The idea of using stories is not one of the most common topics raised when effective teaching practices are discussed. We talk about curriculum, formative assessment, content knowledge, and precise modeling – all of which are important. But stories also deserve a place on the list of effective practices. Stories have been an effective mode of communication since humans began to communicate. Chances are that the teachers you have known who used stories effectively left their mark on you.
Stories are a powerful teaching strategy that can:
- immediately engage students
- communicate the teacher’s faith in his/her students’ abilities
- make a teacher more human and approachable to his/her students
- motivate the children to dive into their assignments with gusto
- provide concrete context in which to place abstract ideas
- and help students remember what is being learned
Stories can be used within intensive-explicit or constructivist instruction. When stories are used for intensive-explicit instruction, a teacher’s goal is to ensure students learn whatever is being taught as understood by the teacher. The goal is to ensure that the picture in the students’ minds is the same as the picture in the teacher’s mind. When stories are used for this kind of learning, students anchor their understanding of ideas in something everyone can relate to. Teachers who use intensive-explicit instruction explicitly show the connections between stories and the content being learned.
The goal of constructivist instruction, on the other hand, is to create a learning experience that provides the freedom for all students to create their own picture of what is being learned. When stories are told for this kind of learning, students are encouraged to build their understanding of the story from the vantage point of their own prior knowledge. During constructivist learning, the students connect the dots.
One way to develop and plan a story for intensive-explicit instruction is to create a simple t-chart where you list the critical elements of a concept, fact, or historical event in the left-hand column and identify the parts of the story that will represent those elements in the right-hand column.
Stories told during constructivist instruction require co-construction; they demand that we “fill in the gaps.” Storytellers use literary techniques to convey their messages more richly than explicit language because they communicate indirectly. Through analogies, symbols, similes, and myths, stories communicate with power because they evoke rather than tell.
What is the purpose of telling stories?
Stories are used to accomplish several goals in the classroom, including (a) anchoring new knowledge, (b) building on prior knowledge, (c) prompting thinking and dialogue, (d) generating interest, (e) inspiring hope, (f) offering new perspectives, (g) describing epiphanies, and (h) building community.
How do I integrate stories into teaching?
To use stories, you must be intentional about how you use them.
- The first step is to develop your personal library of stories. I recommend that teachers keep a story journal where they can write down stories whenever they discover them. When you keep your eyes and ears open, you will find that stories pop up all around you.
- The second step is to integrate stories into your lessons at their most effective points. Once you have your library of stories, you need to find the most appropriate point to integrate them into your lessons. You might consider two factors: (1) what is an instructional area that you need to enhance because it is complicated, especially important, or foundational for learning that will continue throughout the year, and (2) is there a story you can tell that will interest students?
- Third, frame stories with introductory and summative comments. How you introduce and sum up a story will depend on whether your story is being used for intensive-explicit or constructivist instruction.
- The fourth step is to stick to learning. It is important to identify the learning goal before you choose your story. The primary goal of your story should always be enhanced learning.
- The last step is to think about who the hero of your story should be. If students are to appreciate your story, they need to see how the story can be connected to their own experiences. In other words, your story must become their story.
At its best, a story provides an audience with insight into the tacit dimensions of whatever is being discussed. A story provides a context for understanding. It conveys emotion, humor, and humanity. To hear an effective story is to be reminded that we are alive, sharing the world with other people who know and have experienced events like those that make up our lives.
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To learn more about using stories and other high-impact teaching strategies for effective instruction, consider partnering with an ICG Consultant to learn about Coaching for Engagement, Coaching for Achievement, and Coaching for Positive Classrooms.
