Conversational Storytelling: Classroom Teaching through Story Parallels Entrepreneurial Need for Engagement

Abstract

<p>Someone recently asked me, “What do you do in your class? I mean, I walk into<br />your classroom, sit down, then what happens?” Ok, I thought, I know how to answer this<br />question: I wanted to enthusiastically explain the structure of the class as a theoretical<br />blend of psychology, engineering design methods and art; discuss the intentional purpose<br />of building the curriculum iteratively and differently every term, based on the unique<br />developing social dynamics 13, 41 of every class.<br />Something stopped me and I resisted responding. In that moment, I remember<br />feeling the need to shift from an automatic theoretical response 48 to some other,<br />hopefully novel approach, that would underline how I teach; clarify what occurs in the<br />classroom. I thought I had the answer as an Instructor. And, as I struggled in my<br />response, to do what I teach, and avoid responding with a rehearsed, practiced pitch24 , I<br />realized that the response in my head to the question, “What happens in your class?” was<br />a conversation stopper. It was necessary to formulate a response that was a conversation<br />starter. Thus, I began sifting through the memorable moments in my mind, to find a short<br />story that would invite someone right into the classroom and step into the role of student;<br />a student required to act as both storyteller and audience. And, at the same time,<br />consider how the story might inform the early stage Professor preparing to teach for the<br />first time– a concept often parallel to the inspirational phase of an entrepreneurial<br />venture. One must figure out the passion and iteration on the product, the new creation,<br />and who the audience is.<br />Imagine the experience as a student in the class:<br />Jon walks into the classroom and sits down at the long seminar table. He quietly<br />suggests that while he is feeling confident about what he has done in his accomplishments<br />at school, coordinating early seed funding for his start-up, he is not feeling so good about<br />what is next for him.<br />During the first moments of class, Jon begins his story, “This is my last class. I<br />am fulfilling my final credits for the graduate program in Mechanical Engineering,” He<br />continues his story in a comfortable, conversational manner, and quietly leads with the<br />emotion behind his work, “We started this little company that makes and analyzes<br />affordable and reliable blood tests that will change the health and wellness for people in<br />remote areas of the world. For the first time in their lives, millions of people in third<br />world countries will receive the care they need and deserve.” The classroom was silent.<br />The non-verbal responses of the other students in class indicated variations of effective<br />engagement. Their bodies moved forward – some students are leaning towards him,<br />others adjust their bodies so they can get a better view, all are focused on Jon, all eyes<br />are riveted. When Jon stopped speaking, the room is still. There are different kinds of<br />silence; you feel it immediately – this is a silence of deep engagement.<br />The Instructor breaks the silence, “What are your impressions of Jon’s story?”<br />Classmates in graduate engineering, design, business, law, and humanities make it<br />clear to Jon that he is a natural “conversational storyteller.” One classmate explained,<br />“Everyone can’t do what you just did. You make it understandable and comfortable. And<br />it’s a meaningful, memorable story – it’s clear to us that you didn’t do the start-up just to<br />say you did it. ” They all left the classroom that day, planning to do the homework Jon<br />inspired: create pages of short stories from every part of your life. Be so comfortable<br />with the stories that they become second nature, a natural way to respond, and reliable<br />preparation for a conversation with a classmate, an advisor, a team mate on a project, an<br />interviewer for your dream job, a venture capitalist, a board of a non profit. They also<br />wondered what Jon meant when he suggested he was not confident about his future. We<br />will return to the story of Jon later in the Conversational Storytelling section of the paper.<br /></p>