We were built for stories. We build lives with our stories, store our beliefs in stories, and remember stories easily when everything else is forgotten. Storytelling is another skill I need to master to bring Innovative Arts to the next level.
In the classrooms, a contrived story can help explain why a rule exists. In my 7th grade science class, my teacher would tell stories about the ‘genie’ (a barbie above the chalkboard’ who would have adventures and give us test answers (when he forgot to teach that concept.)

The stories for my class will help with many things:

They’ll give kids a context for where they are in the learning process

They’ll help them catch negative self-talk and reframe setbacks

They’ll teach about possibility and the work of creativity

They’ll explain expectations and why they matter

They’ll help students understand me better, quirks and all

Stories like this are fun to make up on the fly, but I’ve realized that when I am busy in the flow of the school year, I drop the effort. Tonight I want to spend time drafing out all the different stories. I need to start with possible funny themes and storylines.

I’ve been explaining myself pretty well. My hope is to explain AND use stories to reexplain and reinforce.