02/05/2024
“THE EFFECT OF STORYTELLING IN EDUCATION”
Mr. Ajayi and Mr. Idowu were the two teachers for English language in Helium Hill Academy. But for some reasons later disclosed in this story, Mr. Idowu was the students' favourite.
“Sorry, sir, I need to use the restroom,” Felix tried to excuse himself as soon as Mr. Ajayi entered the classroom. “Uhmm, sir, I really need to submit my practical at Mr. Ejiro's office before the time elapses,” Akira also said, trying to excuse herself. Mr. Ajayi, knowing they were only flimsy excuses to just escape his class, couldn't help but wonder.
These brought glitches between the two teachers. It started to rumor that Mr. Idowu stirs the hearts of the students against Mr. Ajayi. “I'm sure Mr. Idowu makes a mockery of your bald head to the students, that's why they despise you a lot, Mr. Ajayi,” Mrs. Olotu had said one day to Mr. Ajayi, who furiously left the class as 50 percent of the students suddenly had excuses to leave the class for one activity or the other.
“Is that so? What about him? Is he any more perfect? How many responsible men has a height as he does? Even the popular Nigerian film actor Paw-Paw has a better height than he does. I ever wonder what women would marry him,” Mr. Ajayi replied, almost screaming.
“Take it easy, I'm not the one who said you shouldn't be liked by the students, please,” Mrs. Olotu tried to shield herself from his transfer of aggression.
Nevertheless, Mr. Idowu had a special magic he uses on his students that has brought him so much love and accommodation by the students. He was a storyteller.
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Back in 1967, Mr. Idowu's teacher, Mrs. Satiya, had given them homework to do. She gave them instructions on how to solve the mathematical equations. Idowu, though getting home, tried to solve his questions but found it hard.
He read through the instructions, checked through the examples, but could not pull through it. Idowu was frustrated and casually solved the question as he wait in expectance of his zeros with a smiling face as Mrs. Satiya would always draw on their notebook anytime you scored a zero mark.
Getting to school the next day, everyone was asked to submit their assignments. Idowu hesitated, as he knew he actually was going to fail. “I'm taking this assignment as part of your assessment test, failure to submit is total zero over ten. Submitting might earn you a five over ten marks, so make sure everyone's book is right here on my desk,” Mrs. Satiya's voice echoed throughout the classroom.
“Well, better five to zero over ten,” Idowu said to himself reassuringly.
“Those who got five over five should stand up,” Mrs. Satiya said the next morning after distributing the student’s books. Half of the class stood up. “A round of applause for them,” she ordered.
“Those who scored three to four should also stand up,” they were also applauded. Mrs. Satiya noticed Idowu didn't stand up for any of the scores. “Idow Martins, what did you score on your assignment yesterday?” she asked. Idowu slowly stood up and said, “five, ma.”
“That's very good, Idowu, but why didn't you stand up when I mentioned that?” she asked. “Ma, it wasn't written in my book, you said those who submitted already have five marks, that's what I mean.”
Mrs. Satiya, knowing that Idowu misunderstood all she said asked him to come over to the front of the class.
“Submitting your assignment earns you a five mark as part of your assessment, Idowu, which I would record in my assessment record book. Your assignment mark has nothing to do with the assessment marks. Do you understand now?” she asked.
Seems this explanation wasn't meant for only Idowu as the whole student chorus in unison “ohhhhh, yes ma!”
“Yes, ma,” Idowu answered. “So having known that, what did you score on your test?” “Zero with a smiling face, ma,” he said bowing his head down.
You could hear some chattering and murmuring from his fellow classmates. “Tranquillity, everyone,” Mrs. Satiya said. “And why was that, Idowu? Did you have challenges solving the questions?” “Yes, ma,” Idowu answered.
Mrs. Satiya asked him to go back to his seat while she explained to the whole class again. She began with a little story. “Ade had thirty pieces of coins. Ayo, who was Ade's friend, was owing twenty pieces of coins to a mango seller, he asked Ade to lend him twenty pieces of coins to pay off his debt. If Ade gave out twenty pieces of coins from his thirty pieces of coins, how many coins will Ade have left?
“Ten pieces of coins,” the whole class chorused alongside Idowu. “Good,” Mrs. Satiya said.
“Another example, Ify, has ten coins and was owing Eby fifteen coins. If Ify pays Eby ten coins, how many coins does she need to complete her debt?
“Five more coins,” the whole class chorused more lively this time. “So therefore, -15 + 10 = - 5,” she concluded. Idowu was in awe. The whole fogs of confusion cleared. Was this the power of storytelling to understanding?
And that was how Mr. Idowu transferred the magical power of storytelling to teaching his students. Unlike Mr. Ajayi, who tends to express all the dictions he studied in school with his students, leaving them in utter confusion and liking English studies as a hard subject.
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Mr. Ajayi was tired of holding grudges and hatred for Mr. Idowu and decided to humbly ask Mr. Idowu his secret of making the students love his way of teaching. Mr. Idowu narrated his ordeal to him while he was growing up.
“Both adults and young ones enjoy stories. I simply find a way of combining my topic of discussion with a story and teach my students. It draws their attention and deepen their understanding to answer any further questions around such topics. ” he said.
“Oh, this was the magic,” Mr. Ajayi exclaimed. It wasn't about my bald head like Mrs. Olotu had said. it was just the ‘effect of storytelling in education,' he said.
Divine O Chiemere
