Reading – The Persuasive Power of Narrative
Share how you have used storytelling to link learning in your teaching practice.
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I agree 100% that story telling is a powerful tool. I often use a story to make a point and it always, without fail, gets the students attention. I always tell a story whenever I am talking about a safety issue. I teach Fitting & Machining which can get pretty dangerous at times and having been in the industry since 1986 I have seen my fair share of serious accidents and been on the wrong end of a few. My students being teen ages or slightly older often think they are invincible. When they hear me tell of a first hand experience, they take note and pay attention. It also helps when you have photos of some of the incidents a it make is just that little more real. This also shows them that you are real and have life experiences which you are open to share. This can help make the earlier point made about building a relationship with the students. The other thing I often do is ask them if they have any stories, they love to share and it once again helps build the relationships. One of my heroes is Jesus. Jesus was a great teacher and we can learn much from Him and the way He, almost without exception, used stories to convey what he was teaching. Stories are easier to remember that dry lists of facts and figures etc.
Like you I have had my share of experiences and have been involved in many instrumental changes. Matrix learning demonstrates not only the relationship but the importance of experiences and story telling – live experiences
Yeah, I do the same in the Automotive sector, I find a quick little story to tie in the UOC with what we do in the trade tends to work well and also invites discussion amongst the cohort. Yay for TAFE!! 🙂
Storytelling is often used in my classroom as I ask learners to share their experiences in relation to the content being delivered. An example is when we are discussing customer service. I have found learners enjoy listening to other learner stories as they relate to real life experiences. Learners also love to tell their own story, especially if it involves a bad customer experience. I find story telling can expose the points I am wanting the learners to focus on. Storytelling is valuable for engaging learners in the content.
I agree
students enjoy listening and can relate or at least see the matrix in learning through story telling
Agreed that the students also like telling their stories. Teaching to evening students at TAFE, often they are working during the day and can relate stories from their experiences to a topic being discussed in class. This makes it so much more relevant to the rest of the class as well as it is one of their peers.
Hi Sonia, I think that asking students to also share their stories is really important. It allows you to learn more about your students and make that personal connection, makes the learning more compelling for the class, and brings a much wider world view than you can bring by yourself.
Sonia, I completely agree with you that students enjoy listening to stories about real life experience and also telling their stories. It is such a powerful tool we can use in teaching.
In my area of Teaching – Floristry I have always found that storytelling is a very good method of imparting knowledge. I feel that if I can link information to a story the students will remember the story and therefore retrieve the information.
It’s interesting what you have written Joanne, about students retention. Currently in one class group I work with, there are two students who manage their memory loss and recall and I have noticed with one of the students in particular, that their retention and focus has been supported by stories I have told more so than the facilitation of the course content. The student has told me that they are learning more readily because the discussions are real. I felt good, but humbled that our discussions had made that much difference. I have learned a lot as a teacher from this student and about how they see their individual learning and goals with their course. I enjoy their feedback and ask them what else would they like to discuss in class to make it more relevant to them.
I find storytelling really powerful when teaching. For example when I am teaching customer service I always share experiences I had when working in industry and as a customer myself as well as inviting students to share stories of good and bad experiences they have had. I also use this opportunity to also talk about ethical issues such as confidentiality so through sharing stories we are indirectly learning valuable lessons and engaging with each other.
I agree that storytelling is powerful when used for highlighting experiences in customer service interactions as the learner brings such emotion into the story.
I also teach customer service Karen and I find that my personal experiences in delivering customer service help us to discuss so many employability skills that will be useful in planning for their futures.
I agree that sharing story with the learners does give opportunity to engage.
Stories are an excellent way to help students understand a concept. When I am teaching about Fractions I try to tell stories to help students make the connection. For example, I talk about baking and discuss how much of an ingredient to use. Fractions are used in telling time; each minute is a fraction of the hour. Fractions are used to determine discounts when there’s a sale going on. I also get the class to brainstorm and share other stories where fractions may be used. This really engages the students but also helps them understand the concept of fractions and when they are used.
Rona, I agree that using a narrative and connection with the ‘real world’ is a strong teaching strategy to use, particularly in mathematics. Occasionally I get the ‘why do we need to know this’ question and that’s the moment you need to stop the lesson and use a personal story so that our students can see the relevance in what they’re learning. That narrative can be a practical application, like fractions and baking, or it can be a personal tale about the teacher’s experience in that area. Inject a little humour into the narrative and it has an affect on student learning.
Story telling is a great way to connect with your learners of any age. I am a Literacy teacher and work mainly with adults and young people. Students love to hear how you learnt and often this opens up a discussion of how they learnt things in their own country (for adult learners) or how the teenagers learn things using technology. It gives us a point of commonality.
Absolutely Dana, I find Storytelling provides an opening for building rapport and learning not just from the teacher but through sharing stories with one another
Hi Dalia I agree with you absolutely, we all have different experiences but also points of commonality
Dalia, I agree learners like stories, and most like to tell their own experiences.
Story-telling can captivate learners at any age and in any situation. I teach ESOL to adult migrants as well as MBA programs to online learners in the areas of HR Management. I like to be able to really paint a picture for my students to bring the subject matter to life. It also breaks down barriers and creates empathy and trust in the teacher-student paradigm. I am happy to share my life with my students and know that they value this from an empathetic perspective.
Dana I totally agree the story telling goes across all age groups. My adult learners love to hear how I was taught things in the 70’s and they are often happy to share their own experiences. It’s a great way to connect with your class.
I totally agree that storytelling paints a picture and transports you. Storytelling can create emotions, excitement, entertainment and ultimately engagement so I believe it is an invaluable teaching tool.
I teach information technology to a generation that comfortable with the tools even though they may not fully understand how the technology has come about. I find that telling stories about my first computer or the types of computers I have dealt with helps them put todays technology into perspective.
It is more powerful when you get them to research the equipment you have described and they see that your talking about actual devices and events.
Absolutely Rod shows a wonderful chain of how we go to where we are now. I bet the students really love your stories of the technology we used to have and how it has progressed at such a rapid rate to now
Making links from the past to see how we arrived at the present via stories is a fantastic way to help learners grasp technology. I also love the use of props to make your point. We certainly have come along way it your field!
Great idea Rod, in adding the historical aspect to a current technological tool. I find that students are amazed when they discover that there is a long history to something that they take for granted or have never thought about before. That moment of storytelling takes up precious teaching minutes but is so valuable in the long run.
I teach adult migrants and I always relate my own stories or other people I know to keep the students interested and I find that they are more engaged.
Hi Naomi.
I also teach adult migrants and love to tell them about my life and childhood and how my own father was a refugee after the Second World War. This shows that I can empathise with them to a certain extent and it also makes us closer as a learning team. Dana
Tell a story helps underpin the learning and perhaps give it some context. I teach students studying Patisserie but they don’t necessarily work in industry, so sharing industry stories good and bad helps bring these to life. Using some stories from family also helps show your being real as well.
Storytelling does bring the content to life and makes relevance of the content clear to the learner. I agree, keeping it real is always a winner.
I use stories wherever possible in my teaching especially when it comes to the practical components. These are generally my personal experiences or experiences of friends that they have shared with me. Students really do engage, I remember one story, which isn’t appropriate for this site but the students reacted with shock, and surprise and some were cringing in their seats, but this also became a discussion of what is right and wrong in this situation in the workplace and then they relate d it back to what they are doing. it also gives them a clear understanding of scope of practice and their required learning outcomes.
I have found that students enjoy our personal experiences as it allows them so see that no matter whether it was good or bad you can learn and move one successfully.
Hi Yvette,
I teach students online who are hoping to enter the world of HR and I am pleased to share my stories and experiences to translate the rhetoric into the reality. It also shows that I am real life experience and can tell them that the theory is good but not always applicable in practice. After all we are dealing with people who can be very unpredictable. Dana
Great Point Yvette, For me teaching in the hospitality industry means having a lot of stories that are quite confronting and shocking too, for example stories of bad hygiene practices that I’ve observed however as you said, it really helps the learners make a strong connection and understand consequences of their actions or a particular relevant point.
Story telling linked to learning can be a great tool to demonstrate a point or retell a concept. I have been in learning situations where there were too many personal stories (over sharing) and the benefits were lost – i think it important to stay relevant, honest and gauge the impact – a good story can be invaluable, break down barriers and support learning
Yes we need to keep the storytelling under control otherwise easy to get off track
Yes I agree with this point.
Yes I agree. Sometimes telling too many stories can really be the need to talk about yourself or cover a lack of preparation. It is really important to reflect self critically about your use of stories.
Storytelling is an art form. Some teachers do it naturally but for others, it’s a matter of practise and then practise a whole lot more. What we offer them doesn’t have to be perfect, just honest. This applies to students of all ages.
Kerry I absolutely agree with the need for honesty, Michael is right, they can sniff BS a mile away. I see this in my teenage children.
Yes, I love your point about being honest. As Michael said, our students can see BS a mile off and it destroys credibility in an instant. We also need to allow ourselves to be vulnerable if the students are to take us seriously. Thanks Kerry.
First AidTtraining is mandatory every 3 years so I have been on the receiving end of many presentations. The one I remember best was because she used personal experiences of good outcomes AND mistakes. She had props (rubber snakes and vomit) to add to the story and then asked what could happen? What could be done next? Everyone was engaged and learning
I love the idea of rubber snakes. Everyone can relate to an experience they have had with the toy one even if they’ve never actually crossed paths with a real one. It brings associations of fun but is still relatable as a real task.
I have been in team teaching situations with First Aid teachers and it can be monotonous listening for hours as the same material is covered. But the times when we all sit up and listen is when the facilitator tells a personal story of using First Aid.
When I have taught younger children I would use stories of my pets in the classroom and I found the children always entertained and having an ongoing interest in their antics. Teenagers can relate to stories about my own kids and some of the personal issues they have faced. Adults relate to current affairs and international events as well as personal stories. I think across all ages storytelling encourages students to share their stories. This can be vital to building relationships, and opening our hearts and minds to where our students are coming from.
Pet stories are great and not too personal. Students are encouraged to tell their stories and this is good for relationship building as it helps with understanding the students
It sounds like you have mastered the art of storytelling and ensuring the best content fit for your audience.
Sharing my experiences, both positive and negative, is a great way to engage with the students. Real life situations that reflect the learning contributes to their understanding and puts into context the subject matter.
I’m never quite sure how much of my own life to disclose to students even to illustrate a point in a lesson. This course will make me rethink how I engage and maybe give more of myself.
I often use my stories from when I was living in a non English speaking country and my grasp of the native language was poor to say the least. I have many hilarious stories that relate well to the communication units of competency. Students love it
Yes, it puts you in a different light – somewhat human and not just a ‘teacher’ and opens up communciation channels.
I am embarrassed when I admit to my ESL students that I only speak English. Despite studying French at high school for 6 years in the early 70s, I couldn’t speak a sentence when I visited Paris a few years ago.It makes me appreciate their enormous courage in coming to a new country and starting a new life.
I usually share my stories about being an apprentice in the 70’s with my students so they can also relate to some of the same situations whether good or bad.
Jane I can imagine that your experiences of being an apprentice is very different in some ways to the apprentices of today, but there would also be a relevance with certain areas and the students must love hearing the differences and also the similarities
When I have had students wanting to give up, I always seem to have some crazy story to tell as I have many. I look after the beauty therapy section and often have students tell me that waxing is too hard. I proceed to tell them about one experience I had with waxing. I had a gig waxing the Gladiators for the 90s tv show and as you could imagine I would have many stories to go with this mix of people. I always mention how on one male gladiator – ex footy star, the wax did get on the wrong area and how I have to rectify the situation. The story is filled with drama, laughter and a good outcome that the students appreciate and seem to get back on the horse.
I have the same approach with my hairdressing students. I will tell crazy stories about situations that I experienced. The more dramatic the better.
My students also love the drama of my stories and are hanging out to hear what happened next. Great for keeping them engaged in the topic
Great story Julie-ann, I am filling in the blanks in my head. they certainly assist students in understanding that we learn from what we do.
One class I had we were going through health and safety and first aid etc. This is quite a perspective subject as there are steps , sequences etc This can hamper the engagement. I had a sense I was ‘losing’ them so I told them the time we had a child have their first ever febrile convulsion, went blue, the staff had to give CPR etc. The child survived [and thrived thank goodness] . You could have heard a pin drop. Rather than the ‘dry’ step by step – telling the steps the staff did made it very real. I think they also realised how important it is to know this stuff. They had so many questions and it ended up being really engaging. The story really turned the whole lesson around. Not that I’m glad to have a story l like that to tell but it did work.
A good example of how our personal story can make a dry subject memorable and enable the learner to put the material into perspective. Your story tugged at the hearts of the listeners.
I teach in Child STudies so I use my own children and parenting stories quite regularly. I can draw on what happens in the service my children attended, their development, foods they ate and when, illnesses, etc
I imagine that your stores would be endless and real.
I also to my children as examples of different situations. It makes it feel real.
I often tell my students a story about my children when delivering a topic on giving and receiving feedback. I tell them about how my children were coming home cranky everyday from school and I couldn’t understand what was making them so upset and irritable. I was making their school lunches for a long time with certain things in it and they would return home with it empty lunchbox. Eventually, fed up with what I considered unreasonable behaviour, I confronted them about their afterschool antics and they said they were starving hungry. They had been throwing out most of the food I have given them because they didn’t like it. If they had simply let me know that they wanted something different the whole situation could have been avoided. It gives my students an understanding of how simple feedback about their likes and dislikes could avoid all sorts of problems. My students like this story as they can relate to having school lunches they are unhappy with.
Working with young adults mainly older teenagers, I have found storytelling has been an effective way to engage them in a topic and sustain interest. Even though at times my stories seem nondescript, the class lap them up and many ongoing discussions follow. Having worked in a campaigning space, I know how effective personal stories are to engage people and share information that may lead them to develop a different view on a subject.
I agree immensely with using stories with teenagers. It makes you seem more “real” and “relatable”!
I haven’t typically seen myself as very good at telling stories, although I have told short snippets of stories that relate to topics that i might be teaching. Hence I don’t have any examples to give of when I have told stories that have effectively engaged the class, however it is really interesting to consider that stories can be so powerful with this group of learners and so that might be something that I do need to practice!
I have often used stories from my own life that may be totally unrelatble to my teaching point but I may use as icebreakers or in introductions .
Yes – I am hearing impaired so when I have groups of students with different linguistic backgrounds it helps to know that I too have troubles ‘understanding’ it is a real ice breaker like you mentioned.
Working in Business and Leadership education means it is critical to have held roles in the workplace that allow you to relate learned experience. The students engage more with this real world success or stuff-ups than they do with theory only sessions. Some jobs like Teaching or Police would benefit from the individuals having a mature age entry approach so they bring the real world understanding to the role.
Yes now you can enter courses at any age/ and no apparent experience does raise the issue of life experience and the learner to be able to connect to the learning at hand when they have nothing to really reflect on
I find having worked in the field that I am teaching for such a long time, I have instinctively used stories to illustrate work practices, issues with clients, god, bad and ugly at times. I have also used the ugly and bad to say how should I have done it different, what has changed today etc. I has allowed students I think to have a understanding of what the industry is like, what clients are like and that sometimes things change.
Yes, totally agress that using your own narrative, not always good, is a great tool for learning that the students can relate to.
Many students face the challenge of balancing life events and meeting course deadlines. A common integrated ‘barrier’ is procrastination which may result in leaving tasks to the last minute followed by receiving lower results than expected or desired.Having experienced a range of on-line and face to face courses I have first-hand experience of procrastination and just getting started on something. I share the feelings I have about expecting my first draft or first response ‘should be’ at a certain level (level created in my mind). I’m not sure if I’m really over it – but I can recognise it’s happening
This is so true – procrastination is such a funny student tool and I think many students think it is them who do it alone. When many people leave things to the last minute whether because of competing deadlines or just “yeah I’ve got time” and how they feel when they hand something in that may not be exactly what they wanted. So it is a good idea to share this – I had never thought of doing this before so thank you.
I often do the same Ann. I teach an induction in workplace behaviour to trainees and work life balance and prioritising are key aspects that I can use personal experience stories to get them message across.
I have used my experiences as a musician in the music industry to tell students stories of various pitfalls in the industry. These include
1. The times I did not get paid because I did not have a signed contract.
2. Forgetting equipment due to not being organised
3. not setting up a formal business agreement and then losing money as a result
The students are much more engaged during these stories and are keen to ask questions. using lived experience is definitely a great learning tool in educating the current generation as it has traction
Mervyn your authentic stories provide very useful advice. Often the ‘business’ and reality side of the artist’s career can be illusive to someone beginning in the performance world. I know a contemporary dance graduate who seeks opportunities to speak to others in the field to obtain strategies and be aware of pitfalls. You are right – it’s a great learning tool and facilitates conversation.
I think often we teach to best practice and what it should be like in industry and far to often the reality is not what we teach. So when they hear stories like this they can be aware and maybe take on board so when they are out there it is not hopefully too shocking and they may learn a thing or too.
A valuable set of events here. I have had Teachers in business areas ask me for my course notes so they can relate my workplace stories to their classes. How can we be authentic and build rapport with the student if we haven’t worked in the area we are Teaching / Training?
The student can smell a fake more quickly than we realise.
They are 3 valuable lessons. The artists of Australia really are vulnerable to shonky work practices. Your personal stories of the less glamorous side of the industry would be appreciated by your students and help forge personal relationships and empathy.
As at train trainers and assessors and I am a trainer and assessors is is very easy to use my story, share my experience to engage. But not only my stories but their stories too. Individuals coming to training and assessment have been both trained and assessed at some time so there is always lots to share 🙂
I like your comment about using the learners stories as well. Sounds like that is a great way to engage them in the lesson as it offers an opportunity to have their experiences heard and valued.
It is common once I have shared a story, a student may then share a story from their experience. These are valuable learning experiences
Great Point Helen, very true and Trainers and Teachers (myself included!) can often be the most difficult of students so increased level of connections with your learners is possibly even more necessary, thanks for sharing your insights
I believe that a good teacher should not only be an expert in the area of study and be proficient in imparting knowledge and developing the skills of the students, but should also be able to motivate and inspire them.
I found that my students, especially those who are looking for work have been eager to hear practical examples that teach them important things about life.
They appreciate the recounting of rea-llife experiences and personal stories especially about jobsearch and workplace practices. In fact, they enjoy the stories highlighting setbacks and strategies to work around them, better than the success stories I told them. While the success stories motivate them, the not so successful ones teach them invaluable lessons in life – of what they should and should not do.
I agree not just stories of success but stories of how a problem was managed, how an incident occurred, what to do when tech fails you!
Being able to bridge theory and practical examples in form of stories in a powerful tool to engage with the learners. It is when learners start sharing their own stories respectively experiences.
Sharing stories of setbacks is a way of encouraging resilience. Students often think they are the only ones who get knockbacks. Getting them to consider strategies to work around problems is a lifelong skill
Storytelling in VET courses where the content of the course is very prescribed and sometimes technical is a real challenge. Industry based qualifications with very mature students who are formalising a lifetime of experience and work are particularly difficult because it often sounds like you are talking down to them.
This is particularly true if you are less experienced and have fewer skills.
One area that comes to mind where storytelling was most effective was the cautionary tales used in WHS/OHS classes where photographs of some really nasty images were used along the story of how the injuries were received while the workers were not following safety guidelines. Starting with the photographs the students were invited to tell the story of how it happened. Some interesting tales emerged, but it really engaged even this group.
yes never talk down, brag or boast. I reckon it is much better to get as many if not more of their stories. if learner have experience in a topic or subject matter we want to build on that.
like your story about the WHS images to engage.
Well done. I rely on reflective questions with mature age cohorts and simply facilitate the learning. The experienced student craves affirmation that they are respected and the whole group learns from somebody else’s success and failure.
In VET we want to create resilient students who can move across industry sectors so learning about common challenges in new areas of work can help the student realise that change is more manageable then they first thought possible.
I assist in trade classes as a Literacy/Numeracy support. It is very clear the trade teachers who explain a concept by sharing a work experience engage the students much more and it clearly enhances their understanding.
Teaching WHS in VET sector too, I often find storytelling a great way to break up an often wordy and dry subject. Getting the students to tell their stories can help them engage and further understand the legislative intricacies.
As much as adult learners love to hear our war stories they generally love to share their own which are great learning opportunities if the adults are in the industry being taught.
I love to tell stories about my past jobs and business successes. I know they have listened when they repeat the story months later
I too have found that to be successful. They enjoy hearing both the success and failures in my experience and sometimes tell me that I have already told them that story. Perfect way to know that they have learnt something
I know when I have participated in courses I have really enjoyed it when the trainer has added anecdotes and stories to support their content.
I find Storytelling a valuable way of engaging learners and the stories need to be personally meaningful and have some significance to the student. Students should have opportunities to reflect on and discuss their learning experience.
I t found that to be successful as well, Learners enjoy hearing both the success and failures in my experience, It is a great way to know that they have learnt something and actively participating.
Stories make the learning real life and others can learn from our experiences whether good or bad. Personally, I find stories invaluable in my own learning.
I agree with you comment Sue-Ann, making learning real life is essential to engage learners.
i too find stories related to what i am learning a valuable tool- i think learning anchored in real life and shared experiences fosters engagement with content .
I share both my own stories and the stories of others through articles, reviews and narratives for students to deconstruct and understand the underlying issues/ causes or different ways/ choices that could have been made. I often like to select stories with some humor in it to engage the group eg. for team building we’ll watch a clip from Madagascar with the penguins and decide what elements the penguins illustrated and what makes them such a strong team. I will share my own stories at the beginning of a semester so the students get to know my background, become comfortable asking me questions and show that I am generally an open book. I will then touch on my experiences or tell specific stories of triumph and tribulation as aligned with individual units. Storytelling is a big part of the way I facilitate class discussion and thought.
Stories help to connect with people and this is particularly useful in the classroom setting to connect with the learners
Well said, Monique.
That IS an excellent way to build a good rapport with the students.
A teacher who teaches through entertainment is a brilliant academic success and we need more of them in this day and age. Humour and contemporary online thrills are a great draw card.
I use media a lot in my classes and my students love it because they can easily relate to the snippets I use. Tying them up to the topic you’re teaching could be a challenge, but if done right, you are an absolute winner.
Teachers’ stories are very important in VET education. Adults join a course because it is relevant. It could be due to PD requirements, obtaining the licence, keeping up with the changes to avoid fines and loosing clients, picking up new skills, but it is their choice. Thus, incorporating real lived-through examples really demonstrates how this training is going to help achieve the set goal or help solve a specific problem at work. In my classroom I tell stories about how I handled common problems when I worked in the industry (successfully or not). Over the years, I also collected stories from other students to cover a greater range of situations.
I recently supported students enrolled in a community services course. They had oodles ofonline Moodles to fathom and various text types to read, but as you say Marina, stories are very important in VET education. The part of the course all students engaged with, were the real, lived-through examples the VET teacher shared.
Good stories make an impact. They are memorable and fun. How would you share your stories in class.
I was really fortunate to have a great teacher at Uni for one of the most boring (from my point of view) subject – ethics. The book had lots of pages on various philosophies and theories and no examples on what to do with that information. What she did was amazing – she explained each theory with the application to her family/ work life – ordinary events through the lens of those theories. Definitely memorable – for the exam and for my work later.
I use storytelling to link difficult learning concepts to “life examples”. It is so positive when you read answers to assessment questions that draw on the story you have provided to explain the concept.
That’s a wonderful idea. Examples are important when sharing stories. You may invite them to share their stories too. What strategies of story telling work for you?
Agreed stories are are life experiences and assist in learning concepts and ideas.
Hi Karen,
Life examples are the key because they are authentic and VET students particularly, but increasingly all students are able to recognise this.
Karen, I also agree that storytelling is a great tool to use when explaining learning concepts and getting students to understand real-life situations.
Like Sui Fai, I also encourage my students to share their experiences with the others in t he class. It embellishes the lesson, and also gives the students a sense of involvement and builds an excellent classroom atmosphere.
I share my story of the difficulties of being an apprentice with my apprentice classes. I tell of the self-doubt and anxiety I felt. I share with them what I call the turn-around moment. Do I stop and turn around (quit) or do I push on and see what happens. I finish the story by telling them if you do turn around and go back there is every possibility that the outcome/position/result i wanted will be lost. And if i do turn around what will i do next time i am challenged by life. I leave a message on the board that my late father left me from his days as a solider in the Vietnam war. “Don’t step back, step up” and “don’t exist, but live”
Apprentices in particular would value your story Jason.
This is a great example of the use of storytelling by sharing your life difficulties and how you overcame these.
Where possible I relate to events that I have engaged in and share positive and negative experiences . First-hand experiences, whether they are good or bad, let students see that its alright to discuss and interact about. Honesty and trust builds scaffolding relationship.
It can’t help students to see you as a real person that they can then relate to. It maybe makes you more approachable as well.
I also think that stories foster relationships as you are letting students into life lessons and sharing a part of yourself.
Vocational education is all about the story – working or life experience will help explain a point, My students love to hear my stories however long ago they may be! – they are still relevant and engage the students – then they can share their stories.
Yes. A compelling story provides context for learning, and could be fun when sharing. Have you got interesting stories to share?
Totally agree. Long or short work, as long as its engaging and relevant
Absolutely. We can all learn from each others stories!
One thing I always try and do with my teaching is to relate my actual experiences to the content I’m delivering. As an Event Teacher, I always refer to events that I have produced and share both positive and negative experiences from them. My objective is to provide my students with my first-hand experiences, whether they are good or bad, I want to be honest with them to ensure we build a trusting relationship.
This is the best learning, not just the principles from the textbook, but real stories, real problems and more importantly, real solutions – where did you go, who did you talk to, what alternative resources did you use and ultimately, what worked and what didn’t.
I use storytelling my my Community Services class to try and assist students to realise that its OK to make mistakes and that they need to practise skills until they become second nature
By mistake I stumbled on the power of sharing my life’s professional experiences with my apprentice students. Story telling of my time as a apprentice, the mistakes i made and the triumphs I experienced make it a powerful and engaging tool. Story telling reinforces the “show me it works”
Mistakes are best points for learning, so we could reflect together what works in future. Practising skills in story telling require a supportive environment. Have you experienced any challenges in story telling?
I am loving this reminder of the importance of storytelling in learning as sometimes I’ve forgotten just how powerful it is. I have used a book I had on teaching metaphors that you can use in class to showcase a number of learnings as well as personal stories and experiences. In the future I would like to incorporate more student stories.
I agree story telling encourages involvement and a relaxed environment for the students Shows a sense of purpose
As an online facilitator, I find that engaging online learners is particularly challenging. You don’t get the opportunity to develop that personal relationship with students, so good quality learning design becomes paramount. One strategy I use is to weave narrative into scenario-based, real-life examples, using branching technologies. By placing the learner at the centre of the story and as the lead character of the narrative, they get to choose which journey to take so it becomes personal to them. This combination of responsibility, vulnerability, excitement, anticipation, risk and fun encourage the same type of connection learners have when hearing stories.
I understand the online facilitation as well.
A challenge but students will engage so long a they feel your not just here to get it over and done with .
Definitely encouraging involvement, change the dynamics of the group and learning
I agree with the challenges for an online facilitator and believe that not only should great stories be told within learning materials but also a kind of ‘choose your own adventure’ approach to assessments whereas a lead in story or scenario is included to elicit more real world understanding and excitement from students rather then a bland yet perfectly mapped assessment event.
How brave are you. Facilitating branching type exercises is a thrill and a risk because you never really know where they will end up.
I always use my own experience to explain difference topics to my students. I think it makes them realise how the learning material applies to the day to day activities at work. I also encourage the students to tell the class about their own experience.
Absolutely, Elena. I agree that giving students an opportunity to share their own stories (where relevant), helps them learn more than the topic at hand; it fosters collaboration, confidence and critical thinking.
I 100% agree with you. I also encourage my students to share their personal experiences with topics we’re discussing. I really emphasise to my students that engagement will result in all of us learning from each other which is so important.
I often use storytelling to illustrate or contextalise a feature or skill I am trying to teach. Feedback from my learners across many years tells me that it helps them to ‘pin’ a topic or method or strategy to have a real life application to illustrate the point.Linking theory to practice helps them to understand the point and how it relates to their role.
Doing this Sharon really helps learners hold on to the concept because they relate it to the story.
I tell stories whenever I can and obviously it must be relevant to the topic. I think to be a good storyteller you need to keep current with what is going on in the world and back up what you say with examples and facts. This is very important in this age of fake news, students love it when you can present real stories.
It also helps learners to see us real people with more than just ‘book’ knowledge. nothng like a recount of lived experience to support a theoretical exercise. I also feel it keep students engaged in a seemingly more relaxed way… stories are accessible.
Yes it has to be relevant and current. As a teacher where I work a great deal of Emphasis is placed on staying current. Many of the teachers keep our industry jobs, specifically so we can teach industry skills that are up to date.
I love using Sufi tales whenever I can they encourage children to think.
I agree. As a PT Event Teacher and still working within the industry, it keeps me current and I feel that this is really helpful with my teaching. Whenever I’m discussing a topic, I always relate it to an experience that I actually had, whether it was a positive or negative one. The negative stories usually receive a better response from my students as they appreciate that I’m genuine and honest and not afraid to be critical of myself, I make it very clear that I’m far from perfect and am always learning.
I am a huge fan of stories – A good story teller can engage a classroom instantly.
I love telling stories to my students and encouraging them to tell their own stories. Stories teach the students about life, about themselves and about others. It is a good way for student to develop an understanding and respect for other cultures as well. Story telling can often help students to understand a concept that they are not grasping eg size, space, colour etc. With adult learners, stories are a key learning strategy. For example, I have often shared my stories from the office where I work – my learners can often relate to this especially if we are talking about different management styles – I share stories of the different managers I have encountered, their styles and what happened. The story needs to be relevant to the topic being taught at the time so the student/learner can relate to it.
Stories are magic, I believe when the students can relate to them their understanding of the topic/ theory deepens.
I agree wholeheartedly… stories allow us to connect with others, they can expand and deepen our understanding of each other and introduce us to new ways of viewing the world.
Yes agreed, I love to get students telling their own stories too and invite this into the classroom from day 1.
Yes I often ask students to tell me there stories and they often get really excited when they do. Sometimes its hard to stop the conversation.
I think that the best way for teachers to instil confidence in their pupils is to introduce safe ways to learn how to speak in front of others. For so many of us adults, to have had this opportunity at school, would possibly have changed the course of our lives. Teach young learners the steps, but allow them to develop at their own pace. Soon you will have them competing to tell their own stories in front of the class.
I think this is a good idea Robyn. I can remember my own primary school days when I was elected to give a speech, I was so nervous but it definitely was empowering and left me feeling like I had accomplished something worthwhile.
I agree with the idea of speaking in front of others. I ask my students to present their understanding of the different topics in every class in from of the whole class. The first couple of times they are nervous but with plenty of practice it makes them relax and share information
Absolutely, Robyn. I really lack this skill now and wish it was something I focused on while my brain was still young enough to absorb it.
I had to give a speech in English class in First Form (year 7) – I had a stutter – at the end of my speech the teacher kindly said I should find a job where I didn’t have to speak in public. In time my stutter went away (not sure why) 40 years later I was giving a presentation to an auditorium full of teachers (500+) and I saw that teacher in the audience. As soon I realised who she was I started stuttering. Teachers are very powerful.
I so agree Anne – teachers don’t realise how powerful words and actions can be. My art teacher (from school many moons ago) held up my painting as an example of ‘how its not done’…charming eh! never forgotten that.