The Ask. Ponder. Educate. [X]. event on March 21 featured teacher, author and storyteller Kevin Cordi with his presentation “What Didn’t They Teach You About Story in School?”
Cordi has been teaching storytelling for 34 years. In fact, according to the National Storytelling Network, he is “the first full-time high school storytelling teacher in the country.”
“Students need to talk,” said Cordi. “We need to value the rich communication of each other.”
Cordi began his presentation with a story about his mom. He then said, “I was raised on stories. Think about a story and what it means to your life and what it could mean.”
Storytelling has always played a dominant role in the world, especially in native cultures.
“Natives say stories are living things,” Cordi explained.
As an educator, Cordi believes that telling stories is a part of his job. He encouraged fellow teachers to have their students tell stories.
“Never ask why,” said Cordi. “Just let them tell the story.”
The conflict and struggle in a story can lead the listener to want to make a change in their own life. When listening to stories, Cordi explained that “we don’t remember the ordinary; we remember the trouble.”
“Story is the way we think, act and respond,” said Cordi. “A powerful story can change the brain of the listener.”
Cordi shared three prompts that anyone can use to tell a story. “The three most powerful things you can say to someone are ‘I wonder,’ ‘Imagine,’ and ‘Have you considered,’” he said. With these prompts, anyone and everyone can tell their story.
Cordi suggested the audience ask themselves, “What story am I going to come up with today?”
The last A.P.E.X. event of the semester will take place during the Festival of Excellence on Tuesday, March 26, at 11:30 a.m. The guest speaker will be Susan Clayton with her presentation “Psychology and Climate Change: Understanding Impacts and Responses.”
Author: Christina Schweiss
Photos: Bria Hansen
Editor: Nick Stein
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