Hands Up With ‘Mr. Read’
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
All eyes were on the third grade teachers at Davidson Elementary School as Jordan Hirsch invited them to the gym floor to help with the next song as part of his anti-bullying program, “The Mr. READ Show.”
WATER VALLEY – Third graders at Davidson Elementary enjoyed a powerful lesson about anti-bullying and respect during a special presentation from Jordan Hirsch, creator of the Mr. READ Show. An author and motivational speaker, Hirsch has shared this message with students ranging from pre-K thru fifth grade across Mississippi for over four years.
“We motivate kids to read and talk to them about anti-bullying and how they can make a difference in their schools using the RESPECT concept. R means report it, don’t support it; E means evaluate your actions; S means stand up and say no; P means personal space; E means equal treatment; C means choose our words wisely; and T means together we can make a difference,” Hirsch said.
Hirsch was initially motivated to help students learn about being respectful to assist schools deal with behavioral issues.
“When I was growing up, respect was drilled into us. That is what I want to share with the new generation of kids coming up,” Hirsch explained.
Being a motivational speaker wasn’t Hirsch’s first career choice. He grew up in Oakland and is a 2012 graduate of Coffeeville High School. He attended aircraft engineering school in Dallas, Texas, earning his A&P (airframe and powerplant) license. He worked on airplanes for almost five years before returning to Mississippi to take a job as an engineer for GE.
Hirsch’s shift from engineering to motivational speaking came as he started traveling to area schools to teach children about the right way to handle bullying and the importance of reading and writing.
“My coach at Coffeeville High School, Johnny Jackson, asked me to come to Coffeeville and speak to high school students. It all bloomed from there,” Hirsch explained.
He traveled to schools in North Mississippi sharing the message with junior high age students for over a year when a high school principal asked him to develop a program for younger children.
Hirsch went home that day and created his book, “My Day at School,” based on the RESPECT concept. His wife also told him that he needed to create a character, like on Sesame Street.
“So I went to Walmart and made the hat, and I just called everything Mr. Read,” Hirsch said. “My end game is to inspire every kid to make a difference.
