Thank you for your thoughtful blog post, Shaylin. You made an excellent point about the impact that stories make on students, even for years after they hear them. Juliani‘s point about stories having the power to plant thoughts and emotions in the listener’s brain is powerful and I think that this is one of the reasons that stories can stick with you for so many years. Whenever I think back to a story that I remember one of my teachers telling, I always remember the emotion attached to it. This is important to keep in mind to ask ourselves when we tell stories to our own students. What do I want my students to learn from this story? How do I want my students to feel after hearing this story?
I really liked how you explained you experience with the Interactive Buzz Session. I completely relate to your feeling of freedom and openness in the classroom during the activity. I wonder how this activity might be different with different grades. What kind of adjustments do you think a teacher would need to make to make this appropriate for an upper elementary classroom? Do you think there is a way to make this activity work for a primary classroom? I would love to hear your ideas.
References:
Juliani, A.J. (2014). The Hidden Importance of Teaching with Stories. A.J. Juliani. http://ajjuliani.com/hidden-importance-teaching-stories/
Julia Falzon 