"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent"
-Eleanor Roosevelt
WHAT People ARE SAYING ABOUT MIKE'S "BE AN UPSTANDER..." PRESENTATION
"It's very rare to find a presenter than can cater to a wide age range of students. We had the privilege of having Mike Speirs speak to our K-8 student body. In three very different sessions, Mr. Speirs had each audience laughing, engaged, but most importantly, recognizing the "bigger picture" in our strive to create bully-free environments. I would personally recommend him to any school considering a guest speaker. He is a teacher at heart, as you will see from his ability to immediately connect with your student audience."
-Thomas Reardon, Superintendent of Wynantskill U.F.S.D., Wynantskill, NY
"Mike Speirs provided a wonderful anti-bullying assembly to both elementary schools that I work at. The way he incorporated humor and allowed the students to be active throughout the assembly truly kept their attention and made them excited for more. They are still talking about him weeks later!"
-Kate Vivino, Guidance Counselor for Lenox and Lincoln Elementary Schools, Pompton Lakes, NJ
"Mike thoroughly engaged our 7-12 students with a combination of warmth, humor, and a dynamic storytelling ability. He combined personal anecdotes with a multimedia presentation relevant to students and adults alike. Mike’s powerful message of personal responsibility came through loud and clear."
-Susan Passaro, Principal of Argyle Central School, Argyle, NY
"Mike grabbed the attention of Kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade students with ease and confidence. It's difficult for students at this age to sit for a long period of time, so he incorporated movement into his presentation which was great for the kids. The students were attentive and involved the whole time and understood the goal of the assembly...learning about being an upstander and standing up to bullies."
-Colleen Brunhuber, Character Education Coordinator/2nd Grade Teacher, Gribbin Elementary School, Glen Cove, NY
"I was in Mike's classroom countless times over the six years we worked in the same building. As an administrator, I was always impressed with how engaged his students were, the rapport he had with his students, and the content of his lessons. After I began working in another district and knew Mike began doing anti-bullying presentations, I immediately scheduled him to come to my school. Mike agreed to be the closing speaker for our first-ever Team Building Day. His presentation reminded me of those times I visited his classroom, except this time he was teaching a class of almost 300 students. All the students were thoroughly engaged, even after a day of doing team building activities, because Mike's multi-media presentation was interactive and humorous. In addition, the students and staff instantly were comfortable with him and the content was excellent. I know I want to have him back again soon and I know the staff was impressed as well. I recommend Mike to any school looking for a great student-centered presentation aimed at improving your school culture."
-James Franchini, Principal of Voorheesville Middle School, Voorheesville, NY
-Thomas Reardon, Superintendent of Wynantskill U.F.S.D., Wynantskill, NY
"Mike Speirs provided a wonderful anti-bullying assembly to both elementary schools that I work at. The way he incorporated humor and allowed the students to be active throughout the assembly truly kept their attention and made them excited for more. They are still talking about him weeks later!"
-Kate Vivino, Guidance Counselor for Lenox and Lincoln Elementary Schools, Pompton Lakes, NJ
"Mike thoroughly engaged our 7-12 students with a combination of warmth, humor, and a dynamic storytelling ability. He combined personal anecdotes with a multimedia presentation relevant to students and adults alike. Mike’s powerful message of personal responsibility came through loud and clear."
-Susan Passaro, Principal of Argyle Central School, Argyle, NY
"Mike grabbed the attention of Kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade students with ease and confidence. It's difficult for students at this age to sit for a long period of time, so he incorporated movement into his presentation which was great for the kids. The students were attentive and involved the whole time and understood the goal of the assembly...learning about being an upstander and standing up to bullies."
-Colleen Brunhuber, Character Education Coordinator/2nd Grade Teacher, Gribbin Elementary School, Glen Cove, NY
"I was in Mike's classroom countless times over the six years we worked in the same building. As an administrator, I was always impressed with how engaged his students were, the rapport he had with his students, and the content of his lessons. After I began working in another district and knew Mike began doing anti-bullying presentations, I immediately scheduled him to come to my school. Mike agreed to be the closing speaker for our first-ever Team Building Day. His presentation reminded me of those times I visited his classroom, except this time he was teaching a class of almost 300 students. All the students were thoroughly engaged, even after a day of doing team building activities, because Mike's multi-media presentation was interactive and humorous. In addition, the students and staff instantly were comfortable with him and the content was excellent. I know I want to have him back again soon and I know the staff was impressed as well. I recommend Mike to any school looking for a great student-centered presentation aimed at improving your school culture."
-James Franchini, Principal of Voorheesville Middle School, Voorheesville, NY
"Michael’s important message was one of empowerment and focused on positive decision making and was delivered through a highly engaging, multimedia presentation. It was the most student-focused and active assembly our school has ever had. We received tremendous feedback from our students and staff about Michael’s presentation, which inspired a number of initiatives we are currently undertaking to continue to foster a positive school culture."
-Robert Messia, Principal of Algonquin Middle School, Averill Park, NY
"Michael connected with students and provided real-life examples of social situations students face on a daily basis. His encouragement to 'do what is right, not popular,' is critically important for students to see and hear!"
-Barbara Goldstein, Principal of Poestenkill Elementary School, Poestenkill, NY
"Michael Speirs’ presentation on bullying prevention was motivational and contained a powerful message for students. I highly recommend his presentation to schools that want students to take ownership of creating a positive culture that supports all students."
-Janice Phillips, Principal of Roscoe Central School, Roscoe, NY
"Michael Speirs did an amazing job from start to finish. He was quick to respond to communications, easy to work with, and funny and engaging to our student body. His presentation was part of a larger district wide event for our school and he was a perfect fit."
-Dawn Dorcas, Social Worker for Roscoe Central School, Roscoe, NY
"Michael did three different assemblies at my school for grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-8. Kids and teachers really enjoyed his sense of humor and presentation. His presentations were geared towards bully prevention and how to be an upstander, helping the students understand how to be kind to each other and how to deal with a bullying incident.
-Assunta Jardine, Guidance Counselor for Valley Road School, Stanhope, NJ
"Mr. Speirs was an engaging and interactive speaker that made a positive impact on the students and teachers alike. As a former teacher, his classroom management skills were evident, as he managed minor disruptions from students gently and with humor. I have never been complimented by staff more for bringing in a speaker in my 14 years than I was after Mike's presentations."
-Denise Uniacke, Social Worker/Anti-Bullying Coordinator for Madison-Monroe Elementary School, Elizabeth, NJ
"Mike Speirs did a great job at presenting an important character building and anti-bullying message to our elementary students on our first day of school. He was engaging, interesting and used real-life examples to ensure that his message really hit home. It was a great way to start off our school year!"
-Adam Rundell, Principal of South Seneca Elementary School, Interlaken, NY
"Mike had a great message for our middle and high school groups. He used his gift for humor to create a welcoming atmosphere and his point got across to the kids."
-Tim Houseknecht, Principal of South Seneca Middle/High School, Ovid, NY
"Mike is a great presenter! His assemblies were fun, interactive, and informative. We are a a small Pre-K- 8th grade school and he was able to adapt three age appropriate presentations for our school. He kept the audience captivated through his videos and commentary. I would definitely recommend him to any school in need of an anti-bullying presentation."
-Cynthia Moore, HIB (Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying) Specialist of Mannington Twp School, Mannington, NJ
"Mike's presentations were both informative and effective for students. He kept students engaged in order to get his point across, and we look forward to working with him for future assemblies."
-Nicole Shiner, PTO President of Oakland Public Schools, Oakland, NJ
-Robert Messia, Principal of Algonquin Middle School, Averill Park, NY
"Michael connected with students and provided real-life examples of social situations students face on a daily basis. His encouragement to 'do what is right, not popular,' is critically important for students to see and hear!"
-Barbara Goldstein, Principal of Poestenkill Elementary School, Poestenkill, NY
"Michael Speirs’ presentation on bullying prevention was motivational and contained a powerful message for students. I highly recommend his presentation to schools that want students to take ownership of creating a positive culture that supports all students."
-Janice Phillips, Principal of Roscoe Central School, Roscoe, NY
"Michael Speirs did an amazing job from start to finish. He was quick to respond to communications, easy to work with, and funny and engaging to our student body. His presentation was part of a larger district wide event for our school and he was a perfect fit."
-Dawn Dorcas, Social Worker for Roscoe Central School, Roscoe, NY
"Michael did three different assemblies at my school for grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-8. Kids and teachers really enjoyed his sense of humor and presentation. His presentations were geared towards bully prevention and how to be an upstander, helping the students understand how to be kind to each other and how to deal with a bullying incident.
-Assunta Jardine, Guidance Counselor for Valley Road School, Stanhope, NJ
"Mr. Speirs was an engaging and interactive speaker that made a positive impact on the students and teachers alike. As a former teacher, his classroom management skills were evident, as he managed minor disruptions from students gently and with humor. I have never been complimented by staff more for bringing in a speaker in my 14 years than I was after Mike's presentations."
-Denise Uniacke, Social Worker/Anti-Bullying Coordinator for Madison-Monroe Elementary School, Elizabeth, NJ
"Mike Speirs did a great job at presenting an important character building and anti-bullying message to our elementary students on our first day of school. He was engaging, interesting and used real-life examples to ensure that his message really hit home. It was a great way to start off our school year!"
-Adam Rundell, Principal of South Seneca Elementary School, Interlaken, NY
"Mike had a great message for our middle and high school groups. He used his gift for humor to create a welcoming atmosphere and his point got across to the kids."
-Tim Houseknecht, Principal of South Seneca Middle/High School, Ovid, NY
"Mike is a great presenter! His assemblies were fun, interactive, and informative. We are a a small Pre-K- 8th grade school and he was able to adapt three age appropriate presentations for our school. He kept the audience captivated through his videos and commentary. I would definitely recommend him to any school in need of an anti-bullying presentation."
-Cynthia Moore, HIB (Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying) Specialist of Mannington Twp School, Mannington, NJ
"Mike's presentations were both informative and effective for students. He kept students engaged in order to get his point across, and we look forward to working with him for future assemblies."
-Nicole Shiner, PTO President of Oakland Public Schools, Oakland, NJ