using storytellers in schools

8/9/2019 Using Storytellers in Schools

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Society for Storytelling

USING STORYTELLERS IN SCHOOLS

USING STORYTELLERSIN SCHOOLS

Compiled by Tina Bilb

NATIONAL STORYTELLING WEEK is always the first week in February.

Schools ofen as! fo" mo"e info"maion abo# so"yelle"s and his $acsheehas been p"od#ced o add"ess %#esions as!ed o&e" he yea"s'

(H)T IS ) STORYTELLER*

+ ) so"yelle" is an a"is, an ene"aine" and an ed#cao"' So"yellin- isone of he mos ancien a" fo"ms, s"echin- bac! fo" as lon- ash#mans ha&e had speech'

+ ) so"yelle" #ses .o"ds o a!e yo# on a /o#"ney of he ima-inaion'Each pe"son .ill hea" somehin- diffe"en as he so"y is c"eaed in hespace be.een he elle" and he lisene"'

+ So"yelle"s may ell "adiional fol! ales, ."ien ales, anecdoes, #"banmyhs, so"ies f"om hiso"y, "eli-io#s o" mo"al ales, so"ies hey ha&ec"eaed hemsel&es o" .hich ha&e been c"eaed fo" a specific e&en'Some so"yelle"s .ill c"eae a so"y sponaneo#sly o s#i he a#dience'

+ ) so"yelle" ells so"ies f"om memo"y "ahe" han "eadin- hem f"om he

boo!, memo"isin- so"ies ima-e by ima-e no .o"d fo" .o"d'

+ So"yelle"s may ell a so"y diffe"enly each ime hey ell i, ine"acin-.ih hei" a#dience, choosin- so"ies and ima-es o comm#nicae .ihhem'

+ Some so"yelle"s #se m#sic, dance, son-, pic#"es o" p#ppes'

+ 0any so"yelle"s offe" .o"!shop sessions, .hichmay eihe" each so"yellin- s!ills o" en-a-e pa"icipans in c"eai&e

aci&iies lin!ed o he so"ies'

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(H)T C)N ) STORYTELLER 3O $OR ) SCHOOL*

In&iin- people ino school c"eaes a special amosphe"e .hoe&e" hey a"e'So"yelle"s, a#ho"s, poes o" ill#s"ao"s all p"o&ide e4ciemen andsim#laion and a"e in -"ea demand d#"in- Naional So"yellin- (ee! in$eb"#a"y, Naional Boo! (ee! and Naional 1oe"y 3ay in he a##mn'

(ha is special abo# so"yelle"s and so"yellin-*+ So"yellin- s#ppo"s and #nde"pins lie"acy de&elopmen ac"oss he

c#""ic#l#m' ) so"yelle" can imp"o&e concen"aion, lisenin- s!ills andhelp de&elop and en"ich spo!en and ."ien lan-#a-e') so"yelle" can sim#lae he ima-inaion, con"ib#in- o Spea!in- and

Lisenin- as .ell as C"eai&e ("iin-, 1oe"y, 3"ama, 0#sic and )"'

+ Hea"in- and "eellin- "adiional ales can p"o&ide scaffoldin- fo"child"en5s o.n ima-inai&e so"ies, -i&in- he child a &a"iey off"ame.o"!s o .o"! f"om'

+ So"yellin- enco#"a-es a %#esionin- ai#de') so"yelle" can c"eae e4ciemen and enh#siasm fo" Hiso"y,Geo-"aphy and Reli-io#s S#dies as .ell as En-lish lan-#a-e,

lie"a#"e and 3"ama'Some so"yelle"s ha&e so"ies .hich connec .ih he 0ahs andScience c#""ic#l#m'

+ ) so"yelle" can .iden he "an-e of child"en5s emoional, c#l#"al andmo"al "esponses'Sensii&e iss#es can be conside"ed h"o#-h he disancin- f"ame of aso"y'So"yellin- b#ilds b"id-es ac"oss and .ihin comm#niies' Some

so"yelle"s ha&e been in&ol&ed in o"-anisin- p"o/ecs lin!in- a school.ih he "es of he comm#niy'

+ ) so"yelle" can each so"yellin- s!ills o p#pils, "aisin- hei" self6confidence' This has been p"o&ed especially effeci&e .ih 7lo.achie&e"s5' Olde" child"en can ell o yo#n-e", benefiin- boh -"o#ps byb#ildin- he self6eseem of he olde" child"en and p"o&idin- posii&e "olemodels o he yo#n-e"'

+ Some so"yelle"s can p"o&ide ohe" ypes of .o"!shop sessions' Thesecan help inspi"e child"en5s c"eai&iy h"o#-h a "an-e of follo.6#paci&iies, b#ildin- on he f#ndamenal base of all lan-#a-e, he spo!en.o"d'

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CHEC9LIST O$ THINGS TO CONSI3ER (HENBOO9ING

) STORYTELLER

(ih an e&e"6inc"easin- &a"iey of so"yelle"s o choose f"om, ho. do yo# findhose .ho .ill s#i yo#* (hae&e" e&en yo# a"e plannin-, -i&e yo#"selfpleny of ime' 0any pop#la" so"yelle"s a"e boo!ed #p monhs in ad&ance'

Have a clear idea of the sort of event you want

Is his o be a one6off e&en o" a "esidency*

3o yo# .an a pe"fo"mance o" a .o"!shop*

(ha a-e -"o#ps .ill be in&ol&ed* (ill he a-es be mi4ed* Ha&e any of hem special needs he so"yelle" sho#ld be a.a"e of*

)"e yo# loo!info" so"ies on a pa"ic#la" heme o" f"om a specific

c#l#"e*

(ill i be fo"mal o" "ela4ed, a pe"fo"mance in f"on of he .hole school

o" .o"!in- .ih smalle" -"o#ps*

Ho. many sessions .ill he"e be*

Ho. lon- do yo# .an each session o be*

Ho. m#ch a#dience pa"icipaion do yo# .an* (ha &en#e a"e yo# plannin- o #se*

3o yo# "e%#i"e he so"yelle" o .o"! o#doo"s*

!hen you have an idea of the sort of event you are ai"in# for

Loo! in he %#ic! "efe"ence secion of he 3i"eco"y of So"yelle"s, noe

hose .ho mee yo#" "e%#i"emens'

Loo! in he Co#ny lisin- o see .hich so"yelle"s a"e local o yo#'

Loo! h"o#-h he 3i"eco"y and pic! o# so"yelle"s .ho yo# li!e he

so#nd of' 1hone he so"yelle"s on yo#" sho"6lis o disc#ss yo#" needs, hey

may be able o -i&e yo# mo"e ideas abo# .ha yo# co#ld do o" helpyo# modify yo#" plans'

)s! .ha hey cha"-e and if his incl#des "a&ellin- e4penses'

Expect to pay at least as much as you would for a supply teacher

)s! if hey a"e a&ailable on he daes yo# .an'

)s! fo" a co#ple of "efe"ences f"om people fo" .hom hey ha&e done

simila" .o"!' Yo# do no ha&e o ma!e a fi"m boo!in- a his sa-e'

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!hen you have decided which Storyteller you want to $oo%

1hone o confi"m hey a"e sill f"ee and a"e .illin- o come'

("ie o confi"m dae, ime, place and fee'

If yo# a"e sen a con"ac please complee and send i bac! in -ood

ime'

Incl#de a map and a imeable'

If yo# ha&e disc#ssed a poenial boo!in- .ih a so"yelle", and decided

no no employ hem, please conac hem in -ood ime so hey can"elease he dae fo" ohe" boo!in-s'

GETTING THE BEST $RO0 YOUR STORYTELLER

Ha&in- any a"is, ."ie", poe o" so"yelle" come ino school is an e4penseand yo# .an yo#" money5s .o"h' Ho. do yo# ens#"e s#ccess on he day*

!hen you are &lannin# the event

Choose a &en#e .he"e he so"yelle" and a#dience .ill no be

dis#"bed'

Thin! abo# ho. yo# .ill se #p he space so he a#dience can si in

comfo" and see he so"yelle" clea"ly' If he"e is o be a .o"!shop as!

he so"yelle" ho. hey .an he "oom se o#' 3isc#ss .ih heso"yelle" ho. lon- each session is o be'

The wee% $efore

1hone he so"yelle" o ens#"e ha hey ha&e "ecei&ed yo#"

confi"maion, map, imeable ec' )s! if he"e is anyhin- hey .ill needyo# o p"o&ide on he day' (ill hey be "e%#i"in- l#nch and if so do heyha&e any special diea"y "e%#i"emens* Confi"m a""an-emens fo"paymen'

If hey a"e comin- by p#blic "anspo" chec! o see if hey need

collecin- f"om he saion and .hen hei" "ain a""i&es'

Tell he child"en he"e .ill be a so"yelle" comin- ino school ne4 .ee!

and sa" b#ildin- a lile e4ciemen abo# he e&en'

On the day

0os schools no. ha&e he Recepion clea"ly ma"!ed, b# in a la"-e

school i mi-h be an idea o ha&e a p#pil !eep a loo!o# o esco" heso"yelle"'

(hen hey a""i&e sho. hem .he"e hey .ill be .o"!in-, offe" hem a

d"in!, as! if hey need help ca""yin- anyhin- f"om hei" ca"'

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Befo"e hey sa" ma!e s#"e hey ha&e a -lass of .ae", !no.

.he"e he oiles and saff "oom a"e, chec! if he"e is anyhin- else heyneed'

Ens#"e yo# a"e "eady o sa" on ime, lae sa"s mean less ime fo" heso"ies'

If yo# a"e in"od#cin- he elle" chec! ho. hey .an o be in"od#ced

and ho. o p"ono#nce hei" name, many so"yelle"s a"e happy oin"od#ce hemsel&es'

Sho. he child"en ha yo# &al#e he so"yelle"5s .o"! by lisenin- .ih

hem' 1lease do no #se his ime o do ohe" .o"! as child"en .ill #seyo# as a "ole model fo" hei" beha&io#" in a pe"fo"mance sein-'

3o no lea&e he so"yelle" alone .ih he child"en, i is diffic#l o ell

and s#pe"&ise' This also ens#"es yo# a"e complyin- .ih he Child1"oecion )c'

)&oid ine""#pions d#"in- he session as his can spoil he ma-ic'

) b"ea! imes, if he so"yelle" has /oined yo# in he saff "oom, ens#"e

hey a"e incl#ded in he con&e"saion'

'fterwards

Gi&e he so"yelle" some feedbac! 6 .ha .en .ell, any conce"ns' The

child"en mi-h li!e o ."ie, ellin- he so"yelle" .hich so"ies hey li!ed'

Ens#"e paymen is sen p"omply'

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NURSERY SCHOOLS

0any N#"se"y Schools .ish o boo! a so"yelle" fo" a &e"y b"ief session'

To employ a p"ofessional so"yelle" fo" an ho#" may cos as m#ch asemployin- hem fo" half a day #nless yo# o"-anise ohe" .o"! fo" hem'Co6ope"aion .ih ohe" Schools and N#"se"ies in yo#" a"ea is he !ey o-ein- he ime yo# .an a a p"ice yo# can affo"d'

Gi&e yo#"self pleny of ime o o"-anise he e&en'

Tal! o ohe" schools, n#"se"ies and play-"o#ps in yo#" a"ea o

disco&e" .hich of hem is ine"esed in sha"in- a so"yelle" .ih yo#'

If yo# a"e l#c!y yo# may find a nea"by 1"ima"y School .ho is

ine"esed in fillin- he "es of he day' Conac hose .ho ha&e e4p"essed an ine"es .ih a lis of possible

daes, as! hem ho. lon- a session hey .o#ld li!e and o lis a fi"ssecond and hi"d choice if possible'

$"om his info"maion .o"! o# .hich is he bes dae and .o"! o# a

imeable, "emembe"in- o allo. "a&ellin- ime' If he"e is a lo ofine"es yo# mi-h e&en fill .o days'

Send a copy of yo#" p"oposed imeable o each of he pa"icipain-

schools and amend i .he"e needed'

$ind so"yelle"s .ho ell o p"e6school child"en in he 3i"eco"y ofSo"yelle"s' Loo! a hei" en"ies and locaions'

Conac he so"yelle"s .ho seem o bes fi yo#" needs, ell hem

.ha yo# a"e plannin- and as! hem o -i&e yo# a p"ice fo" he .o"!,incl#din- "a&el' If yo# can spea! o hem on he phone yo# .ill -e a-ood idea abo# .hehe" hey .ill s#i yo#'

Ha&in- chosen yo#" so"yelle", conac he ohe" schools and

confi"m he amo#n hey .ill be as!ed o con"ib#e, yo# mi-h add asmall admin fee fo" yo#" ime' )s! hem o pay yo# in ad&ance if

possible so yo# ha&e he money in he ban! .hen yo# ."ie heche%#e fo" he so"yelle"'

1hone he so"yelle" and confi"m hey a"e sill f"ee on ha dae'

Send a confi"maion lee" o he so"yelle" enclosin- a map of .he"e

hey .ill be .o"!in- and a imeable' ) simple con"ac sein- o#dae, imes, places and fee, .ih an sae .ill enable he so"yelle" oconfi"m he a""an-emens %#ic!ly'

If yo# ha&e disc#ssed a poenial boo!in- .ih a so"yelle" and

decided no o employ hem, please conac hem in -ood ime so

hey can "elease he dae fo" ohe" boo!in-s'

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If yo# need any mo"e assisance in findin- a so"yelle" conac headminis"ao" a he Sociey fo" So"yellin-, ...'sfs'o"-'#!

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