Getting Your Storytelling Troupe Started
The first year I started my storytelling troupe, I was scared to death! I felt like I didn’t know what I was doing, but I did! And why was that? Children are hungry for stories. It’s as simple as that. They wanted to be storytellers and be part of the troupe, and they made it soar! They were dedicated and committed. My first year, I had 32 fifth graders sign up for the troupe, and not one of them dropped out. In fact, in the ten years that I ran the troupe, not one child dropped out. The troupe gave them an opportunity to be part of something special. They felt valued and confident. We were a team. Okay, so what’s the first step? The first day we met, I told them stories, talked about the troupe, and discussed rules. I know, I know! But I’m a teacher. Actually, discipline was never a problem because we were too busy, had a lot of fun, and the kids wanted to be there. We only met for about an hour and fifteen minutes. I would suggest meeting for a minimum of one hour and not more than an hour and fifteen minutes. We also engaged in silly activities (ice-breakers) to get acquainted and feel comfortable within the group and in front of the group. One activity was to simply get up in front of the group and tell a joke. Kids are overflowing with funny jokes. The most favorite activity? Walking across the stage pretending to be Miss America (or whomever you decide) and then say into the microphone, “Hi, I’m Miss America.” Boy did they ham it up! Especially the boys. They thought this activity was a hoot and wanted to do it. They could have chosen another character or person, but, nope, that was funny. The children laughed and laughed. And so, we became a unit, a team…the Fifth-Grade Storytelling Troupe. Look for more on starting a troupe in another blog.