Children have a hunger for stories. " Tell me a story Mommy." "Tell me a story Daddy." are words that come out of their mouths at least once a day.
Stories entertain, inform, explain and help us decide how we will relate to the world and its people.
It is a wise teacher who includes storytelling in their teaching tool kit.
Example of the power of story.
I once met a former student I hadn't seen since his senior year in High School. After we made the usual comments about how nice it was to see one another he looked at me and said, " Mr. Moore, do you remember telling us the story about Josephine?" I replied, " Yes I do. Don't tell me you remember that story after all these years." He then proceeded to tell me the entire story in detail. I couldn't believe it.
I'm sure he couldn't tell me anything about the academic content I covered in his senior year, but he recalled every detail of that story.
Here are 7 surefire tips on using stories to teach your students and have them love it.
1. Don't begin a story with " Once Upon a time . . . " unless you're dealing with very young children.
2. Become aware of stories with a message while you read , listen and view the media and life around you.
3. When you find a story you can use jot the story line down in few words.
4. Practice telling the story in your own words. Feel free to embellish the story to suit your situation.
5. When you tell the story let it speak to the listener. Resist the temptation to tell them what the story means.
6. You can ask a question related to the story when you're finished but don't try to condition their response. Just listen.
7. Keep your stories short and crisp. Don't get bogged down in detail.
Learn more about effective storytelling CLICK HERE
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Showing posts with label storytelling in teaching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label storytelling in teaching. Show all posts
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Another Story for Teachers: The Merchant and the Angel
In an ancient and far away city there lived two successful and
very competitive merchants who hated one another and were
constantly involved in bettering each other.
One night a messenger from God visited one of the merchants
and told him that he was instructed to grant him one wish and
one wish only.
There was only one condition attached to the granting of the
wish. Whatever the merchant wished for,the other merchant
would receive double his wish.
The merchant pondered his decision while the angel waited
patiently.
After a short time the merchant looked at the angel with a
slight smile on his face and said, " Make me blind in one eye."
For a FREE Download of over 30 life lesson stories for students
http://motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?tpayt
very competitive merchants who hated one another and were
constantly involved in bettering each other.
One night a messenger from God visited one of the merchants
and told him that he was instructed to grant him one wish and
one wish only.
There was only one condition attached to the granting of the
wish. Whatever the merchant wished for,the other merchant
would receive double his wish.
The merchant pondered his decision while the angel waited
patiently.
After a short time the merchant looked at the angel with a
slight smile on his face and said, " Make me blind in one eye."
For a FREE Download of over 30 life lesson stories for students
http://motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?tpayt
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Every Teacher Should Be a Great Storyteller Here's one for you.
A Random Act of Kindness
A second year university student had reluctantly taken a part
time job selling door to door to make ends meet. He didn't
like the job but the pay was good and he certainly needed the
money.
One afternoon while selling in a nice middle class
neighborhood he decided to forget his pride and ask the person
in the next house if they could spare a bite to eat.
When the door opened he quickly decided against it and just
asked for a glass of water.
The woman of the house smiled and disappeared into the kitchen
returning within seconds with a plate of freshly made
chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk.
When the young man asked what he owed her for the wonderful
snack she said, " We don't charge for kindness in this house."
Years later this same woman became very ill and had to be
taken to the hospital for treatment. When the specialist
entered the Emergency room to examine her he recognized
her immediately. She was the milk and cookies lady from his
days as a salesman.
The treatment he prescribed was effective and within a couple
of days she was ready to return home. Her only worry now was
how she was going to pay the hospital bill.
Before leaving she went to the Billing office to find out the
damage and discuss payment options. When she got there she
was handed a note and told that the bill had been paid in full
with a glass of milk and a plate of cookies.
When she opened the note it read, " I don't charge for
kindness." It was signed A Hungry College Student from your
past.
For a FREE Download of over 30 life lesson stories for students
http://motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?tpayt
For an audio CD on the art and power of storytelling click here
A second year university student had reluctantly taken a part
time job selling door to door to make ends meet. He didn't
like the job but the pay was good and he certainly needed the
money.
One afternoon while selling in a nice middle class
neighborhood he decided to forget his pride and ask the person
in the next house if they could spare a bite to eat.
When the door opened he quickly decided against it and just
asked for a glass of water.
The woman of the house smiled and disappeared into the kitchen
returning within seconds with a plate of freshly made
chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk.
When the young man asked what he owed her for the wonderful
snack she said, " We don't charge for kindness in this house."
Years later this same woman became very ill and had to be
taken to the hospital for treatment. When the specialist
entered the Emergency room to examine her he recognized
her immediately. She was the milk and cookies lady from his
days as a salesman.
The treatment he prescribed was effective and within a couple
of days she was ready to return home. Her only worry now was
how she was going to pay the hospital bill.
Before leaving she went to the Billing office to find out the
damage and discuss payment options. When she got there she
was handed a note and told that the bill had been paid in full
with a glass of milk and a plate of cookies.
When she opened the note it read, " I don't charge for
kindness." It was signed A Hungry College Student from your
past.
For a FREE Download of over 30 life lesson stories for students
http://motivationalplus.com/cgi/a/t.cgi?tpayt
For an audio CD on the art and power of storytelling click here
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