Tips for Telling

Telling Stories in Schools

Recently someone reminded me of what I wrote in November’s Tips for Telling. It was an article called Baby Steps. I wrote about the many opportunities there are for practicing a person’s storytelling skills. One of them was telling stories in a school.

This person wanted to know – if he went into a public school, could he tell Bible stories, or would it be better to tell non-Christian stories.

Christian Schools & Home School Support Groups

These are opportunities that are usually wide open for telling children stories and Bible stories. Contact one of these and you will be graciously welcomed.

Public Schools

Public schools are also very open to having you come, but it is best to start with secular stories. Still, there are many stories that are not directly Biblical, but teach Biblical truths. I tell a story entitled One Mile, which is on my CD Tales of the Journey. It is a fictitious story about a boy in first-century Israel, who came face-to-face with the issue of “going the second mile.” The story teaches what Jesus meant when he talked about the “second mile,” but it also tells how the young man wrestled to obey the principle involved. I can easily tell One Mile in public schools. It is far enough away from a Biblical story, yet it teaches a Biblical principle.

If you do tell Bible stories in a public school, remember this. Stay away from any type of “invitation.” Let the story stand on its own - don't apply it to the individual. Believe in the power of God's Word, and not the power of our commentary on it. Mix the Bible story in with other stories.

Selecting a Few Stories

In my book The Art of Storytelling, there are five fables on pages 177-180. Develop these into longer stories.

Go to the children’s section in your public library. Ask for the head children’s librarian, and tell her I sent you. Explain what you want to do, and ask for a list of her favorite children’s books. She will give you 10-15 books, so select two or three that appeal to you.

• Develop the story so it is your own. Trust that your version is just as good as what is in the book.
• Adapt it for the age group you plan be telling to. Just remember, children don’t mind if you treat them as if they are older, but they don’t like being talked to as if they are younger.
• Stories in a children’s book are often appropriate for adult audiences. Most of my secular stories for adults come from children's books.

Practice Before You Go

Practice your stories with “friendly audiences” before telling them at a school. I try to tell a story five times before going public with it. With each telling, the story gets better.

Once you are ready, go to a school and ask to speak to the principal. Introduce yourself, and then say, “I am developing my storytelling skills. My mentor says I need to practice telling children's stories. Would you allow me to practice several stories in one of your classes?” Be prepared, he/she will drag you around to at least six classes. They will love having you come tell stories, and it will be good for developing your storytelling skills.