The Importance of Stories in Teaching

“Everyone loves a story. Watch people during a long verbal presentation such as a speech or sermon. Minds wander. Eyes glaze over. Heads begin to nod. But then the speaker begins to share a story about someone to illustrate his point, and all waning attention is restored. Minds sharpen and refocus. Chins rise from chests. And the listeners become more attentive. That is the nature of stories about people. We can capitalize on that fact by teaching through the stories of biographical study.”

[Excerpt from Teacher: Teaching and Being Taught, pp. 193-94, available at https://www.amazon.com/Teacher-Teaching-Taught-Christian-Education/dp/1974529835.]

Copyright (c) 2017, Dennis L. Peterson

#biography #learning #storytelling #teaching