As part of the ‘Our Story, Your Story’ project, 100 local educators were trained in how to integrate storytelling into their teaching practice. These workshops were an experiential knowledge-sharing and team building opportunity which explored the art and importance of both oral histories and storytelling in aiding literacy development and social-emotional learning. The training covered practical methodologies and applications of storytelling which can be used to support the existing curriculum, as well as to boost learners’ creativity, confidence, engagement, and welfare.
Several of these educators were then given a unique opportunity to step back and observe their classes participate in interactive storytelling sessions that were delivered by the project team at 9 local schools in and around George (South Africa).
“for me, storytelling is a must” – Raylene
The Dialogue team caught up with 7 of these teachers to hear their thoughts, both on their own experiences in the training room, and on their students’ participation in the interactive workshops.
How Can Storytelling Support the Curriculum?
“We didn’t do any storytelling before, but I thought it could help our children, especially with their writing as well as their speaking, their oral […] we need our children to open up a bit so that we assist them better in our learning and teaching practices.” Irvin-John Scheepers, Principal, Heidedal Primary School
“It [storytelling] can support their learning because they increase their vocabulary […] [I]t will ultimately help them to write better.” Irvin-John Scheepers, Principal, Heidedal Primary School
“it will ultimately help them to write better” – Irvin-John Scheepers
“We have a problem with children not reading […] storytelling can form part of motivating learners to take up reading books.” Wilbur James Pedro, Principal, Hibernia VGK Primary School
“By incorporating storytelling to explain subject matter […] it makes it more understandable for the learners.“ Dean Buys, Teacher, Heidedal Primary School
“it makes it more understandable for the learners“ – Dean Buys
How Can Storytelling Support Creativity?
“It opens up their imagination.“ Irvin-John Scheepers, Principal, Heidedal Primary School
“I think also we have to encourage [the students] to tell stories [and] to have them to use their imagination. Some of the kids don’t really know what is an imagination, [or] how do we use it because they are so focused on reality.” Raylene, Student Teacher, St. Mary’s Primary School
“Some of the kids don’t really know what is an imagination, [or] how do we use it because they are so focused on reality” – Raylene
How Can Storytelling Boost Confidence?
“[Storytelling helps with] getting them to speak without fear.” Dean Buys, Teacher, Heidedal Primary School
“By incorporating storytelling, that learner gets the opportunity to share and to let you know what he or she understands from what you have presented to them, say, in whatever lesson it might have been. And, so, through that they get confident” Dean Buys, Teacher, Heidedal Primary School
“I was quite surprised to see some of my learners, never outspoken in class, came forward here and tell their stories“ Wally Du Preez, Teacher, Hibernia VGK Primary School
“some of my learners, never outspoken in class, came forward here and tell their stories“ – Wally Du Preez
“I’m sure it will help them very much. It will help with their self-esteem.“ Wally Du Preez, Teacher, Hibernia VGK Primary School
“What I saw here was another side of the students that I didn’t see before. It came out here. They opened up and tell their stories as it happened. They wouldn’t do it normally, in a normal class situation.“ Wally Du Preez, Teacher, Hibernia VGK Primary School
“What I saw here was another side of the students that I didn’t see before” – Wally Du Preez
“They were more open. They opened up more.“ Wally Du Preez, Teacher, Hibernia VGK Primary School
“I think it will help with their self-confidence because it’s not in everybody’s boots to stand in front of a whole class and talk. But now, you get more comfortable when you tell a story […] I think the storytelling has lots of benefits for kids and their self-confidence, talking in front of others.” Neil Treurnicht, Teacher, Hibernia VGK Primary School
How Can Storytelling Boost Engagement?
“They like stories, so they like to share and tell stories.“ Dean Buys, Teacher, Heidedal Primary School
“I work with them every day and I have never seen them so focused on everything. They’re just listening.” Neil Treurnicht, Teacher, Hibernia VGK Primary School
“I work with them every day and I have never seen them so focused on everything” – Neil Treurnicht
“A lot of kids they can relate to stories and also with books” Denzil, Teacher, St. Mary’s Primary School
“It was very interesting seeing how the learners are interacting with the storytellers and with each other” Raylene, Student Teacher, St. Mary’s Primary School
“They like a story as opposed to going to the books and seeing words on white paper. That’s not like nice and fun anymore like it was way back.” Raylene, Student Teacher, St. Mary’s Primary School
“They like a story as opposed to going to the books and seeing words on white paper” – Raylene
How Can Storytelling Support Welfare?
“If you tell your story, somebody is listening and sometimes somebody can help you. It opens up the doors that people can be able to assist you“ Irvin-John Scheepers, Principal, Heidedal Primary School
“It helps with the healing, it helps the learners to open up. And we need children who can open up because they need to hold their own outside, in the community, so that they can know, ‘I need to speak up.’ Sometimes we need to speak up to better our own circumstances.“ Irvin-John Scheepers, Principal, Heidedal Primary School
“it helps with the healing, it helps the learners to open up” – Irvin-John Scheepers
“[Storytelling helps them] learn that when something bad happens in their lives – like they fail their grade – it doesn’t mean the end. It just means that it can make them stronger by using that bad thing as a stepping stone to [become] a better and a stronger person themselves.” Teacher, Heidedal Primary School
“This storytelling, and the way we were empowered in the workshop […] we can use it as an instrument for the learners to open up, to trust you, to share more personal stuff with you so that you can, in the end, help them or try to just better their circumstances, even if it’s short term.“ Dean Buys, Teacher, Heidedal Primary School
“The fact that she [a student] could share it [a personal story] with the rest of the group, there in front of people, is also some kind of therapy I think.” Wilbur James Pedro, Principal, Hibernia VGK Primary School
“We never get that deep into them … into their lives. Where they just open up and speak about what happens at home. It’s just ordinary school work every day. You just don’t have time for that. So, today it was great that this situation for them where they could just talk about what’s happening at home“ Wally Du Preez, Teacher, Hibernia VGK Primary School
How Should Storytelling Be Integrated Into Pedagogy?
“We want to encourage it so the teachers can be able to do it as part of their curriculum […] that they encourage the children to tell their stories.“ Irvin-John Scheepers, Principal, Heidedal Primary School
“It also made us also realise that, in presenting your lessons, instead of just giving instructions and tell[ing] it like it is, just by [using…] actions and […varying your] voice […] what you want them to learn then sticks“ Dean Buys, Teacher, Heidedal Primary School
“By incorporating storytelling you get their attention for a little bit longer“ Dean Buys, Teacher, Heidedal Primary School
“by incorporating storytelling you get their attention for a little bit longer” Dean Buys
“This is something that we will definitely implement [on] Friday afternoon before school closes, that last 20 minutes: storytelling time.” Wilbur James Pedro, Principal, Hibernia VGK Primary School
“In life skills they also tell stories or we do dialogue. We do dialogue in arts, dramas and then the kids come up with the creative side and then they tell stories or we do the drama and they will have to act what they’ve learned” Neil Treurnicht, Teacher, Hibernia VGK Primary School
“Whether it’s Grade One or Grade Ten, there’s always a story for a specific person, a specific age.” Raylene, Student Teacher, St. Mary’s Primary School
“[Using stories] makes it [the lesson content] more believable and it makes the kids grasp it and understand it much, much better than just telling them.” Raylene, Student Teacher, St. Mary’s Primary School
“it makes the kids grasp it and understand it much, much better than just telling them” – Raylene
Project Reflections
“To be honest, our workshop was on a Friday, on a Friday afternoon after school, and 90% of the staff was very sceptical about it and actually moaned, ‘how could the Principal agree to this?’. But five minutes into the session, everybody’s attitude changed […] If we enjoyed this so much on a Friday afternoon, how much more would the kids enjoy this and benefit from storytelling?“ Dean Buys, Teacher, Heidedal Primary School
“If we enjoyed this so much on a Friday afternoon, how much more would the kids enjoy this and benefit from storytelling?“ – Dean Buys
“I enjoyed it very much. I enjoyed listening to the stories.” Wally Du Preez, Teacher, Hibernia VGK Primary School
“I think the kids really enjoyed it.” Neil Treurnicht, Teacher, Hibernia VGK Primary School
“[When] the first kid went to tell the story they became more relaxed. Yes, and they felt more free to share their stories with everyone.” Neil Treurnicht, Teacher, Hibernia VGK Primary School
“Everyone got into the whole story and there was interaction, which was really, really nice.” Raylene, Student Teacher, St. Mary’s Primary School
“Something has been awakened that’s been kind of sleeping, but the storytelling is always there.” Raylene, Student Teacher, St. Mary’s Primary School
“something has been awakened that’s been kind of sleeping” – Raylene
“In the long term, we would like to encourage them [Clowns Without Borders South Africa] to come back to cover the whole school“ Irvin-John Scheepers, Principal, Heidedal Primary School
“It was very insightful, very interesting, very realistic.” Raylene, Student Teacher, St. Mary’s Primary School
Final Words…
“For me, storytelling is a must.” Raylene, Student Teacher, St. Mary’s Primary School
You can find more information, and links to further resources, about the ‘Our Story, Your Story’ project here.
© Dialogue Community Performance / Clowns Without Borders South Africa
