While the majority of today's learners are visual, it is crucial that sometimes teachers use that visual angle in a different way to trigger learners thinking and stimulate their imagination. Therefore, it is imperative that teachers empower their teaching with techniques and ways that animate the learner's mind and bring their curiosity to life raising questions to know more and understand deeper.
Storytelling is one strategy among so many that teachers can use to revive students' brain power while keeping them attentive. Storytelling also helps students activate their imagination and drive it to the edge of its limits. Furthermore, to make the storytelling strategy useful and practical, it is necessary that the story would carry a lifetime lesson usually connected to the learner's world.. However, one significant point that teachers need to know about the storytelling strategy is that it is not a lecture and the teacher should not turn into a lecturer.
Indeed, there is nothing boring and tediousthan a monotonous reading of a story in front of a live audience. The art of storytelling purpose is to bring the classroom into life as it involves sharing a story with students in a live experience. As a result, storytelling strategy becomes a real treat for students who are used to all kinds of rigid screens of all sizes from smartphones, to iPads, to laptops, to desktops and to TV set. Now, because technology is considered as a sophisticated and powerful rival, teachers would need to sharpen their skills and become effective and potent storytellers.
In fact, teachers who connect with their teaching when they teach remain great storytellers because after all, teachers are artists in their domain as they are real performers using verbal and body language in their classroom. Beside gestures, teachers are required to use wry faces while respecting the power of language stress and intonation through the story timeline. It is worth noting that besides body language, teachers have to play and change the voice of every element in the stor
Moreover, teachers need to have a clear concentration using a steady eye contact. with students while maintaining a charismatic presence in the classroom. He becomes more than an impressive monologue. However, such performance won't reach a powerful harmonization with the students, until teachers learn and understand the story inside out. Additionally, teachers should be real and sincere in describing the elements of the story. In fact, any fake impression and any disconnection with the students during the performance will bring the story to a complete death.
Beside body language and different voices, teacher can use items when changing character in the story having recourse to either a walking cane, a pair of glasses, a small or big hat, a scarf, a cap, a fake mustache or a wig to make the scene close to reality while keeping the students attentive. Also, another element that can make any story more appealing to young learners is the use of puppets of any sort, namely animal hand puppets. The reality shows that young learners are deeply fond of animals and can connect with them easily. If puppets are not available, teachers can use wooden spoons where they sketch or draw the characters of the story on the flat section of the spoon or simply cut a picture of the character and glue or tape it on the same section (See illustration). Teachers can use the help of students who are good at drawing to do the job.
The final point that I want to raise is that teachers can support their storytelling strategy by projecting a key illustration as in a slideshow to bring the story to life while keeping the students on their toes. This is recommended with beginner students to assist their understanding and grasp the big picture of the whole story. As a final activity, teachers can use those same pictures inviting students in groups or in pairs to reconstruct the story using their own words like in a summary.
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