Edutopia – Diane Feole
“But sharing stories does more than entertain—it creates bonds. When we share something about ourselves, we put trust in others to appreciate our lives. This appreciation is what sustains relationships, the building materials of community. One student chooses to tell a story about an absent father, another about divorce, yet another about the loss of a grandparent. These stories bind those students in their loss. They become a community of support. Last year I had the senior class president in two of my classes. She was vibrant, outgoing, and socially popular. Everybody liked her. But nobody knew her. Her story changed that. It was about losing a brother and being abandoned by her father, and being brought up by a single mother whose teacher salary supported her and her five brothers. When she shared this story with us, we all realized that Abby was not who we thought she was. She had braved loss and overcome it. Another student in the class, who suffered crippling anxiety, realized that he and Abby lived parallel lives.” (more)