Storytelling for Science Teachers

According to storytelling experts, ‘stories are the dramatisation of the process of knowledge assimilation.' In other words, stories are making drama out of the process of learning stuff. Teachers are in the business of helping students learn stuff, and I’m in the business of helping them bring the drama to that through the study of story.

Why storytelling? When we tell stories, the audience put themselves in the central character’s shoes. This empathic bond between storyteller and student enhances engagement, memory and focus on a chemical level in the brain. In my work, I’ve used storytelling to answer the “why do we care” question that so many science teachers find themselves up against in science lessons. And I’m here to help you do the same.

I’m not a teacher, I’m a professional scientist and storyteller. It’s my job to bring science alive for different audiences, through writing, presenting, podcasting and social media. In this workshop, I’ll give you the skills and tools you need to find the story in even the most theoretical parts of the curriculum. We’ll move beyond anecdotes as hooks to constructing entire lessons using the backbone of story, complete with narrative, structure and characters. By the end, you’ll be planning lessons that are engaging, memorable, and impactful.

There’s no prior experience of creative writing or presenting required – this training is for everyone from folks looking to inject some fun into the usual topics, to those searching for new pedagogical paradigms.