Storytelling is an ancient art form, and it’s rooted in our collective and individual psyches. The depth of its reach is easily seen in a storytelling performancet. Watch how students lean in. Hear the silence as they hang on every word. Imagine the scenes, the characters, and action. Whether I’m telling a ghost story, a folktale, or a personal story, storytelling is always a favorite among kids and adults.
I also lead storytelling workshops for teachers. I believe that every teacher can tell stories, and that storytelling brings great benefits for students’ literacy, relationships, and imagination.
Storytelling Workshop With Stuart Stotts, Newark, New Jersey
I’ve always been ambivalent about putting stories onto video, mostly because I believe that storytelling is a live art form, a breathing event that is different every time, changed by the people in the room, the time of day, the news in the world, and the storyteller’s mood. Plus, I’m not sure it translates well to a screen. And, last of all, I don’t really want any of us looking at screens more than we have to.
BUT…with the advent of the great quarantine of 2020 I’m putting my reservations aside and posting some videos of me telling stories. They are all short and are mainly here as a resource for teachers and aspiring tellers, and also for people stuck in the house.
There’s also a storytelling reflection sheet that teachers or parents can use or adapt to help students reflect on their learning and reactions to storytelling.
All of these links will open in a new tab in YouTube.
SO…
The Boy Who Cried Wolf A classic story that my father told me. A cautionary tale for any age.
The Three Wishes. An old story from the Grimm Brother’s collection.
Lazy Tok. A folk tale from India.
Maybe Good, Maybe Bad. A folk tale from China.