STORY TRAINING CHECKLIST
Selecting and Shaping Stories that Teach
Stories that connect
- Make connections between the content and real-life experience?
- Help learners link existing ideas to new ones?
- Encourage learners to connect their own experiences and ultimately see the world from a different point of view?
- Provide examples of positive outcomes so that learners are motivated to make the change?
- Help ensure that learners understand that making the change is within their power?
- Give guidance on how to make the change?
- Give a clear, core message that speaks to a universal truth?
- Ensure that it clearly communicates why it matters?
- Encourage learners to tell their own stories?
- Build humor and suspense based on events native to the story (as opposed to events added for comedic effect)?
- Include elements of the unexpected?
- Include points of tension that lead up to a surprise?
Telling Stories that Teach
Storytellers Who Reveal Themselves
- Ready to allow yourself to be vulnerable and create an environment where your participants can be vulnerable too?
- Able to trust yourself and your participants?
- Able to value the relationship you are entering into?
- Letting go of your stories?
- Asking participants to help you create a new shared experience?
- Being patient and quiet as participants answer your questions with their own contributions?
- Aware of the nuances and idiosyncrasies of your body language?
- Willing to create intimacy through body language while telling your stories?
- Using expressions and gestures to convey emotion in a way that enhances the narrative?
- Able and willing to physically portray elements of your story, rather than just describing them?
- Able to vocally or physically represent the other people who played a role in your original story?
- Willing to ask participants to portray supporting parts as you tell your story? Do you know how to support them?