Life stories
As a student I really enjoyed the life stories I received as a student; therefore as an instructor I try to provide as many as possible to the students for motivation.
Definitely have to be careful to stay on point. If you let the story get sidetracked, it can actually the students' ability to understand the concepts that you are trying to convey.
Hi Cece,
I am sure the topic really came to life as a result of this story. What an amazing experience this had to be and I am sure it captures the attention of your students. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Gary
A war story is ok if it's not taken out of context. Ex: I teach A&P II and I was lecturing on the heart and how in the ER I was massaging a patients heart in my hands while the ER doctor prepared for internal defibrillation. This was an amazing experience for me and learning about the heart and its function made the topic come to life.
Cece
Hi Katherine,
Students like to hear stories from their instructors that help to reinforce the content. The key is as you mention to stay on focus so the stories enforce not become filler.
Gary
I enjoy the "war stories" and use mine and others that have been shared with me. So not only do I have experiences but having the students share theirs have been helpful to me and the others in class. But you do have to remember to keep it relevant and short .I attended a class one time and the instructor constantly went off on tangents or long stories . This became a tedious lecture for the students for sure. No class application but lesson learned.
Hi William,
Good question. The key is to share stories that support the concept being taught rather than rambling on about personal experiences. The selected stories need to support rather than distract from teaching.
Gary
One of the biggest time eaters I find is the telling of life stories otherwise known as "war" stories. Each one is fascinating and interesting to be sure, and often relevant, but the instructor must be able to limit the time spent in this sharing of experience. What do others think?
Hi Lorna,
Good strategy. Thanks for sharing it with us. I know it will be of help to other instructors as well.
Gary
I find I need to put on an index card as part of my lesson plan the key relatable content areas to the content I'm emphasizing so I don't wonder off or take to long. It helps keep me straight.
I do provide some life stories in my classes when they are relavent. I think this makes the classes interesting and makes me seem human as the instructor. I will use my kids as the example if needed or myself as the example when explaining a situation and I am able to get my point across.
