Tell Me Your Story, I'll Tell You Mine

I have been working on a paper for my Psychological Anthropology class, and decided to write on narrative after being introduced to it by a mentor teachers master's project.  People's lives are influenced by the stories that they tell (and those that are told) about them and their surroundings.  This understanding has powerful applications in anthropology, psychology, and (most importantly for our Creative Craniums) in education.  Educators who are willing to listen to the stories that students have to tell about their lives, and who can collaborate with them to focus on the positive aspects of such stories, will forge stronger relationships with their students. 

It is important to remember that the goal of the narrative approach is to understand the metaphors contained in people's stories, and to work with the individual to discover alternate plot lines in their tale.  This approach can be powerful with our teenage students who may have a harder time seeing the larger picture, and their place within it. 

I created this Prezi for a presentation on the paper that I am writing (and will post soon if you are interested), check it out for more information on narrative and education, anthropology and psychology.