This story platform is for teachers who value the pedagogical and social principles underlying the storytelling approach in education. Teachers who know that stories have been a meaning-making tool in teaching practices in the entire history of mankind. The stories, tampered and adapted by Zafi, come from a variety of genres and are meant for the class not only for language use but also for social and emotional learning, value strengthening, connection, expression. Each entry will be accompanied with pre, while or follow up activities, role play, drama games, craftwork or discussion suggestions. Teachers will hopefully be encouraged to unearth their own and their students’ story telling voices.
Our story starts with Vashti, a young student, looking at her empty drawing paper at the end of her art class when all the students have already handed in their work.
Vashti’s teacher approached and looked at Vasthi sitting glued to her chair, staring at her empty paper. Leaning over the blank paper, she smiled gently murmuring to herself “Can this be a polar bear in a snowstorm?”
Vashti reacted angrily “Not funny! I just can’t draw!”
Miss Mary went on in an encouraging tone of voice.
“Vashti just makes a mark and see where it takes you.”
In a rage Vashti grabbed a marker, gave it a good strong jab and handed it to Miss Mary. Miss Mary picked up the paper and studied it carefully. Then, she did something magical. She pushed the paper towards Vashti and quietly asked her to sign her name which Vasthi did. Vasthi thought she could not draw but she could certainly sign her name.
In her next Art lesson Vashti could not believe what she saw. Her jab of pen and her little dot was hanging above her teacher’s desk in a beautiful frame. She felt puzzled, then proud, then inspired. She thought “I can do better than this”.
She got to work and started painting a red dot, a purple dot, a yellow dot. Then she started experimenting with watercolors and color mixing, always painting dots. Vashti even made a dot by NOT painting a dot. Vashti’s dots formed an impressive display in the school art show. There, Vashti noticed a little boy gazing at her work. He told her he wished he could be a fantastic artist like her. “I can’t even draw a straight line with a ruler”. Vashti looked at him, then took some paper, gave it to him with a pencil and asked him to show her one of his lines. She looked carefully at his work and then said, “Sign it”.
Vashti was now on her creative journey full of confidence and imagination. No more sadness or anger. She had started her personal journey challenging herself to do better, focused on her own individual milestones. She moved forward without comparing, without wasting energy or worrying about what everyone else was doing.
WORKING ON THE STORY
Peter H. Reynolds’s inspiring story, is about confidence, believing in oneself, encouraging and nurturing others. It shows that when struggling and feeling blocked, a little perseverance and a change of perspective make amazing things possible. This story can be:
- Retold or
- enacted with four pupils (the narrator, the teacher, Vashti and the boy) or
- discussed on questions like:
- Why does Vashti feel frustrated at the beginning of the story?
- Is the teacher flexible? Does she handle uncertainty, imperfection, vagueness and discomfort?
- Why does Vashti decide to paint more dots?
- Do you think that Vashti is a good artist?
- What is more important: that Vashti is a good artist, or that she is happy and able to make other people happy?
- When you get blocked, do you practice getting better or do you give up?
- How does the teacher’s encouragement of Vashti ripple outwards and have a positive impact on others?
- Why is it best to focus on our personal journey instead of wasting energy on what everyone else is doing?
- Have you had any enigmatic experiences?
In Vashti I see someone who goes from being sad, angry, non-confident, to someone who has matured and is able to help someone else. What about you?
