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An awesome, teen character-building program that teaches students how to be respectful, responsible and accountable for their actions. Middle school students learn tips on how to successfully work through teen stress, peer pressure and begin to understand why positive choices equal positive results.

Click here for articles on character building and peer pressure

Click here to download a poster to advertise your event

Program Synopsis:

A forty-minute teen, junior high/middle school program that helps reduce teen stress and offers suggestions on how to work through peer pressure. Being A Wise Quack promotes self-esteem, respect and shares techniques that students can implement daily that will help create a positive academic environment.

Most junior high/middle school students have it tough trying to fit in with the crowd while also transitioning from childhood to adulthood. During this time they live in a “keep up with the Jones” frame of mind. They worry about the way they wear their hair, the clothes they wear, and the way they walk and talk. Everyone is watching everyone to see who has what and who is doing this or that. This kind of peer pressure may seem trivial to adults but to junior high/ middle school teens it is a negative mountain that blocks any kind of positive vision of themselves. While trying to keep up with their hectic and sometimes crazy world, they may begin to lose the truth of who they really are.

Teen Kindness Advice

Being A Wise Quack discusses the peer pressure issue and promotes positive self-awareness.

Richard opens the program with a humorous personal story of how difficult it was to grow up being different (his right hand shorter than his left with two fingers) and how a freak tobogganing accident helped change his view of himself, his abilities and look on life. Richard explains that one needs to first respect and be responsible to themselves before they can be respectful and responsible to others.

Next he illustrates that when one is full of negative thoughts and feelings there is no room to accept or see the positive side of life. With the help of his cranky old man puppet “Mr. Roger Negative” students laugh and learn how a negative attitude and poor choices only bring about unconstructive results. That negativity breeds teen stress and reduces self-esteem.

He also shares some inspirational teen stories of students who have worked through peer pressure and reduced their teen stress by learning how to have a clear vision of themselves and the importance of having a healthy positive attitude.

Several students are asked to help with a funny demonstration that turns them each into different characters all wanting things outside themselves that in the short run bring happiness but in time they find themselves searching for more. They learn that it doesn’t matter how many things you have but what matters is the appreciation one has for themselves.

Richard tells a very funny story of how he thought it would be cool to join his teen nephew on an amusement ride called the zipper. He explains how he first boarded the ride and that when the cage was lowered over him felling stuck and wanting to get out. The student’s laugh out loud when he describes in detail how the carnival ride attendant couldn’t hear what he was saying and how he thought Richard was waving to him. From this story the student are given a hand out entitled “ Be A Wise Quack” illustrating the need for everyone to take responsibility for themselves and personal action. They are asked to list one or more things they can do to be respectful to themselves and list one or more things they can to that will be respectful and responsible to others. They are also asked to write why it is important to make positive choices and how they will affect their lives.

Master Peking Duck brings up a teacher from the audience to share what can happen to teens who are experiencing too much peer pressure and teen stress.

This hilarious segment of the program offers suggestions on what to do if one is stressed or angry.

Every school administrator and teacher wants their students to be more respectful, responsible, Being A Wise Quack positions students in the right direction to becoming not only good student but also good neighbors.

Download a poster to advertise your event!

Here's What Others Have to Say . . .

As a middle school teacher I see students worrying about everything and everyone more then they worry about themselves and I think that this opened the eyes of many students in our school.

Heather Schott, Oakview Middle School Lake Orion

Students and staff both enjoyed your presentation. We laughed and laughed and later talked about what you said.

Sandie Fischer, Oakview Middle School Lake Orion

Really fit our May theme of "Choose your attitude"

Ms Dallou, Oakview Middle School Lake Orion

The kids and staff had a great time. The kids were attentive and learned through laughter. It was a great performance!! Students and teachers all felt the presentation was an excellent motivational presentation for the students and implementing the attitude of "making each day count."

Sarah Roberts, Oakview Middle School, Lake Orion Community Schools