Teacher's Ed with Edward DeShazer

The Transformative Power of Storytelling in Education

• Edward DeShazer

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What if the simple act of sharing a personal story could transform your classroom and strengthen your school community? Join me, Edward DeShazer, on the Teachers Ed Podcast as we unravel the profound impact storytelling can have in education. In this episode, we explore how narratives transcend cultural and personal barriers, offering a bridge for teachers and administrators to connect with students and colleagues. Discover practical strategies for using your own experiences to build trust and empathy, creating an environment where learning feels personal and memorable. By humanizing ourselves through storytelling, we foster a safe and relatable space that resonates with those around us.

In the latter part of our conversation, we delve into the empowering potential of sharing even the stories we might hesitate to reveal. These narratives don't just inspire; they can be a beacon of hope for others facing similar struggles. As educators, the stories we share can spark the change someone needs to tackle their challenges, thereby cultivating a more connected and supportive school community. It's about believing in ourselves and those around us, nurturing a culture where everyone feels empowered and appreciated. Tune in to discover how storytelling can be the key to a more cohesive and inspiring educational journey.

www.EdwardDeShazer.org

Speaker 1:

Stories have a powerful way of connecting us as human beings. They transcend age, they transcend culture, background, they transcend who you voted for and they really reach straight to the heart. Welcome to the Teachers Ed Podcast. I'm your host, edward DeShazer. Teacher's Ed Podcast is a place where the best and brightest in education come to be inspired, to connect, to learn and to grow. I'm your host, edward DeShazer, and today we're diving into a topic that is both timeless and incredibly powerful, and that is the art of storytelling. And incredibly powerful, and that is the art of storytelling. Storytelling isn't just for bedtime, it is not just for campfires. It is a tool in education. It's really a tool in connecting with people that can transform your classroom and can transform your school community. For those that are new here, I do a lot of traveling and speaking. I actually am fortunate enough to work for the number one speaking program in the world, the Next Level Speakers Academy, and one of the main things that, when we are working with aspiring speakers, is the best way to connect with your audience is through storytelling. So that is no different than the tip that I'm going to give teachers today the best way to connect with your audience is through storytelling. Whether you're a teacher looking to engage your students or an admin looking to build a more connected staff, storytelling can really help bridge the gaps. It helps build trust and it helps you foster empathy in your classroom, in your school, in your hallways and everywhere in between. And in today's episode, I'm going to give you two practical tips that can help you harness storytelling to create meaningful connections with your students and with your colleagues. And then, midway through now, we're going to make a pivot. Midway through we are going to do our pause for our self-care tip. I know for a while those were happening at the end, but I'm going to put in the middle now and we're going to break the two classroom tips up. So midway through we'll take our break. So let's get started with the first tip. Tip number one is sharing personal stories to help you build connection. Stories have a powerful way of connecting us as human beings. They transcend age, they transcend culture, background, they transcend who you voted for and they really reach straight to the heart. And in the classroom, sharing personal stories can really help transform your relationships with your students. It moves you from being Mr or Mrs so-and-so to a real person that they can relate to and that they can trust them.

Speaker 1:

I want you to think about a time when you may have struggled as a student Maybe math wasn't your strong suit and you remember the anxiety of taking tests. You know, sharing that experience with your students can make them feel a lot less alone. You know, for perfect example. You may say, you know, when I was your age I found fractions very challenging. I remember feeling frustrated because no matter how hard I tried, they just didn't click. But I kept at it and eventually it makes sense. And now look at me, I am teaching you how to do fractions. You know, by sharing a story like this, it's showing vulnerability, which also can start to encourage students that it's okay to be vulnerable, it's okay to be yourself. It humanizes us and creates a safe space for everyone in the classroom to express themselves.

Speaker 1:

And another way that storytelling is to share a moment that ignites your passion for a subject you teach. Perhaps it was, you know, a science experiment in college, or you know something that happened in high school that really pushed you into becoming the science teacher, or whatever subject it may be that you teach. For administrators, storytelling can be a powerful tip for you as well, sharing your journey into education. Sharing the highs, sharing the lows, sharing the lessons that you've learned can really inspire you, your staff and build a culture of openness. It might be a story about a mentor that you had in college, or maybe it was the first principal that you had that really took you under their wing, but these narratives can foster a sense of camaraderie and motivate your team to stay connected and to continue to strive to do their best.

Speaker 1:

And storytelling works because it taps into our emotions. That is why we get so invested in movies, we get so invested in these shows that are on and we can't wait for the next episode, because it makes it feel personal to us. It gets deep into our emotions and that's what we can do when we share stories in our classrooms. It can make learning personal and memorable for our students. It shows students that you are not just this dispenser of knowledge, but you're a fellow human being that's navigating life just like they are. So the reflection I have for you today is I want us to pause, not pause the episode, but I want you to take a moment and think about a personal story that has a lesson or an emotion that you really want to connect with your students or colleagues, deepen the connection you have with them. Maybe it's during class, maybe it's with a colleague during your lunch break, maybe it's during a staff development, maybe it's just during a morning meeting. And remember, it doesn't have to be some big, monumental event. Sometimes even just the simplest stories can have a really big impact. And before we dive into our self-care tip, I want to take a moment to share something special with you.

Speaker 1:

Teaching and leading can be incredibly rewarding, as we know, but it also can be exhausting. That's why self-care is not a luxury, but it is a necessity. Allow me to introduce you to the Be Well Teacher Academy, the online community designed specifically for educators like you who are juggling the demands of the classroom with the need for personal well-being. We offer a supportive community where you can connect with other educators who are being intentional and focusing on their self-care. We have monthly workshops. We self-care. We have monthly workshops, we have journal prompts, we have daily tasks that you can complete to build better habits. And the best part is the first 250 members who join the Academy get lifetime free access to all of these resources. Yes, lifetime free access. The community is going to open January 1st, but you can register and get in now so you don't have to worry about it. So head over to wwwbewellteachercom to secure your spot. Remember, taking care of yourself is the first step in being able to take care of others. Now let's shift our focus inward with a self-care tip that is both simple and profoundly effective Practicing gratitude.

Speaker 1:

Anyone that has ever heard me speak it does not matter if it is two students or 2,000 educators I always start with gratitude. Gratitude is a powerful emotion that can simply improve your well-being. It's about intentionally recognizing and appreciating the positive aspects of your life, no matter how small they may seem. Aspects of your life, no matter how small they may seem. And here's the cool thing Gratitude doesn't require some grand gestures or elaborate rituals. It's about pausing to acknowledge the good that's already present in your life. Maybe it's the smile from the student that finally got it, or the support from a colleague that helped you out, or even the warmth of that first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth cup of morning coffee for those coffee drinkers.

Speaker 1:

But here are some simple ways that you can incorporate gratitude in your daily routine. One of the things is gratitude journaling At the beginning of day or the end of each day, you can just write down three things you're grateful for. They can be as simple as I an easy ride to work today, or I enjoyed a lovely conversation with the principal or with another counselor, or whatever your position is. Next is mindful moments Taking a few moments during the day to just pause and mentally note something that you're thankful for in that moment. And third is express it. Don't just keep your gratitude to yourself. Tell a colleague or a loved one that you appreciate them. Not only does this boost your mood, but it also strengthens your relationships.

Speaker 1:

Gratitude doesn't require anything fancy. It is just a willingness to pause and acknowledge the good. Take a moment at the end of each day and write down three things you're grateful for. When you focus on what is going right, it can completely shift how you see your day. The science backs it up. Studies have shown that regular gratitude practices can increase happiness, reduce stress and improve physical health. So why not give it a try? Physical health so why not give it a try? It's a small investment that has a significant return and a significant payoff for your well-being. Feeling a bit lighter, I paused so you could take a second to be like, yes, I am feeling lighter because now we're going to start expressing gratitude.

Speaker 1:

But now that we've taken that moment for self-care, I want us to return back into storytelling. But this time it's how we can foster a culture of storytelling amongst our colleagues to strengthen our school community, deeper bonds amongst staff members in schools and staff can often feel very isolated, even when surrounded by others. It's a weird feeling when you're in a building with 1,000 students and 75 educators and you still feel alone. But that happens more often than educators probably want to admit. So we want to begin to foster a culture where stories can be shared by breaking down some of these barriers and some practical ways that we can encourage storytelling amongst our colleagues.

Speaker 1:

Is number one have story sharing sessions. You know, dedicate the first few meetings of a staff, the first few minutes of a staff meeting, to talk about a story. At our leadership meetings, we always start with our staff sharing wins, and it's not always wins for work, sometimes it's just a win that happened outside of work, but it allows us to really, really connect and it also sets a positive tone for the meeting and allows us to learn more about each other. Another thing that you can do is create a physical or even a digital space where you can post stories or just moments that you're proud of. This could be a bulletin board in the teacher's lounge. It could be a digital board we use Slack, it could be something like that but really just creating that visual reminder that we all have these collective experiences and we all have this success, but allows us all to see them and celebrate them as a team.

Speaker 1:

And the next is and really in the third one is encouraging staff to share stories about their colleagues. Maybe someone witnessed a teacher going an extra mile for a student or a staff member handling a difficult situation with grace and sharing these moments and these stories that we see that our co-workers are doing not only recognizes the individual, but also spreads best practices throughout our building. And then the last one would be incorporating tips in professional development, or incorporating storytelling in professional development, using these stories to illustrate concepts, to help share experiences with teaching methods and to discuss how some of the challenges we're facing as a school community were overcome. And for administrators and for administrators, leading by example is critical. You must be willing to share your own stories openly and encourage others to do the same when leadership models vulnerability and openness. It creates a safe environment for others to share Benefits to this.

Speaker 1:

A culture of storytelling amongst staff can lead to increased trust. It can lead to increased collaboration and it leads to a stronger sense of community within your school. It allows for the sharing of different perspectives and it fosters empathy, which is something I think we're missing the most in this world right now, which is essential in a school setting, in this world right now, which is essential in a school setting. Consider how you, as a school leader, or you as a principal, can introduce storytelling into interactions with a colleague this next week. Is there a story that you've been hesitant to share?

Speaker 1:

And I'm not saying that you got to put all your business out there. Please don't be putting all your business out there but what I'm saying is is there a story that you've been hesitant to share that could potentially inspire or support someone that's nearby to you? Because what I want us to remember and I learned this when I got into speaking is that sometimes the struggles and the stories that you have can be exactly what someone else needs to hear to overcome what they need to overcome. Now we're wrapped up. I want to just take a moment to thank you for joining me on this storytelling journey today. That is a tongue twister, and I want you to remember that when you take care of yourself and those around you, you're building a stronger and more connected school community. I need you to keep believing in your students, keep believing in your colleagues and, most importantly, keep believing in yourself. Until next time, stay inspired, stay connected and keep growing you.