My 41 Word Rationale for Teaching Stories

When teacher Andrea Marshbank recently asked the #engchat hivemind on Twitter what she could say to students who wanted to know why they had to study stories in school, I found myself stopped in my tracks furiously tapping away a reply. Here’s what I said:

Because ALL knowing is narrative. Even that obscure chemical formula or equation. To understand something deeply is to be able to describe it as story: nouns verbing other nouns in all sorts of adjectival ways. To know is to story. #edchat #engchat

— tomliamlynch (@tomliamlynch) September 24, 2018

I will also add here that every teacher–every one–must always have an answer to the question, “Teacher, why do I have to do this?” And, your response can not reference tests, college, or teacher authority. It must be bigger than all that.

Many thanks to Ms. Marshbank for making her practice public.