Teachers as Storytellers

I recently watched a professional storyteller tell a story. They spoke with their eyes, hands, facial expressions, and body movements. They made their words interesting by adding sounds, using different tones, and even singing. This storyteller had captured the attention and the imagination of their audience. He gave his all to tell the story, without any apprehensions. And by the end of it, the audience shared his enthusiasm.

I was thinking about how as teachers we might struggle to get the attention of our students. I know we are not performers, but maybe there is something we can learn from this. By being enthusiastic, we can get our students excited about what we are saying. By being creative with our tone of voice, gestures and even maybe poetry, we can help our students to listen and learn. And once in a while, maybe it’s worth rehearsing a small piece that will entertain and stay in our students’ memories.

Do you think good storytellers make for good teachers? Why or why not?