Back from the Shore

Hello friends! Just returned from vacation at the Jersey shore with my extended family (a total of 10 people plus a few visiting cousins). At the end of the week, I entertained the group with storytelling- the story I worked on at our workshop and 2 more. Great fun and I was surprised (again) at how stories touch and entertain people of all ages.
-Jean

Hi Everyone

Hey - it's me. I took an "About Me" test today and they asked the question - When's the last time you cried. I had an exact date and pretty much a time too - 7/18 around 7:30 p.m. Things are beyond crazy here, we're in full workshop mode. Hope to see everyone at the Dodge Poetry Festival. Stop by and see us, we'll be there. Loretta

Hello from Jean!

I have been reading lots of stories the last couple of weeks. Seems the more I read, the more excited I am about ways to use storytelling. Of course, now I need to learn how to tell them! Today, I was speaking with a friend who is helping to develop our synagogue's environmental committee. At the end of Sept. or early Oct., she's organizing an environmental hike for families. She asked if I would tell a couple of environmentally related stories during the snack/lunch break. She said she was interested because I told her how I was learning to use stories to spark imagination and get people to think about things that are important to me. So, besides telling stories in my school, I think I will begin to tell stories in the community, if I can and if I don't chicken out.

Next weekend, my family will leave for a week long vacation at the Jersey shore with my parents and my brother's family. We have done this many times before (though not in usually in NJ), and fortunately, we have all gotten better at managing family dynamics. Most of the time, we are now able to enjoy each other's company. We will return home on a Saturday, and that Sunday, we'll drive my son back to college. I feel so lucky to have had this summer with him (he worked at a local day camp). He is becoming more of a young adult and has dropped his previous teenage angst. I love to hang out with him and just talk. I know that the older he gets, the less likely I will have summers with him. Meanwhile, watching him transform (like a monarch butterfly!) has given me more patience with my younger teenager.

I hope all is well with all of you. Anyone going to the Sept. 28 storytelling festival? Anyone planning to attend the workshops as well as the performances? Anyone interested in getting together to practice new stories?
-Jean

I'm in!

Hi everyone,
I'm on the blog! Whoohoo!
I've been planning and can't wait to try out storytelling with my class!
More info to come...
~Fatima

Hi everyone. What fun to be part of a blog! My kids have a whole life online, both met their significant others there. But until now, I've been limited to e-mail. Who knows what the future may hold for me here!

I haven't told my story again yet either. I'll have to just grab a captive audience somewhere sometime soon. Maybe in a doctor's waiting room!

I have bought myself a few blouses that seemed to fit this newly discovered part of myself. I intend to keep on playing!

Holly

Making Changes

In case you didn't know, we are ALL contributors to this blog. That means that any of us can add, edit, and delete. I already made the change about the Monarch Butterfly event, but if someone wants to add another event, links to important websites, a calendar, or other youtube videos, please do so. Click and play! This is for us!

Hello from Alaska!

Well, I returned to rain and much cooler weather, but still have wonderful, warm memories of meeting friends from Princeton to hold on to! Thank you, Alexis, for creating this blog and ensuring that we keep the lines of communication open (especially for those of us who are far away from New Jersey!) I begin teaching at the university this Monday for a MAT Elementary class on Brain Theory and am excited to share how story can be a powerful teaching tool. I plan to to tell a story and am thankful to Susan and the group for providing such a safe and supportive environment to share our stories and give us that extra boost of confidence.

I found a great resource to use in the classroom to help children tell stories and, along with all of the wonderful techniques that Susan shared, I plan to use it to begin the year to teach a Storytelling unit. Here's the link: Children Tell Stories: Teaching and Using Storytelling in the Classroom

Take care friends,

Lorrie