…A new neuroscience study may explain why telling stories builds empathy and why, when you tell a good one, people act as if they’re watching it unfold before them…
Here are some simple suggestions on how to capitalize on storytelling as you teach or lead students:
- Choose to insert stories in your content. To really engage with you, students need a point for their head and a picture for their heart.
- Clarify the point of your story in your mind. Even if it is only to make them question something, know where you’re going so you don’t wander.
- Include important details in the story. The more specific you are, the more students can step into the shoes of those in the story. Make it real.
- Use colorful adjectives and verbs. Make the story come alive, describing how something felt, smelled, looked or sounded. Help them feel, not just think.
- Involve some conflict. We love movies because good ones always center on a great conflict. Leverage this as the story unfolds.
by Tim Elmore
