{"id":207,"date":"2012-08-19T14:41:21","date_gmt":"2012-08-19T14:41:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/02708634-5216-4e46-b09c-150b38280a10"},"modified":"2012-08-19T14:41:21","modified_gmt":"2012-08-19T14:41:21","slug":"breathe-listen-watch-transcribe-the-art-of-pedagogical-stories-part-one-first-day-of-school-jitters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/thewonderchildblog.com\/?p=207","title":{"rendered":"Breathe, Listen, Watch, Transcribe–the Art of Pedagogical Stories, Part One: First Day of School Jitters"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/font><\/p>\n

Breathe, Listen, Watch, Transcribe<\/font><\/p>\n

The Art of Pedagogical
\nStories, Part One: First Day of School Jitters<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

I recently
\ngot word that one of the first graders I am going to teach in the fall was
\nfeeling nervous, full of questions, and anxious about starting school.  And as so often happens with me when I hear a
\nchild is having some sort of issue, a story popped out.  Sometimes I share these stories with the
\nchildren, sometimes I don\u2019t.  Sometimes
\nthey are for me to learn from and gain insights into the situation.  Other times, like this story, they are clearly
\nwritten for the child in question and need to be shared.  <\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

This is an
\nexample of a \u201cpedagogical story\u201d\u2014a story designed to address an emotional,
\nbehavioral, academic, or social issue that a student or class may be
\nexperiencing.  Pedagogical stories are
\nwonderfully gentle interventions to meet children of all ages, especially younger
\nones, at their level\u2014the level of wide-open imaginations and open hearts.  Such stories have the ability to work their
\nway right into the hearts and minds of children and give the children the power
\nor permission to transform or resolve whatever the issue is for themselves.  Pedagogical stories honor the child\u2019s experiences,
\nconcerns, and struggles.  And since
\nchildren (and many adults who strive to keep this ability alive) think in
\npictures, the language of the story\u2014the language of the heart and imagination
\nis an ideal way to effectively reassure, inspire, comfort, redirect, and heal many
\nof the concerns of children.  They are a
\ntool that can be used by parents and teachers alike.  And while a story might be written with one particular
\nchild in mind, it is often the case that if one child is experiencing a concern
\nmost likely others in the class are as well.  So some stories are told for one, others for
\nthe group.  This story, a simple yarn
\nabout a bear cub and a bear, was written for one.<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

Some parents
\nand teachers think pedagogical stories are nice for those that can write
\nthem.  Some believe they can\u2019t \u201cmake up
\nsuch stories.\u201d  They\u2019ll say, \u201cOh well,
\nyou\u2019re a writer, Joseph, it\u2019s easy for you. 
\nI just can\u2019t think of what to write.\u201d<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

To these
\nconcerns I would say: let the story be born from your love for the child.  Really. 
\nLet it arise from the heart of the matter.  There is no need to \u201cmake up\u201d a story.  The story is living in the situation.  It just takes a little attention, a little
\ncare and effort to think of the issue in terms of an image and let the story
\nblossom from that.  Most of the images
\nand stories will come from nature\u2014animals, birds, butterflies, trees\u2014let the
\nlanguage of nature clothe the particular issue and let this happen freely.  Of course, one can always pray before writing\u2014for
\nguidance and insight.  One can simply
\nstart writing, as I do, without any thought or plan\u2014well, there\u2019s a plan to
\nhelp comfort a child if I am writing a pedagogical story.  But in general, for me, the stories are
\nthere, waiting to be harvested from the Garden of Inspiration, plucked from the
\nTree of Life, gathered from the Fields of Dreams; netted from the Lake of
\nWonders.  And while this may sound
\nflowery, it\u2019s my experience.  <\/font><\/p>\n

Most
\nstories are like most children (and adults)\u2014they are aching to be seen.  And they will open themselves before you if
\nyou take the time to quiet yourself enough to listen and watch.  If I \u201ctry\u201d to write a story, it will come, but
\nmost often, it will crawl from the pen painstakingly and be crippled in some
\nway.  And if it does come through my
\nforce, it will come out only to go hide somewhere in the corner of the room
\nperhaps forever.  If I approach the issue
\na child is having with an open, compassionate heart, a heart of understanding
\nand knowledge of where children \u201care at,\u201d then the stories just come.  You can always edit and revise the initial
\nstory\u2014prune, weed out repetitive words and so on, after the story sprouts, but
\nthat\u2019s for later.  For now, take a deep
\nbreath.  Try it.  <\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

Think of a
\nchild you know and love who is experiencing some sort of concern.  It might be a little one, so to speak, and
\nthe story might be three lines long\u2014just an image for the child to hold onto
\nthat honors them and gives them hope.  It
\nmight be more involved and take many days to write and tell.  But try it. 
\nYour heart will be in the right place, so you cannot make a mistake
\nhere.  Of course, I rarely, rarely, rarely
\nmention a particular child\u2019s name in a pedagogical story\u2014in fact; I often
\nchange the child to an animal, or change the gender of the child, age, etc\u2026that\u2019s
\nreally the only big guideline as I see it. 
\nThe rest will come when you are even a little bit open and willing to
\nsit down a minute (or walk, some stories come to those who move).  So breathe through the experience; think of a
\nchild you know who is experiencing an issue of some sort and let a story approach
\nyou and reveal itself to you\u2014you just listen and write it down\u2014that\u2019s really
\nthe formula for the initial story\u2014breathe, listen, watch, transcribe<\/i>.<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

And then
\nshare this gift to the child\u2014tell it by heart, and know you have truly touched
\nthe heart, mind, and soul of a child.  <\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the
\nstory that came for one of my first graders:<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/font><\/p>\n

Keepers of the Castle<\/font><\/p>\n

Once upon a
\ntime a wonderfully Bright and Kind Bear Cub stood at the edge of a Great
\nForest.  Inside the woods a path towards
\nan Enchanted Castle wove through the trees like a shining, golden river.  Music and laughter could be heard in the
\ndistance.  The Bright and Kind Bear Cub
\nwanted so badly to step into the forest and onto the path, but she was nervous.<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat will
\nit be like in there?\u201d she thought.  \u201cWill
\nI have fun?\u201d  \u201cWill anyone be mean to
\nme?\u201d  \u201cWhat will I learn there?\u201d  \u201cWill the Keepers of the Castle be nice and
\nfriendly?\u201d  \u201cWhere will I sit at the
\ntable?\u201d  \u201cWill I be next to my
\nfriends?\u201d  \u201cWhat if I make mistakes?\u201d
\n\u201cWhat if I say something silly?\u201d<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

As all of
\nthese questions, and more like them, fluttered through her mind and stomach
\nlike so many butterflies, she suddenly heard a low, but friendly growl coming
\nfrom the forest.  Then she heard huge
\npaws padding towards her through the underbrush.  A crack of twigs and branches shot off like
\nfireworks and there in front of her stood an Enormous Black Bear.  <\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

\u201cOh dear,\u201d
\nsaid the Bright and Kind Bear Cub, \u201cWho are you?\u201d<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

\u201cI am one of
\nthe Keepers of the Enchanted Castle,\u201d said the Big, Black Bear, \u201cI have come to
\nanswer your questions and invite you to join us.  We need other Keepers.  Kind Keepers, Bright Keepers, Keepers Who
\nCare about Themselves and Others.  We need Keepers like You<\/i>.\u201d<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

\u201cMe?\u201d She
\nsaid surprised.<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

\u201cYes you,\u201d
\nhe said, \u201cI can feel your kindness all the way from inside my den.  Now, are you ready to have your questions
\nanswered, and are you ready for a wonderful adventure?\u201d<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

\u201cY-yes,\u201d
\nsaid the Bright and Kind Bear Cub, \u201cbut may I ask one question before we go?\u201d<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d
\ngrowled the Big, Black Bear.<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

\u201cWill I be
\nOK?  Will you love me?\u201d<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s two
\nquestions,\u201d laughed the Big, Black Bear, \u201cAnd the answer to both questions is:
\nYes.  You are already OK and always will
\nbe.  Your heart is Kind and full of
\nLaughter and Light.  And I love all of
\nthe Keepers of the Enchanted Castle. 
\nTogether we make an Enchanted Castle that is Safe, Fun, and full of Laughter,
\nLearning, and Song.  How does that
\nsound?\u201d<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

\u201cLovely,\u201d
\nsaid the Bright and Kind Bear Cub, \u201cBut I have one more question.\u201d<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

The Big,
\nBlack Bear nodded.<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

\u201cMay we go
\nnow?\u201d she asked, \u201cI\u2019m ready.\u201d<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

The Big,
\nBlack Bear laughed a laugh so loud the surrounding trees shook their branches and
\nrained down their autumn leaves.  And
\nthen the Big, Black Bear bowed before the Bright and Kind Bear Cub inviting her
\nto climb aboard his back.  She laughed
\nand did just that.  Together they
\nwandered their way through the magic forest towards the waiting, Enchanted
\nCastle.<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

********<\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n

Go ahead
\nstoryteller–we\u2019re all storytellers and gatherers–a story is hatching within
\nyou right now.  You can do this, you know
\nyou can: breathe, listen, watch, transcribe…<\/i><\/o:p><\/font><\/p>\n


\n<\/font><\/p>\n

Copyright Joseph Anthony of the Wonder Child Blog<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Breathe, Listen, Watch, Transcribe The Art of Pedagogical Stories, Part One: First Day of School Jitters I recently got word that one of the first graders I am going to teach in the fall was feeling nervous, full of questions, and anxious about starting school.  And as so often happens with me when I hear […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[19,2,20,16,29],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/thewonderchildblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/thewonderchildblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/thewonderchildblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thewonderchildblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thewonderchildblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=207"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/thewonderchildblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/thewonderchildblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=207"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thewonderchildblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=207"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/thewonderchildblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=207"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}