Teach With Stories

Teaching with stories isn't a new idea at all.  Jesus did it with his parables, Aesop did it with his fables, many civilizations used myths as teaching tools, etc.  Because stories aren't just things that entertain us for a second and then fly out of our heads.  Yes they are entertaining, but they oftentimes have a message.  Teaching something while being entertaining!!??  As any teacher will tell you this can often be quite the feat. 

Arthur Bowie Chrisman's Shen of the Sea is full of such stories.  As the dust jacket so eloquently put it, "Not only are the tales amusing an dappealing in themselves, but hidden beneath their surface is the wise and practical philosophy that has influenced Chinese life for thousands of years."  One of the things I really loved about this book was that it was a collection of short stories.  This meant that when I was in between classes and only had a few minutes to spare I could still get the satisfaction of reading a story. 

I also loved the phrasing used in this book.  It's just a little different which keeps it acessible but still makes it feel like you're reading something from a different culutre-which, of course, you are.  Take this for example, "He knew they intended to have his head.  But Han, having lived so lon gwith his head, had become fond of it, and preferred to keep it on his shoulders."  Does Han keep his head? You'll have to read the book.  That quote is from the tale High as Han Hsin.

Learning from stories...that's kids stuff.