Editor: Is there a place for stories in Western education?
Based on my experiences as a student and a teacher-in-training, I unfortunately have seen this method used very rarely in our school system.
This semester, I have had the opportunity to learn about a new way of using stories from several leaders within the aboriginal communities of B.C.
I have learned that verbal story-telling has been one of the dominant methods of transferring meaning, history, and culture within indigenous people groups for centuries. The first peoples of Canada have mastered this art — for an art it surely is — and I am quickly realizing that story-telling has much to offer both the students and the teachers of B.C.
So, then, what is the benefit to telling stories? Stories give people of all ages a context and point of connection. They place information in a world filled with characters and things and feelings.
On another level, good stories are captivating and enchanting. They will hold a student’s attention for much longer than a stock science or social studies lesson.
My thoughts? Tell your children and students stories. Let them create stories and tell them to you.
Why not?
Our children’s imaginations could use some airtime, and this might be just the place to start.
Angela Hiebert,
education student,
Trinity Western University
