Trained N4 facilitators and Moravian Academy teachers begin a season of storytelling for juniors.

"The one true democracy we have is storytelling,” says Colum McCann (pictured with Dr. Crowe above), bestselling novelist and Co-founder of Narrative 4 (N4), an organization devoted to helping students deepen their understanding of themselves and their world. Storytelling “goes across borders, boundaries, genders, wealth, race,” McCann says, “everyone has a story to tell."

Back in July, English teachers Brian Crowe and Catherine Moore, both trained N4 facilitators, attended a special N4 conference for teachers held in Hindman, Kentucky (pictured above). The conference involved both N4 story exchanges as well as curriculum development relating to Colum McCann’s novel Apeirogon, which was required summer reading for both ninth and eleventh graders. The book was also selected for this September’s offering of Benigna’s Book Club, run by the Moravian Parents Association.

As part of their Writing & Rhetoric courses during the fall semester, all juniors will take part in N4 story exchanges and will reflect on the experience in writing. The assignment’s objectives are to hone skills of engagement, deep listening, accurate annotating, and public speaking. 

The exchanges this fall began by pairing partners randomly (with an effort to create as many mixed-gender pairings as possible). Students then took time to share stories based around the theme of home. Story prompts included the following: 

• Tell a story about your home and what it is like? What are some memories you have about your home? Do you have a favorite part of your house? 

• Tell a story about a time that you felt relaxed and at ease in a special place-- that can be in your actual home or your ‘home away from home.’

• Tell about a time that you moved from one place to another.

• Homes not only house people, but all sorts of living creatures.  Tell a story about an animal that may inhabit your home.

• There are always different rules, traditions, food, games, customs, and sayings that inhabit all homes. Tell a story about your favorite tradition/custom from your home.

After sharing stories and taking notes, partners then took time preparing to re-tell each other’s stories using first-person narration, a hallmark of the N4 method. In other words, Suzy told Johnny her story, and then Johnny retold Suzy’s story as if he were she (and vice-versa). 

Especially during times of transition and struggle, activities designed to increase our capacity for empathy are essential. These students admirably embraced this opportunity to relate to one another with compassion. We encourage all members of the Moravian community to explore narrative4.com for more details about the transformative power of shared storytelling.