Relating to Students through Stories

Abstract

Due to the overriding discontentment, disillusionment and general listlessness, among college and university students today, teaching has become an increasingly difficult task. The author's own recollection is that students and teachers used to relate to each another far better than they do now. The questions we asked were also their questions. What was important to us was also important to them. One wonders what happened? It is the author's belief that the genuine pedagogical relationship between teacher and students has been lost because we have lost sight of the aim of education—the development of the full personality of each student which can only be effected if students understand the true potential that lies within them. However, this is only possible if teachers can serve as midwives in helping students .find their genuine selves. This is a daunting task for it implies that students need to begin to know who they are, what they care for, and what their values are if their education be truly fruitful. One way to achieve this is through storytelling. For through stories, students can identify themselves with characters from real life or imagined stories and through reflection discover important insights about themselves. Moreover, the stories we teachers tell about ourselves often draw them into our lives as they are able to identify themselves with our stories. In this paper the author will attempt to describe how the storyteller, be it the teacher or the student, is able to make connection with one another through the simple exercise of sharing a story.