How to Tell a Story (Part I)

God and angels don't get paid even though theirs is some of the most important work around. Ditto for volunteers. ~Cherishe Archer


You are all volunteers whether or not you believe in God and angels. Maybe a couple of you have teaching experience, education or expertise, but most people who teach in Religious Education are giving generously of your time. You may do it because you feel drawn to this work, or because you want to give back to the community which nurtures or nurtured your own children or because you want to create our religion’s future. It’s important work, some of the most important work around. That doesn’t mean teachings and mentoring kids will flow or feel easy or natural to you. That’s okay. We can work on that.

The curriculum folks are working very hard to create program templates that make the life of a Sunday school teacher easier, and eventually it is hoped – the life of the curriculum committee members! In a recent set of feedback comments, a couple of you mentioned your concern that you weren’t natural storytellers, like me (Rebecca). The first time I told a story in public, was only 14 years ago. And I was lousy. My voice shook, my hands shook and I didn’t project my voice at all. Years later, a witness to my debut, confessed that she and a few others were taking bets on whether or not I would make it all the way through. When you hear me say, ‘it’s a practice art’, believe me, I tested the theory – I am a textbook case of rising competence. But instead of caving into my butterflies, I was fortunate enough to have a mentor say to me “that’s okay, we can work on that”.



So, those of you telling stories, here are some ways we can work on that

Beginning: You will win or lose in the first three minutes depending on who you begin (Barret - Storytelling: It's Easy). The kids you are telling to, are not automatically an audience – you have to help them become one, to focus on the story, to want to know more. I often try something weird, or really mysterious, or dramatic to get their attention.

Brevity wins points!: When you introduce the story, just spend the time you need to get attention, you don’t want to lose your story. Some of our narratives can tend towards baroque. Keep it simple. The more space children have for their own imagination, the more they’re going to invest in the story and your telling of it. As Unitarian Universalists we often feel that we need to explain everything. Sometimes you can just present a story and let children bridge it to their own experience or ideas. If they are confused about some leap of imagination, and ask you – great! – they’re engaged.

Emotions Count: In contemporary brain based learning theory and practice, new understandings of how learning occurs are changing the traditional ideas about didactic and lecture formats. People learn through emotions – they’ll listen, but they also need to feel something. And the kids won’t care unless you do. Be enthusiastic for the opportunity to share this time, and tell a story to and with your group. Model your willingness to dive into a story with your expressions, gestures, animation, emotions – happiness, sadness, seriousness, etc. (Think emoticons)

Say it! There are particular tactics used in oratory: repetition, emphasis, pauses, volume changes – just listen to some speaker who has moved you (I’m thinking our president elect) and consider what verbal and physical techniques they might be using to get their message across. (And that’s really what this is about, because no matter how great the message, if it doesn’t get across, it doesn’t matter if it’s a world changing idea or an advertisement for screwdrivers.)

Staying with it: Once you have attention, you need to keep it. Be aware of your group, if they are starting to fidget or drift, bring them back. You can use a surprising digression – toss some sentence in. For example I was walking down the street in Seattle – very crowded Saturday and overheard only one sentence of a cell phone conversation “No, well I wouldn’t treat snakebite like that” I remembered that one and I STILL want to know more. Use volunteers from your ‘audience’ or have kids participate as a group - using hand motions, making sound effects, or responding with cheer or a repetitive phrase.
Change the pace – the speed of delivery, the volume of your voice, your posture or position in the room. Get serious if you’ve been cheery or go in reverse. Use several ‘voices’ if the narrative has dialogues.

Closing: And then end with a pithy summation of the object lesson, short and sweet, you don’t want to lose them now! You can leave some loose ends hanging, and leave space for wondering – it’s how we teach our kids to think. Our stories are teaching tools – so the lesson that you wish to present should be stated in that context Don’t make this any less story-like than the story – punch it up. Make it sound like the object lesson matters – because to us, it does.