I found this chapter to be a bit different than the
previous chapters as it delved into parts of storytelling that we often forget
about. Ohler took the time in chapter 10 to discuss some other ways of
storytelling, even though he expressed his reluctance to do so, at the risk of
risking sounding too inept, (Ohler, 2008, p.124). This was appreciated, as I know
I do the same thing in my teaching all the time, skipping over the areas that I’m
not totally comfortable with, simply because I don’t want to teach something “wrong.”
But Ohler is right when he says that by at least talking about it a little is
better than not mentioning it at all. While I’ve read some other postings by
those in our cohort about the use of art stories and music videos, I thought I would
pick another area of this chapter that connected with me on a more personal
level.
His description of stories told by indigenous
tellers was interesting, as it made me think about some of what I teach each
year with regards to Native Americans, and a field trip we often take to the
Maidu Interpretive Center in Roseville. My third grade class just went on this
field trip a couple of months ago, and the kids got to visit the Maidu Indian
museum as well as travel along the trails of land that was actually used by the
Maidu Indians so long ago. They got to see petroglyphs carved by the Indians
and heard stories about Native American tails. I’ve gone on this field trip six
times over the years, and each time the kids seemed to gain something different
from the experience. Reading this chapter made me think about our trip this
year though, as one of our docents took the time to tell my class a story during
their museum tour. I’ve never had one of our docents do this, and the effect it
had on my class was immense. Just by putting on a hat and wagging around an
animal tail while telling this ancient story, my kids were truly enthralled. Of
course, the docent did a great job with the telling of his story, and luckily
it was “Western” enough to make sense to my third graders.
At the end of the day when the kids were asked what
their favorite part of the whole trip was, the vast majority of my class chose
the story they were told...and there were a lot of other exciting things that
they got to partake in throughout the day, so this was a bit of a surprise. But
it made me realize what Ohler was getting to in this chapter, that no matter
what kind of story it is, the interest is definitely there. Stories can stick
in our minds far longer than simple facts will, and this was definitely true
with my class on their field trip. They remember a few things from the day, but
the one they still enjoy talking about was that silly story. It kind of makes me
smile thinking about how simple it was for them to find enjoyment, and how I need
to definitely try to utilize that thinking in my teaching as much as I possibly
can. And just like Ohler mentioned, exploring the area we live for native
storytellers is a great way of helping kids connect to the world around them,
(Ohler, 2008, p.126). I know the impact the Maidu Center docent had on my
class, and can only imagine how they would react if we were able to find more
native storytellers to help them connect to our environment.
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