Narrative Teaching

Thoughts on Teaching

Published

February 13, 2012

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Published

February 13, 2012

4,847

Offline

Ted Cross

Stories can be powerful tools in our teaching practice if we take the time to weave them into the content of our classes.

"Statistics are faceless, what happens to you is personal..." Mr. Shelton's voice was tense but hopeful. Stepping back away from the board, he leaned down over the front table looking at each of us. He continued to explain that we as Juniors had to decide whether we were going to be a statistic, and like most students at Coronado High School forgo college-or-were we going to do something different.

Mr. Shelton seemed to have a way of connecting high school Physics to life lessons in a very brief amount of words. Looking back, it was more than just his personality that drew students to his classes in large numbers over and over again; rather it was his ability to tell stories. It was these stories, and the concepts he imparted in them, that I still remember today. In essence, my real learning took place through the narratives of others and in those of my own making.

In many ways, teaching becomes a narrative process. We as teachers have the chance to shape our students' stories and simultaneously co-create our own. I believe that teaching through stories is a powerful tool to connecting with students both on and off-line. However, I do believe it is even more important in the online setting where students may feel disconnected from teachers and peers.

For example, in one of the entry-level classes I teach online I make sure to try and include a personal experiences storied in imagery to illustrate course content. In one module, I tell the story of how, at 5 years old I asked my Mom "Why do people make love?" My mother of course being very surprised back-peddled and began to explain as best she could. After a long while I looked up at her puzzled "Gloves Mom, why do people make gloves?" I pushed my hands toward her face in frustration.

This little story helps me to make the point that small differences in communication can make a big impact on meaning. It draws my students in and makes them think about their communication patterns and how tiny changes can have drastic consequences.

In this way, as we share our stories we can, not only illustrate concepts that may be hard to understand in the abstract, but we also can decrease the distance between students and our own professional persona. Through stories, we reveal our humanness and engage students to reveal their own vulnerable selves. In my experience, this can create a fertile space for gaining trust and creating engagement within the classroom.

In closing, teaching through stories or narratives can help engage students through forging trust and illustrating important concepts. That said, it may seem like too much at the beginning to reveal your personal stories. This is understandable, to start try telling the stories of others and then work your way toward revealing your own narratives in relation to your class.

Comments (17)

17 Comments

Offline Jean Mandernach said 12 years ago

Oh... I love this idea! Not only does it make it personal, but it makes it interesting, engaging and REAL! I also love that you point out that it doesn't have to be YOUR story to get the ball rolling. Have you found that this simultaneously helps engage students to connect their own personal stories to the content?

Offline Scott Hovater said 12 years ago

Great reminder Ted. This is something I need to incorporate more into my own online teaching experiences. At times my students add their personal stories and it seems that these posts tend to get more comments. We do love our stories and they they are excellent teaching tools as demonstrated by the master teacher himself, Jesus.

Offline Ted Cross(Author) said 12 years ago

Jean,

Yes, this helps students let down their gaurds and share their own stories. As they share they create connections to the ideas I am trying to pass on.

Offline Eric Nordin said 12 years ago

Hello Ted:

I think you bring up a very salient point with regards to narratives and student success. I think it is important to remember that for many entry-level students beginning their courses is a rather weighty task. In a sense, they are breaking their static state-of-being and taking on a bold new endeavor; in other words, they are going through an intense change period. Riggo, Riggo, Salinas, & Cole (2003) posited that during these periods of change, the ability of leaders (teachers) to exhibit emotion through communication skills is critical toward encouraging individuals to bring their personal change processes to fruition. By decreasing the distance that can often exist between instructors and students though the use of personal narratives, students, in turn, may develop new personal narratives - narratives that include the student-self.

Reference:

Riggo, R. E., Riggo, H. R., Salinas, C., & Cole, E. J. (2003). The role of emotional communication skills in leader emergence and effectiveness. Group Dynamics: Theory, research, and practice, 7, 88-103. doi:10.1037/1089-2699.7.2.83

Offline Matthew Hampton said 12 years ago

Hi Ted,

I love the thought of sharing stories to help you get your point across. I believe the Son of God, Jesus, used stories or parables to bring his points home. They can be very powerful and they can show our personal side as well. They definitely connect the learner to a point. Great job Ted and thank you for the valuable tools.

Offline Rick Holbeck said 12 years ago

This is great Ted. Storytelling is probably the oldest teaching practice in the world. I think that addign this personal touch will help to br3eak down any barriers a student may have and build a much stronger connection to the instructor.

Offline Oscar Crawford said 12 years ago

What are the implications and restraints to story in the supercharged politically correct environment teaching must take place in?

Offline Ron Friesen said 12 years ago

I always use current experiences from my counseling practice in my classes. Students follow my example and share their stories as well. I think that we get what we model. (HMMMM, maybe I should write a blog on that :)

ron

Offline Akash Sharma said 9 years ago

This article is really fantastic and thanks for sharing the valuable post.

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Offline Akash Sharma said 9 years ago

This article is really fantastic and thanks for sharing the valuable post.

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