Storytelling in the Classroom

People have told stories since time began as a way to pass down knowledge and as a survival technique. Telling and listening to stories is an essential part of our human experience. We don't just learn from them; we are also entertained by them. These days we get stories from television, books, and digital platforms. Still, we can always appreciate the value of a told or spoken story, especially in our classroom.

 

I love telling a good story, and I do it well. I can also deliver a good joke and love writing (hence this blog). In the last few years, I've had to write and deliver 3 eulogies, and morbid as that might seem, I appreciated it. All three were close to me (including my Mum), so naturally, I wanted to honour them by telling their story. Humans love to listen to stories. Ask me what Pi is or any other mathematical formula, and I couldn't tell you. But ask me what my favourite books, nursery rhymes, and TV shows from my childhood were, and I clearly remember. This is because one was delivered as a fact, and the others were offered as stories.

 

Storytelling is an essential part of my pedagogy. Writing this blog had me wondering why that is. Is it because I love a joke and a laugh? Is it because I have 48 years of life experience to share or 22 years in education to work out what works for me? It is all three.

 

Laughter is good for the soul. Everybody appreciates a good laugh. How often have you heard someone start a joke, and you tune in to listen even if it's not directed to you? …Just me? In class, I use humour regularly. I tell Dad Jokes, and I include humour in a story. I'm not afraid to make the joke about me, either. If I can build some trust, respect, and rapport with students by getting a laugh at my story, then students will connect with me and engage in our lesson.

 

I am closing in on 50 years of age. As daunting as this seems, my teaching practice, particularly my storytelling ability, is still improving. I have worked many jobs in my 48 years. Some good, some bad. Some remote, dirty, challenging, and some relatively easy. I have also been lucky enough to travel quite a bit. I love travelling and learning about people, places, and cultures. Where laughter is good for the soul, travel broadens the mind. In 2020, I worked in a very remote part of Australia that was sometimes intimidating and scary. I was removed from many creature comforts I was accustomed to, and my Mum passed away while I was away. Needless to say, it wasn't the best time of my life. However, from all those experiences, I can draw on stories related to my class's lessons or content.

 

Within my 22 years of teaching experience, I have only worked at 3 different schools. One of those for 19 years! However, I can still draw on various stories to tell about lessons (good and bad) or teachers and students I've worked with. Different year levels and subjects I've taught, excursions, or extracurricular events I've been involved in.

 

So, what is it about a good story that can capture the attention of a class and have them learning?

 

Firstly, a story can connect learning to the real world and give the students an understanding of the need to learn something. I'm sure we have all been in a situation where we have wondered, "why do I need to know this?" Providing students with a real-world example makes that connection.   

 

Stories can make learning more enjoyable. Hamming it up doesn't hurt, either. Using humour or variation in the tone of your voice and volume. Role-playing characters or getting others to assist makes it more fun and interesting.

 

And, of course, embellishing those stories! Of course, I embellish/alter/change the story to fit the content or the point I am trying to make. Before my Mum passed, I remember telling her about a particular lesson I taught and the story I told. My Mum knew the story and said, "That's not true. You lied to them!" I remember saying to Mum, "No, I'm engaging them." The story doesn't have to be real or accurate; it's about engaging students in learning.

 

Storytelling has been around for thousands of years, and for good reason. It is a great teaching and learning tool. It's the simplest, but to do it well, like anything, requires practice and refinement. But how often do you use it? Of course, we have fantastic technology and resources available to us today. Still, sometimes getting back to the basics, the original methods are also great for students learning.      

 

You may have noticed I've mentioned my Mum a couple of times in this blog. Today is the second anniversary of her passing. I have been talking about her quite a bit today. Retelling stories about my memories of her. I have so many great memories. But that's a story for another day…

The Value of Curiosity... and 18 rubber ducks!

A friend of mine owns a tutoring company for which I do some work. A few weeks ago, I was standing at the sink filling my water bottle when I noticed a little yellow duck stuck to a light shade. It was tiny! No bigger than 10mm tall. Obviously, this sparked my curiosity, but I did nothing about it. Then, a few days later, I overheard some kids talking about another little yellow duck sitting on top of the blinds in one of the rooms. When I asked them where it was, they showed me and told me that there were 18 scattered around the building.

A range of kids from Prep – year 12 come through the doors each week. In weeks that followed, most of them were talking about these ducks. Some of the older kids soon worked out where they all were, and we quickly hushed them to avoid spoiling it for the younger kids. But what was happening was amazing! The kids had become super curious and excited about where the ducks had come from. Who put them there? Why were they there? As it turns out, a young girl named Amelia had found them in a $2 store and thought placing them around the building would be fun.

In the weeks ahead, I used them for the focus of several of my younger kids' lessons. We drew treasure maps, locating the ones we'd found, and measured the distances between them. We wrote stories and poems about the ducks. We wrote clues so other kids could search for them. However, what struck me the most was how such a simple idea had led to so much excitement and curiosity in the building. I couldn't stop thinking about other lessons I could teach using these tiny ducks and, more importantly, how valuable it is to have students excited and curious.

This had me reflecting on what I do in my school classroom to build curiosity. At first, I was concerned that I didn't do that much. So, I started reading up on creating curious classrooms, and it soon became apparent that I do use strategies to create curiosity.

Practice and encourage active listening 

A former colleague of mine regularly used to say, "God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason." This has always resonated with me, to the point that in my class, our rule is regardless of how silly you might think a response/answer/idea might be, it may be a starting point for someone else's response/answer/idea. So, share that idea and build on it. It may just strike some curiosity in someone!   

Be curious yourself

I hated history at school, but I have become a regular traveler since my school days. Don't get me wrong, I love a holiday, but when I'm abroad, I treat that experience as a one-off. Like I may never get back there again. So, I make the most of seeing and doing as much as possible to learn about that place. This is me being curious.  

Like everything we do as teachers, kids will follow our lead. So, it's important to model being curious. I am not the font of all knowledge. Far from it! Something I admit regularly. I will say, "I don't know, but let's find out." Of course, from there, we can plan a way forward to find what we need. Hopefully, this supports the student in developing curiosity.

Use students' interests or passions

Teaching Design Thinking allows a certain amount of bringing students' interests or passions into their learning. But Design Thinking can be used across a range of subjects. Teachers can also be flexible in allowing students' interests/passions into lessons. Sure, it might take a little bit more planning or thought, but experience tells us that you get out what you put in. By planning lessons where students can pursue their interests, students are more likely to be engaged. They dig deeper in their learning through natural curiosity.  

Invite guest speakers

The last of the methods I have used is to invite guest speakers to talk to students. We have a plethora of these in schools, amongst staff, the parent body, and the broader community. Let their expertise and enthusiasm about their specialty get students enthusiastic and curious. Bring them in at the start to provoke thoughts or halfway through to inspire further interest. Of course, it takes some organising and connections to the community. Still, it helps kids, makes your life easier, and connects them to the real world of authentic learning.

Picasso famously said that "all children are born artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once they grow up". I think the same could be said about kids' curiosity. Think about the number of questions kids ask when they are little. They want to know about the world around them. They are naturally inquisitive. We need to keep thinking about ways to keep students curious and show them that curiosity is valued and an important aspect of learning.

The only certainty we have is that we have no idea what the future has in store for us. Therefore, the leaders of tomorrow will have to solve problems we have never faced before. To do this, they must come up with unique and challenging solutions. To do that, they will have to be curious and ask questions to arrive at solutions that will enable them to be custodians of the future.