How Storycatchers Makes Learning Stick Teaching Power & Trauma
Storycatchers’ Changing Voices Program Teaching the themes that have emerged as prominent from the collection of stories Simultaneously teaching the audience and our program participants Storycatchers’ unique way of teaching developed by Storycatchers’ Founder & Artistic Director Meade Palidofsky, in collaboration with Lead Teaching Artist Ozivell Ecford
Storytelling Humans have been learning through stories for millennia Demonstrating, showing - not telling Rooted in real experience More complicated concepts can be reinforced with multiple types of stories Application through telling own story - using “I” statements Storytelling is the way of creating a lasting impression Don’t have time to get into all of the evidence that details how humans have told stories to convey messages or lessons throughout history With storytelling, you’re demonstrating or showing, which captures the heart and mind more than telling Stories rooted in real experience, so the complexity of that experience, of different ways of humans reacting can be demonstrated By telling more than one story, you can see how different concepts play out in different situations Participants learn the concept through applying the concept to their own lives - and I’ll get more into this later
Music Multiple reasons why Storycatchers uses music in its presentation Catchy hooks get stuck in your head “Into Pieces” Rhythm & melody can assist in memorization, making concepts “sticky” Using rhythm & melody to tutor math concepts
Reflection & Making it Personal Summary vs. reflection First - summary: what happened? Then move into reflection How does this relate to your experience? Using “I” statements “I feel powerless when…” What could have been different?
Other useful tactics Take time to create a safe, open environment Small groups Interactive Embodying the concept Teaching others while learning
Thank you! www.storycatcherstheatre.org eliana@storycatcherstheatre.org ozivell@storycatcherstheatre.org