FINDING A STORYTELLER TO BEST SUIT YOUR NEEDS

Each storyteller is different; there are as many styles as there are tellers. To find out who the storytellers are in your community:

• contact the local storytelling association (listed state-by-state in the Resource section of this guide), or
• check out the online listings for the National Storytelling Network at http://www.storynet.org (they are cross-indexed by location, audience, etc.), or
• ask the children's librarian at your local public library. They often have a resource list of area tellers who work with children.

Now that you have a list from which to choose, how do you make that choice?

• Ask the storyteller if he or she often works with your particular age group, and if so, what kinds of material he or she uses. Listen carefully to the response: Does it sound as if the storyteller really understands and likes that audience? Do the materials and activities sound age-appropriate?
• Ask for references from someone who has seen the storytellerŐs work, especially with your age group. This person or persons will be able to tell you how well the storyteller interacted with the audience and what the audience's response was.

If you have a particular topic or theme that you would like the storyteller to address, explain it to the teller and ask for some idea of what the program would include. Even if the topic is new to the teller, he or she should be able to give you an idea of how the program would be tailored to meet your needs.


GETTING READY FOR THE STORYTELLER

Environment is important - it can make or break a storytelling program. Provide a quiet space, and try to limit the distractions by closing doors, covering any windows that create a glare, etc. Make sure that children are comfortably seated, preferably as a group rather than at individual tables or desks.

Ask the teller if he or she will need a chair, water, sound system or any other technical assistance. If the teller plans to be seated during the stories, make sure that he or she will be clearly visible to the audience.

Talk to the students about audience behavior. Respect for each other and for the teller is the watchword. But donŐt browbeat or threaten them into silence: the storytelling may seem more like a punishment than a treat to the students!


EXPECTATIONS AND OUTCOMES

A good storyteller telling appropriate stories under good circumstances should be able to capture and hold the audience's attention throughout the program. Expect students to talk a bit between stories; thatŐs normal and healthy. It usually indicates just how excited they were by the tale. If you listen, you'll probably hear them repeating key phrases or discussing aspects of the story. Don't worry: if they are that interested in the story they just heard, they will settle down quickly to hear the next one.

After the session, try to allow a little time to pass before discussing the stories, and don't feel that you need to discuss every story every time. As Margaret Read MacDonald exhorts, "If you must dissect the tale to meet your curriculum's guidelines, please commit this brutality only after everyone has had a good time, playing with their birthright - the untrammeled folktale."

That's not to say you shouldn't talk about the stories and use them as part of your lesson plan. It simply means that the simple, joyful act of hearing a good story well told is sometimes a means and end unto itself. The excitement and interest provoked by a story can become the jumping-off point for learning experiences across the curriculum.