Tell Me a Story

Abstract

paper than an impassioned language experience. And yet, I knew that oral literacy deserved attention, that my students needed to practice speaking to their peers and prepare for the demands of oral literacy. What seemed eminently clear was that my approach to speech must embrace more of the democratic, constructivist theories that were practiced in reading and composition. Speaking had to excite and empower-to touch the lives and capture the imaginations of my classes. Instead of emanating from my desk, the activities should be more congruent with the naturally playful life of my students. They should, as Freire suggests, help students reconstitute their relationship with the wider society (7). My proposal came to be called Me a Story, and in a short time it became a favorite activity of my Friday classes. Put simply, Tell Me a Story is an open stage for performers to tell tales of adventure, horror, and romance. It is an invitation to draw from their inner repository of dreams and fantasies-to imagine what if and to weave and design various plots and schemes. In short, Tell Me a Story removes speaking from the world of strict skill activities and makes it an outgrowth of one's thoughts and imagination. Having fun and diverging from the expected are encouraged. It was my belief that we, as a class, could learn valuable skills and lessons by collaborating in both the creation and assessment of the stories. Such an approach would give more freedom and responsibility to the students, and I wanted a more personal, more dynamic investment.