Your most powerful pedagogical tool this year? Storytelling.

More storytelling please!

You may roll your eyes if you’re teaching 3-8 year olds as you’ll be actively reading and engaging with stories a lot but this article is still for you too, hear me out…

As educators we all know the power of stories and if you’re a parent you will too (I’m about to become a dad T-2 weeks or so, so i’ve already been thinking what stories I want to read to my newborn – suggestions please)!

But the real question I’m posing to you is not whether you are using stories but are you utilising the skill of storytelling?

Stories and storytelling are not the same thing. 

Stories are the raw material, the information and the detail but storytelling, that’s the art form, the active process in which the storyteller engages with emotion, hooks you into a narrative and ultimately takes you outside of your own reality in a way that, in the most powerful of circumstances, can change you. 

I’ll never forget an assembly in year 8 when I was at school (early 2000’s). Mr. Wileman, my head of year, stood in front of 180 of us. Holding a can of dog food and with steam pouring out, started his assembly as usual.

“Good morning year 8!”

He took a second, a slight pause as if he was going to continue on to the next part but instead he dips his fork in, gets a chunk of meat and puts it in his mouth, chews and swallows. 

“Aeaaaeeewehhhhhh” – the hall erupted.

Mr. Wileman – “what’s wrong with this?”

“It’s dogfood sir!” 

Of course it wasn’t. It was a beef stew but the moral of the story has stuck with me – reserve judgement. You don’t always know the full picture. Even if you see something that gives you evidence to support your theory, you might still be wrong. Be curious, give the benefit of the doubt and reserve your judgement.

I’m now a good 20 years past this assembly but that’s the power of storytelling. It wasn’t a story he told, it was the art of storytelling he used.

The science shows us that storytelling has biological, emotional and physical effect. It can significantly lower anxiety and anger in teenage girls and also increase oxytocin and positive emotions whilst decreasing cortisol and pain in hospitalised children.

Storytelling can lower stress, increase bonding and help build resilience. 

Storytelling is the oldest form of education known to humans. 

I started my career as a science teacher and chemistry specialist, it didn’t scream “storyteller”.

But now as a professional filmmaker, I know that storytelling can be your most powerful pedagogical teaching tool this year. Here’s 3 ideas and ways for you to implement a stronger approach to storytelling into your teaching practice.

1. Bookend stories with ‘check in’s’

Being pulled into a story actually calms our nervous system but adding a structure can help build emotional literacy and regulation. For this we use a feelings wheel and the teacher can follow this flow:

• Ask everyone to check in with themselves for 15 seconds and ask them “how are you feeling right now?” (silence and no need to write anything with also the use of the feelings wheel on the board or in front of them)
• Use a piece of media, read a story with them, utilise a powerful clip you’ve seen, tell a story yourself!
• Check in again and ask again “how are you feeling right now?” which can be in silence again with the use of the feelings wheel at hand. 
• You can take this in a few directions but I find the easiest question to ask across all ages is “what was the most important/impactful part of the story for you?” and split off into pairs.
• Come back together as a class and have a quick discussion or share of time. 
• Move on to your lesson, activity or class. 

There is an intentionality here and a rhythm that students will get used to. I’ve found teachers have said this is impactful especially after break and lunchtimes to regulate students.

2. Encouraging courage and vulnerability.

This doesn’t always have to be you being vulnerable, but as a leader in the classroom, this is only going to happen effectively if you model it. Opening up about a struggle, a triumph, what you did at the weekend or even a person you met who inspires you will set an environment for storytelling. Don’t want to get personal? You don’t have to. There will be something you care about that you can tell as a story.

3.Use Film as a powerful catalyst 

OK…. I’m biased as a filmmaker but hear me out. 

Storytelling through film is a fantastic distancing technique. You can speak about real issues that affect people in the room but where no one has to share their own personal experience if they don’t want to. The result? the opportunity for a child (or adult in a PD session) to actually feel seen, heard and understood. It doesn’t have to be an “issue” either – it could be simply a story about a way of living or a cultural moment.

Opportunities to hear and see ourselves represented helps to increase our self-esteem and on the flip-side, opportunities to hear a story different than our own increases our perspective – both increase the skill of empathy. 

If we feel safe enough to reflect or share a bit of our story alongside the one just told. empathy can really flourish and grow. If empathy is given the opportunity to be developed, the magic happens. Greater understanding > more connections > more trust > better relationships > greater wellbeing and inclusion.

4. Something to try for the brave (BONUS)

This requires some vulnerability but I want to propose the focus shifts from external to internal storytelling – leveraging the stories of everyone already in your community. You may know the energy company EDF in the UK? They have an internal podcast, where employees tell their story and it’s not available to the public – they’ve noted it has had a dramatic impact on wellbeing and shared experiences within the company and invest money and time into keeping it.

Perhaps you could run a storytelling assembly or even charity event. Inspiration for this could be taken from Seanchoiche – an organisation that originated in Ireland but has spread across the world that host nights where people take to the mic and share their story. Simple but incredibly powerful.

To do this well, teachers would certainly need to model a level of vulnerability first to also model the space and maturity needed to respect everyone who is brave enough to share their story.

SO….

If any of this helps spark an idea or you try it out, do let me know.

Ultimately I hope this inspires you to not just tell stories more this year but be a storyteller yourself. Add storytelling into your pedagogical arsenal with purpose – yes even you Chemistry A-level teachers. If you do take up the challenge, you will be building emotional regulation, literacy, connection, empathy and maybe most importantly, relationships.

Notes and Sources:

Thanks for reading – teachers and schools can access cinematic films and stories covering over 100 themes I’ve made on The Empathy Platform here with a 14 day free trial too!

Sources and studies mentioned:

• Goodman, R., & Newman, D. (2014). Testing a Digital Storytelling Intervention to Reduce Stress in Adolescent Females. Storytelling, Self, Society. Read the study here
• Brockington, G., et al. (2021). “Storytelling increases oxytocin and positive emotions and decreases cortisol and pain in hospitalized children.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Read the full study here.