Storytelling is a skill that anyone can develop. It allows the storyteller to share a piece of who you are with their audience. It’s a personal process that looks, feels, and moves at its own unique pace. Take a look at the stories we see around us. They are the short form videos we see on social media, books we read, or professional learning experiences we may participate in. These stories can be crafted by speaking, drawing, and photography.
Storytelling is all around us and is the reason why we create. Sharpening this skills is essential for communication, to inspire, and to advocate. Working alongside other Apple Distinguished Educators (ADE) at the Canadian ADE Academy, I co-facilitated and co-learned three truths about storytelling.
Truth#1: Simplify
When telling stories, it is critical to simplify it. Too often details are added that do not move the story forward. Take a critical look at the stories that we tell. With each story we are making a choice and with each thing we say yes to, we are also saying no to others.
Truth #2: Context over Content
When telling stories we often are focused on the content of the story. However, often the audience never remembers all the details. Maya Angelou shares brilliantly that “people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”. When we tell stories building the context of why we are sharing the story is key. If it’s a humour story, getting to the punchline, the laugh is critical. If it’s a heartbreaking story, staying in the struggle is important.
Truth #3: Affect vs. Effect
Storytelling can lead to change and impact. The final truth about storytelling is balancing affect versus effect. What will the audience be called to do in response to your story? What the goal of the story achieved? Feeling the emotion is important, but what is the call to action?
It has been a wonderful opportunity to continue to find, craft, and perform stories with other educators from across Canada. With any good story, my storytelling plot continues where there will be ups and downs, highlights and low points. But I’m confident that this story will be one that changes who I am. What are your truths about storytelling? What guides how you tell stories? What have you learned?
July 12, 2024
Wonderful resource to share and explore with learners who are composing, editing, and looking to publish their own stories.
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