FARMINGTON — The intensity in their conference room reached heart-pounding levels.
Almost 65 elementary school principals and administrators from Davis School District beat on drums Tuesday at the Davis School District Professional Development Offices, while listening to an anti-bullying presentation.
As they beat out different rhythms as a group, their smiles were infectious and they became more engaged in the activity. Before long, the drum circle facilitator, Nels Anderson, began pointing out that the drums — handmade in Ghana — each had its own unique sound, shape and size.
The observation about the drums wove nicely into his analogy of how everyone is different, yet everyone has the sense of working together as one big group. Anderson pointed out that an amazing thing usually happens at that point in the presentation with children.
"Their guard comes down, and they aren't focused on wondering how they look, or if they sound dumb," Anderson said. "It's amazing to see how the drum circle brings out their personality and opens them up."
Several of the principals picked up on that feeling of unity.
"I was surprised at the power of the drum circle, because there was a feeling of unity and an equalized feeling with all of us able to concentrate on our drums and channel our thoughts where nothing else mattered," South Weber Elementary Principal Marilyn Hales said.
That is exactly what Mike Liston had in mind when he started his Rhythms of Life program 10 years ago. Recently, he noticed that while working with the drums, the kids became less self-conscious and it brought all the students to the same level, which then became the perfect setting for talking to kids about bullying.
"This bully-prevention program gives kids an opportunity to talk about bullying scenarios and talk about how they feel, and express it on the drums, so if they're not comfortable talking about it, they can express themselves on the drum," Liston said.
One might not immediately equate drums to a presentation about bullying, said Kristi Frodsham, Davis School District elementary school director, but she said it made perfect sense once she saw the presentation.
"I can see how students would be very receptive to this, because they're completely engaged with all their senses," Frodsham said. "There's also the fun factor. When was the last time we talked about bullying and it was fun?"
Further into the presentation, Anderson said they usually start asking students to share an experience related to bullying.
"The kids are usually feeling more confident after drumming, so they will open up more," Anderson said.
The kids then start to talk about the feelings they associate with the bullying incidents and transfer that feeling to the drum. Anderson said some kids show how they are sad by dropping a tear from their face down to the drum, or show being scared by beating the drum to imitate their heart beating faster or the sound of running feet trying to get away.
The point of the feelings discussion is to try to teach the kids empathy, Anderson said.
The principals were then taught a chant while they beat their drum: "Be brave, be bold, someone must be told."
Essentially, the presentation was meant to show the principals what they could do with their students if they chose to bring Liston's program into their schools, but Jackie Thompson, equity director for Davis School District, hoped the meeting would also help the administrators.
"I hope they saw that we have more in common than our differences, and that by all of us coming together and working together, everyone feels valued and respected," Thompson said.
She was excited to have the presentation and wasn't surprised at all that the use of drums could be incorporated into a presentation on bullying, given the long history of drums being used to connect villages.
She said: "If you look at the drum, there are so many different cultures that used it as a way to talk and communicate in a peaceful way."
pchallis 19 Sep, 2012
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