No matter how interesting or engaging something is, it is a natural human trait to become satiated after a while. There should be no wasted time. No boring lectures. The schedule of the assembly should be specifically built to entertain and inform without dragging on.

4. The Message

Let's face it, no matter how engaged a student becomes, he or she must also be learning. This is paramount to any good assembly program. Popular programs include those on bullying, saying no to drugs and alcohol, character building, etc... Learning is goal number one.

5. Sustainability

Any teacher knows that repetition is one of the pillars of the learning process. Administrators should look for program operators that are highly recommended and widely used.

So the next time you plan a school assembly, remember these five important components. And remember that without a positive, educational component, an assembly can never be truly effective.