Let me tell you a story Using narrative

“Let me tell you a story” Using narrative to engage in the classroom Dr Elaine Clark Manchester Business School

A story of Ali

The next day… “ I just wanted to say that in all my time here, I have never met a lecturer who seemed so interested in us and if this is anything to go by, I am really looking forward to the rest of the course!”

Using narrative in teaching • Personal story – call to action • Metaphor – to enliven, engage, offer another perspective and encourage reflection • Turning information into stories – Exemplifies – Relates to real world – Offers alternative perspectives • Case histories • Mini, midi and maxi

Hearing student stories • • Lifelines Reflective journals Examples from their own lives Pictorially

3 minutes • There are many different types of story • In groups of 3 -4, what would you say are the key features which they all share?

Ganz 2009

“We are the choices that we make”

In 2 s… • Remember a challenge which you have faced. • Remember where you were, what you saw, how you felt. Why was it a ‘challenge’? • What choice did you have to make? • What was the outcome? • Tell the story of that challenge to your partner

Listener Thank them for sharing their story How did their story make you feel? Did their story paint a picture? Was the challenge clear? Was it clear what the choice was which was made? • What does that choice tell you? • Do you feel that you know a little about this person now? • • •

Using stories… • What stories currently exist within your discipline? • Which stories could you use? • What would you like to know more about? • Be prepared to feedback

Elaine’s top ten… 1 You all have unique stories to tell, stories which can engage and inspire our students

2. Choose your story well • Know your audience • Be clear about your objectives

3. Resonate

4. Plan the journey

5. Paint the picture…. Good stories are specific, they paint a picture, they evoke a time, a mood, a colour.

6. Use stories to transform ideas/information into meaning Aah…hah!!!

7. Collect suitable stories/memories

8. Develop your own skills as a storyteller

9. Use your student stories • They have many!!!!

10. When all else fails, just breathe

Any questions? • Elaine. clark@mbs. ac. uk

Some useful references/reading… • • • • Barton, J (1984) Playing Shakespeare, London and New York, Methuen Brook, P (1961) An Empty Space London, Methuen. Clandinin, D. Jean and Connelly, M (1990) Stories of Experience and Narrative Inquiry Educational Researcher. Vol 19, No 5 pp 2 -14 Denning, S (2004): "Telling Tales, " Harvard Business Review, May 2004, Vol. 82, Iss. 5, pp. 12129. ) Denning, S (2007) The Secret Language of Leadership Wiley; San Francisco Gabriel, Y (2000) Storytelling in Organisations: Facts, Fictions and Fantasies Oxford University Press, Oxford Ganz, M (2005) Why David sometimes wins in Messick, D. M and Kramer, R. M (2005) The Psychology of Leadership: New Perspectives and Research London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Mc. Adams D. P (1993) The Stories we live by The Guilford Press: New York Moon, J A (2010) Using story in Higher Education and Professional Development Oxford: Routledge Peck, E and Dickinson, H (2009) Performing Leadership Macmillan: Basingstoke Parkin, M (1998) Tales for Trainers London: Kogan Page Polkinghorne, D. E (1988) Narrative Knowing and the Human Sciences State Univ. of New York Press: Albany Seely Brown, J; Denning, S; Groh, K; Prusak, L (2005) Storytelling in organisations Elsevier. Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford Weick, K (1995) Sensemaking in Organizations: Foundations for Organizational Science Sage: California