Telling your Story - getting the students engaged
Good storytelling
The most effective way to get your message across is to use storytelling. Here are some pointers to keep in mind when you’re telling students about your career.
- Using a story to illustrate your point is easier than
memorising information. You’re more likely to remember it, and students will be more likely to pay attention. - Personal stories are best. Talk about experiences you’ve had during your career – either great successes or noteworthy mistakes. Examples from your colleagues or stories you’ve read about in the news can also work.
- A good story usually involves some kind of transformation – like an experience you had that taught you a lesson, or your manager changing his or her mind after hearing your input.
- Make sure your story is relevant to the subject you’re discussing and appropriate to the occasion. Adjust your storytelling style to suit the age of your audience.
- Make your characters come alive by mentioning things like what they look like, how they dress and how they talk. It will make the story – and the point you’re making– more memorable for the students.
- Include a call to action at the end that addresses the issues of your
presentation – like encouraging students to stick with maths in school, or
talking about the importance of recycling.
Asking Questions
A great technique to engage your audience is to open with a question that they can answer from their personal experience or a question that will get them thinking.
Your host teacher may be able to help you think of questions that draw on what their class is currently learning. Asking questions that help
students to see how your career is relevant their studies is a good way to get them engaged with your presentation.
With older pupils you may want to try the Socratic method, where you ask a series of questions that guide students towards a better understanding of the underlying concepts and principles. Classic Socratic questions include:
- “Why do you think that is?”
- “What are we assuming here?"
- “Why do you think I asked that question?”
Try changingminds.org for more information about presenting and asking questions