Monologues

Jim Burns is a retired school administrator with over forty years in education. Being raised over a bar had certain advantages. Jim has often said that his upbringing taught him how to run a school at the age of ten Listen in as Jim shares stories of the past and helps the listener to understand the the past doesn't forget who we are and where we came from. 

Chris M. Sprague is the International Transformation and Empowerment Ambassador, keynote speaker, best-selling author and a pioneer in the study of how people are wired. His purpose in life is to inspire and empower people to understand how they are wired and, in turn, transform their life. Through research, personal experience and working with countless clients, Chris has discovered that once you understand how you are wired, you will be able to eliminate many frustrations and transform your life and business. Chris is also a thought leader and accomplished professional speaker delivering a message of transformation and hope for the future. He speaks to audiences from 10 to over 10,000 and empowers people to transform their future by transforming their thoughts using an open, honest, straight-forward approach to change.

Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta has been writing professionally since 1995. She's a self-employed award-winning writer and public speaker. Her work has appeared in The Paterson Press, Westfield Alternative Press, Millburn-Short Hills Alternative Press, South Orange Alternative Press, Maplewood Alternative Press, Suburban Essex, The Patch, The Montclair Times, The Jersey City Independent, The Aquarian Arts Weekly (which was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, April 2012), The West Sider, The Chelsea Clinton News, music.com, Tattoo Review, Punk Magazine, and Exit, to name a few. Her first book “On the Guest List: Adventures of a Music Journalist” is available on Amazon. Maryanne lives in Union County, New Jersey, with her husband and cat, Derick. Other interests include: music, health/fitness and public speaking. Her website is: www.peartreeenterprises.com

     Thomas Cirignano has been a contributing writer and also served as an advisory member on The New Bedford Standard-Times Editorial Board. He served two terms on The Freetown-Lakeville Regional School Committee, and has served on several other town committees and commissions. He is a certified scuba diver, ultra-light aircraft pilot, has owned several motorcycles, and loves boating. A spinal fracture, Scoliosis, and Harrington Rod surgery have now limited his ability to enjoy most of those activities.      Tom's autobiography, titled, The Constant Outsider: Memoirs of a South Boston Mechanic, offers readers a chilling look at what went on in Southie during the 1970s and '80s; "Whitey Bulger's" reign of terror," as Tom calls it. Due to its time and place in Boston's tumultuous history, along with the situations and people Tom encountered, The Constant Outsider is an exciting story in its own right. But, in his second book, 67 Cents: Creation of a Killer,  the author explores an even more bizarre existence. 67 Cents is Tom's fictional, "what if I took that alternate path of crime and violence," adaptation of his memoir. In 67 Cents, the fictional character, named Nick, says "Yes" to each and every offer that was actually made to the author by the Mob in real life. Those offers were significant, and even included an offer to kill a man for Tom. The hit-man's fee for the murder was very reasonable; just the cost of the bullet. For further information, visit www.TheConstantOutsider.com.

George Lizos is a London-based Spiritual Life Coach, originally from the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. Following a painful childhood marked by bullying, self-denial and victimization, George found the courage to accept his uniqueness and rise from the ashes. Inspired by the fabled world of magic and spirituality, he ventured on a journey of transformation and self-discovery. Starting with the Chinese art of Feng Shui, his spiritual path led him to explore a variety of spiritual modalities ranging from Reiki, Tarotmancy, angel healing as well as mediumship.  George's primary aim with this work is to be a clear channel for Source, to share a message of love, happiness and self-empowerment. To learn more about George visit www.metalizos.com

This Show Was Pre-Recorded When is a joke a joke? When both parties are laughing. Sometimes kids don't know the difference between being laughed at and laughing with someone. Confront a bully about using a victim as the brunt of his jokes and his response might be “I was just joking.”

Diana E. Ruiz, M.A is an accomplished author, professional speaker, and entertainer/singer-songwriter. She is a certified practitioner of EFT, a disarmingly simple technique that relieves stress in the workplace and at home. She used this powerful technique to eliminate her own intense social phobia and other fears. She is now a professional entertainer, author, and speaker. Named “Businesswoman of the Year 2012” for Western Washington by the National Association of Professional Women, Diana uses her Master's in Communication and her life experiences to offer powerful words and give powerful performances to large audiences. She has toured internationally and makes regular guest appearances with Bobby Medina (former trumpet player for Ray Charles) and his show band.  

 Reverse Order was a producer's pick for Season 7 of America's Got Talent. After performing live on America's Got Talent, Reverse Order had many doors open up for them. They toured multiple times with the program High School Nation performing to students during the school day. While at these schools, Reverse Order realized how common bullying was. Students would talk to the members in private or online seeking not just advice, but a friend to share with. Because of this Reverse Order decided to start “Reverse The Trend”, an anti-bullying program consisting of both a positive, uplifting concert, but also a presentation where the members speak from personal experience about how they were bullied, and how they overcame it. Since starting the program, Reverse Order has had an extremely rewarding experience making a positive impact on peoples  lives.

No one likes to change. It's too tough to do. If you have any bad habits (you know, smoking, or excessive drinking, eating, or spending) then you know what I'm talking about. You wake up in the morning realizing that you have sworn off cigarettes and are on a diet and almost feel depressed knowing that you can't have your coffee and a Marlboro this morning.

Nick Theophilou resides in Melbourne, Australia, and has seen that in recent years men that have made great strides and have become better fathers, husbands, and communicators.They are prepared to take risks, ask for help, are determined to live longer. He has been  an individual and Couples therapist, and a Group Facilitator for 30 years, written for daily newspapers, hosted the Radio Program ‘The Full Monty' for two years, a Program devoted to Men's Issues, produced the DVD  ‘Inside a Mens Group”: see www.fathersandsons.com.au and has written an eBook;  '10 Stories about what men are doing Well.' The book is available on  Amazon.   10 Stories about what men are doing Well  

When fear hits our emotions, we become overwhelmed and stressed out, causing us to go into survival mode with the fight or flight mechanism taking over. In classrooms where bullies have control and power struggles are common, the students in the room are always under stress and learning becomes more and more difficult.

Trying to explain to a child, or even at times an adult, the reason “whys” or “why nots” related to certain behaviors can at times can be frustrating (and with our own children can be frightening.). “Don't drink and drive,” “don't smoke,” “watch who you pick as a friend,” or “who you date” are all things that teachers and parents communicate to their students and their children. In school kids are always asking “Why do we have to do” something, or learn certain academic skills.

This show was pre-recorde We have all heard of the acronym KISS; keep it simple stupid. Sometimes we as educators can be bombarded by so many new programs and philosophies that we feel as if we are lost in the sauce and don't know what to do.

If you were to pick up a textbook on educational methodology and looked through it you would find models that educators have used for years. And I mean for years. A current textbook will have the same models in it that were considered current forty years ago. In the past these models were proven to help educators deal with student academic and behavioral performance and were part of the intervention process when students struggled with social, emotional, and conduct issues. Educators have used these models with some success but, as we have moved through the generations these models have suffered from what I call over use injury.

Thoughts about different countries, races, religions, ethnicities,intertwined with current events can enter homes with the click of a remote. Do families talk about the news? Of course they do.

Diana Clark began Youth Conflict Resolution Center, Inc. (YCRC) in 2003 with several mediators from Dispute Mediation Services in Dallas, Texas. After the untimely passing of Co-Founder, Christine Opsahl in 2005, Diana became the Executive Director of the organization and continued the mission. Today, with a volunteer board, Diana continues to push YCRC forward. Diana teaches conflict resolution in Dallas ISD schools like Franklin Middle School and has been involved in several of the charter schools. She is the creator of the “Be A Buddy, Not A Bully campaign”, where youth are asked to take read aloud a pledge and sign a commitment to not bully.  

Alex Rennie is a Cofounder and Managing Director of A.B.L.E., Anti-Bullying-LeadershipExperience,  an interactive workshop & video-based learning system/curriculum addressing bullying and cyber-bullying. Alex is the owner of Dreamcatcher Creative Media Inc., a video production company based in San Diego.  He is an award winning illustrator and designer, having illustrated multiple children's books and work safety cartoons for large corporations. Using his creative expertise, along with the help of numerous Anti-bullying and Children's organizations throughout the U.S. and Canada, A.B.L.E. is steadily growing, and has hosted multiple workshops throughout the U.S. Alex has years of personal development experience, studying under such teachers and mentors as Barbara De'Angelis,  Harry Palmer, Bob Proctor, and a host of others.  These personal development techniques are a vital part of A.B.L.E.'s curriculum. Alex has experienced all facets of bullying while growing up in the public school system.  He's been the bully, was bullied himself, and was a protector to his friends who were victims of bullying.  Bullying awareness is very close to his heart. Alex's words:  “I feel that this is what I was meant to do.

Often times when we hear things or see things that require us to take action we become fearful and often can rationalize it away. This can be done by convincing ourselves that it is not as serious as we thought, the kids were only kidding, or worse yet act like we never saw it or heard it.

Tiffany is a former elementary school teacher, mother, and a survivor of bullying. As a former teacher, she saw children struggle with self acceptance; especially after being bullied. It seemed  that the after effects or the damage of bullying was rarely addressed. All the emphasis was put on changing the bully and hardly any work put into helping the victim heal. These victims desperately need to have their worth and value re-established after being bullied. Tiffany works to educate her own students in understanding  their worth. She wants to teach them that what makes them different makes them special. Out of her own experiences with bullying, Tiffany wrote a children's book called "Red is the Color of…". The story demonstrates how adults can be a child's first responder after bullying, and how an adult can change the perspective of a child's heart to allow for healing to begin.

This Show Was Pre-Recorded Kids who are bullied can be so filled with fear that they avoid school, social events, and ultimately life.

This Show Has Been Pre-Recorded Violence is everywhere. Just watch television, or go on the internet and you will find it. Often action movies will always have a hero and a villain, with the hero winning out at the end by having a huge physical fight or a violent gun battle with the villain.

Emmanuel is a trained spiritual medium who has had the guidance of James Van Praagh, John Holland, Tony Stockwell, Marilyn Whall and Jose Gosschalk. He is a certified regression therapist under the training of Brian L Weiss, MD, and is a spiritual minister under the Order of Melchizedek. Emmanuel has been bringing forth messages from spirit for more than twenty years, as well as guiding others through regression therapies. Between homes in New York and Boston, Mass., he and his wife Elia travel and enjoy their life's journey. For more information on them and their mission, visit http://www.totallyforspirit.com.  

Many years ago, a wonderful friend of mine asked me what the smallest part of the body is. I was very young and probably very naive at the time and responded with, “Duh, a finger.” “No, it's the tongue, “he said. He also said to me that, although the tongue is the smallest part of the body, it can do the most damage. I never forgot the conversation that I had with him. Our words can really do some damage. Damage sometimes that can be life long, and sometimes we don't even know what were doing 

I know, what does health insurance or health care have to do with bullying? Well maybe nothing or maybe it has a lot to do with it; maybe more than we would like or even imagine. I'm not sure but I feel compelled to talk about about an event that occurred on Friday of last week, that would be October 18, 2013 that involved my daughter Grace and I. I think that it's important state here that I have health insurance, good health insurance. I am a retired high school administrator and receive an excellent health care package from the state of New Jersey. So, this is not a show that is going to be filled with complaints. It's  a show that I am doing because my eyes were opened to a few things that are worth sharing as the topic of health care has become so divisive in our country. I'm not a politician, just an average Joe but things happen at times that just trouble me. The transcript of this show can be read at: www.bullyproofclassroom.com

When we give instructions to a student we make two very important assumptions that may or may not be true. We assume that they heard us, and that they understood us. Dealing with student behavior requires as much instruction as does the academic curriculum.

Charmaine Hammond is a best selling award winning author and professional speaker. With an MA in Conflict Analysis & Management, she is on a mission through Team Toby to improve lives by teaching kindness, acceptance and respect, whether it be in the boardroom or classroom.  Charmaine's new book Toby the Pet therapy Dog Says Be a Buddy Not a Bully was named among the best by Mom's Choice Awards, and recently won gold in the Reader's Favorite awards.  This book teaches bully prevention, how to cope with bullying situations, and how not to be a bystander through the teachings of a therapy dog named Toby.   

Do you ever watch CSI, Crime Seen Investigation? I do, occasionally. I am amazed how all the evidence that is collected can point directly at the suspect in question, but they just can't seem to figure out a motive.

Abigail was born in Dallas Texas. All through her school years she knew that she wanted to help people. She became a Paramedic right out of high school and quickly moved up to flight medic on an air ambulance helicopter. In the 2000's she was working on the medical helicopter when it crashed. Abigail was critically injured and had to undergo three lifesaving surgeries along with over 400 stitches and over 200 staples. The doctors told her family that she would not survive. After 6 weeks in the intensive care unit Abigail proved them wrong when she woke up. Then after another 3 months she walked out of the Hospital on her own. After her recovery, Abigail concluded that life is too short and she wanted to still help people and show them that they can over come life's hurtles. At the same time, she intended to enjoy her precious gift of life. Through a odd twist of fate, Abigail became a professional model. Abigail has worked as a trade show model, modeled at fashion shows and even a spokes model promoting products, and services. She has done numerous modeling for print as well. The most precious event of her life was when she became a Bunny at the Playboy Club at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas Nevada. Since the closing of the very last Playboy club in the United States, Abigail has now has taken to becoming an actress. She has done numerous TV commercials, several TV shows and a role in a feature film. She is very active in her career, of modeling, acting and appearances.

The sources of the most painful offenses are not usually actions,but attitudes. People who offend others unintentionally are judged with less severity than those who intend to hurt.

Join Jim as he interviews (Gayanne) G. Avetis. Gayanne is a native of Armenia, and immigrated to the United States with her family in 1993. She discovered her love of language at an early age, and was inspired by the example of her grandfather, an author, to publish books of her own. Drawing on her strict conservative Christian upbringing, her work explores the immigrant experience as well as the role of women in different cultures. Fluent in four languages, G. Avetis has a degree in psychology.  She lives in Northern California with her husband and three amazing little boys.

Actions do speak louder than words, for sure. If you follow the pattern, thoughts lead to words and words translate into action.That is unless of course you are a bag of wind and never follow through on anything you say. Kids though get placed on the battlefield of the bully/victim dynamic through their words, and get pressured into taking action.

P.G. Callahan is a former inner-city public school teacher; homeless youth shelter worker, and news cameraman.  His books are about loving yourself; believing in yourself; and going for your dreams.  He has extensive experience interacting with and mentoring today's youth.  He basically equates bullying with terrorism.  Callahan says that bullies terrorize innocent kids and put all kids on edge; preventing them from learning; having fun and enjoying life. Bullying is pervasive in many areas of society; making this type of mean behavior more acceptable to the detriment of young people's self-esteem.  Callahan believes loving oneself, having a strong, positive self-image, and goals will help young people, and people in general, deal with bullies, and more important, achieve their dreams. Callahan stresses that it's important for kids to embrace and celebrate their individuality.  Being true to your heart is the only way to happiness. His EBooks are:  Diary of a Bullied Girl (Good Prevails); Diary of a Bullied Boy (Yes My Sister is Arianna); Diary of a Kid with A.D.D. (All Day Dreaming); Diary of a Bullied Girl (Girl Power); Bullies Beware; Winners Only:  A Young Person's Guide to Dealing with Bullying and Achieving Their Dreams; and Winning Following Your Heart's True Desires. They are sold on www.amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com . His email is:  pgcallahandiaries@hotmail.com .

Words can cut deep and do a lifetime of damage. We should all work to measure our words and determine if what we are going to say is truthful, kind, and necessary. Bullies lack empathy and need to be taught these qualities in order to avoid damaging consquences later in life.

We all have responsibilities. But, what are we truly resposnible for and why is it important for our children and our students to know.

Join Jim as he speaks with Carrie Certa in The Bully Proof Classroom. Carrie is the Producer and Director of a new independent film on bullying titled "The Study of Happiness." This is an Anti-bully narrative film about HS senior Andrew who not only has to deal with bullying in the form of a sexual assault but also with his dying mother. she is seeking to raise funds for it's production. You can view the movie page at the link below. http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-study-of-happiness  

This Show Was Pre-Recorded   When is a joke a joke? When both parties are laughing. Sometimes kids don't know the difference between being laughed at and laughing with someone. Confront a bully about using a victim as the brunt of his jokes and his response might be “I was just joking.”

Friends can bring out the best or the worst in us. Join jim as he offers you some advice on how to help your students establish good friendships.

In this post 9-11 era security has become one of the most important things that organizations face each and every day. Whether it be a public building, a sporting event, or a subway ride everyone has the safety of their workers, the spectators, or the passengers on their mind. Schools are no different and with the number of school shootings that have taken place over the years schools today are very vigilante in their efforts in guarding the safety of their students and their teachers. I want to be very honest here though; if a parent with the wrong personality and the wrong motive gets upset enough with a teacher based upon something that happened with their child they will come into school and will seek you out for an unplanned conference, and they will demand to see you. If you work in a community based school and something happened during the day they more then likely will appear at your door last thing in the afternoon before you go home. If you work in a school where students are bused in rest assured they will appear at your door first thing in the morning. They will get in; they will bypass any blockade and will arrive at the point of battle and will spring a surprise attack. You will be unprepared and possibly be left to deal with this problem on your own for some one on one, hand to hand combat.

Tune in every Monday and get a quick tip on how to deal with bullying in your home or classroom. You can also access all shows on your iphone or ipad through iTunes. If you would like The Tip of the Day delivered to your inbox everyday go to www.bullyproofclassroom.com and subscribe. Character truly is everything. If we want to stop bullying it has to become an vital part of a school's curriculum and not just a ceremonious activity that ensures that everyone gets the trophy. Theodore Roosevelt once said "To educate a student in mind and not morals is to educate a menace to society."

When I was growing up, there was nothing better than bringing home a report card that had good grades on it. Oh, I wasn't a straight A student, but I got my share of A's and B's. I also got my share of C's and D's. I guess I was what you call an average student. My parents always checked my report card and questioned any low grades and encouraged me to do better when they felt that I wasn't working up to my abilities. Today good grades are still the benchmark we use to determine if a student is going to be promoted or retained. The higher achieving students who are in high school usually strive for good grades in rigorous courses, because they know that their class ranking among other things will determine the type of college that they will be admitted to. Good grades are something that everyone wants, and for some reason, they're just about what everyone gets. The two questions that I have are these: does everyone who gets a good grade deserve it, and is that grade a good indicator of the person's ability?

Praise is great, but givrn too often for the wrong reasons can create a sense of entitlement, arrogance, and bullying behavior. Join jim as he discusses how to deliver praise in just the right amounts to our students and children.

This Show Was Pre-Recorded Tune in every Monday and get a quick tip on how to deal with bullying in your home or classroom. You can also access all shows on your iphone or ipad through iTunes. If you would like The Tip of the Day delivered to your inbox everyday go to www.bullyproofclassroom.com and subscribe.

Cyberbullying is the act of directing threatening or disparaging information at a target child using Information and Communications Technology. Cyberbullying is harmful, repeated and hostile behavior intended to taunt, embarrass, deprecate & defame a targeted child. Dissimilar to classic bullying, cyberbullying includes Cyberbullying by proxy, which is when a cyberbully encourages or persuades others to engage in deprecating and harassing a target child. www.iPredator.co. As author of the Information Age Forensics construct, iPredator, and internet safety website, www.iPredator.co, Dr. Nuccitelli discusses why some children are prone to cyberbullying and why some cyberbullies grow into adult iPredators.   

This Show Was Pre-Recorded Students who are placed under stress have trouble learning and can exhibit the behavior of disrepect. This can lead to not only a poor classroom climate but bullying problems as well. Find out how in this tip of the week how you can break through the emotional wall of your students and create a more respectful learning environment.

Join Jim as he embarks on a two part series on the 10 Best Ways To Build Any Relationship. Relationships are all around us and maintaining good ones takes time and patience. Part one of this series covers the first five that involves our words, with part two covering our actions.

This show as pre-recorded Tune in every Monday and get a quick tip on how to deal with bullying in your home or classroom. You can also access all shows on your iphone or ipad through iTunes. If you would like The Tip of the Day delivered to your inbox everyday go to www.bullyproofclassroom.com and subscribe.

Join Jim as he covers the anti bullying tip of the week. This show was pre-recorded on April 22, 2013.

Join Jim as he embarks on a two part series on the 10 Best Ways To Build Any Relationship. Relationships are all around us and maintaining good ones takes time and patience. Part one of this series covers the first five that involves our words, with part two covering our actions.

Tune in every Monday and get a quick tip on how to deal with bullying in your home or classroom. You can also access all shows on your iphone or ipad through iTunes. If you would like The Tip of the Day delivered to your inbox everyday go to www.bullyproofclassroom.com and subscribe.

Sister Jenna Director of the Meditation Museum in Silver Spring, Maryland, is an expert in the areas of fostering respect and understanding amongst religions, cultures, and nations; spirituality for health, peaceful living; promoting self-less service; ethical/moral values; world peace and human rights, and meditation. In June 2012, the Meditation Museum launched a nationwide initiative entitled, "America Meditating - Pause for Peace."  This initiative encourages everyone across the nation to allow time during their day to pause for peace and reflect within.  Please visit the website at www.meditationmuseum.org.

Tune in every Monday and get a quick tip on how to deal with bullying in your home or classroom. You can also access all shows on your iphone or ipad through iTunes. If you would like The Tip of the Day delivered to your inbox everyday go to www.bullyproofclassroom.com and subscribe.