Equity Storytelling Exercise for Teachers and Leaders

Taking a Seat at the Table - Inspiring Equity Through Storytelling

Taking a Seat at the Table

Inspiring The Pursuit of Equity Through Storytelling' is an exercise that we believe can have direct and long-term positive impacts on leaders, teachers, and students.

This exercise has been designed to enhance the participant's storytelling skills. During each ninety-minute session, we create a safe place for sharing stories and for exploring how to become better storytellers.

In a collaborative setting, we engage participants in the practice of turning a memorable incident into a great story. Participants are given an opportunity to tell their story more than once and receive feedback that helps them deliver in a more engaging style. Through practice and coaching, participants leave with a more effective way to tell one of their equity stories. They leave armed with an additional set of stories shared by their peers that they can share with their students, parents and colleagues.

Add This Exercise To Your Team-Building Event

This equity-themed storytelling exercise will illuminate the value of sharing personal stories of
overcoming challenges is one impactful way to inspire students, parents, and educators to pursue
equity and opportunity. Be forewarned. This team-building exercise requires that
participants dare-to-share an experience of how they gained a seat at the table and how that
the event was a turning point in their life.

About the Host: Alyce Smith Cooper is a Master Storyteller who has been enthralling children of all ages
for over forty years with her storytelling artistry. Out of 1,100 applicants Alyce was recognized
by the California Arts Council as a 2022 California Arts Legacy Fellow for her lifetime
contribution. She is available to guide your team-building group through this exercise.

Exercise: "Taking a Seat at the Table - Inspiring the Pursuit of Equity Through Storytelling"
Hosted and facilitated by: Alyce Smith Cooper and Friends
Add This Exercise: As a session in your team-building exercise, retreat, conference, or online forum
Time Required: One two-hour online session. Or two two-hour online sessions
Fee: One two-hour session - $2,500 or, Two, two-hour sessions - $4,000
Online Platform: To be provided by the school district hosting the event.

If you are interested in having Alyce facilitate this Equity Storytelling Exercise for your team,
Contact: Alyce Smith Cooper
email: alycesmithcooper@gmail.com

Tuesday Equity Storytelling Sessions - If you are interested in participating in our ongoing
storytelling forum, please join us on any Tuesday.
Time: Tuesdays at 10am - 11am Pacific Time
Go to (shortened link): https://shorturl.at/GNQU2
Meeting ID: 859 1088 4563
Passcode: 791959

Testimonials

 "I would like all administrators and other leaders in our District to participate in this exercise series."

From Nicole DiRanna, Director of Curriculum and Instruction

San Marcos Unified School District

Additional survey responses

“I will use my story of taking a seat at the table to speak to people from the heart. And then, to build rapport and trust, I am going to ask teachers, parents, and students to share their stories.”

"I am going to use storytelling to inspire others to engage in the work that meets the needs of each and every child."

"This exercise made me realize that storytelling can transform student learning."

“More than ever before, I want to hear the stories of our staff, students, and parents. I'm sure they have SO much to share. It would behoove us to provide time and space for this to happen.”

Here is an example of Alyce's storytelling

Teaching While Black

We encourage teachers, principals and leaders to engage their students, as we have engaged them in discovering and then telling their stories of attaining a seat of inclusion at the table. Whether gaining acceptance on a team, succeeding in a job interview, graduating to the next grade level or describing the pursuit of a new opportunity, we encourage both teachers and their students to learn how to use storytelling to describe challenges they have overcome.

Exercise Candidates - Although any leadership program may be interested, we are offering this exercise to teachers and leadership groups who are engaged in the development of equity, inclusion and diversity in their organizations.

Exercise Facilitator, Alyce Smith Cooper - Over the past 40 years Alyce has been conducting storytelling events for children of all ages. Out of 1100 applicants, Alyce was recently recognized in 2022 as one of 23 artists to receive the California Arts Council Legacy Award.

Benefits for Teachers and Leaders

Through presentation and feedback, they will get a better understanding of their existing skills as a storyteller
By practicing storytelling techniques, they will gain a better understanding of how to engage and inspire their audience
By sharing stories, they will benefit from a collaborative process with their peers
They can gain the ability to tell stories that communicate more complex ideas to their students
Storytelling helps teachers open pathways for students to explore new ideas
Teachers will gain a better understanding of the relationship between the storyteller and their audience to support intentional mirroring
Storytelling allows teachers to communicate lessons learned that can help students overcome obstacles in their lives
Exercise Candidates - Although any leadership program may be interested, we are offering this exercise to teachers and leadership groups who are engaged in the development of equity, inclusion, and diversity in their organizations.
Personal stories provide points of identification that can make teachers more approachable

Impact for Students

Stories help students learn because stories are easy to remember
Storytelling engages a broader range of students, reaching visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners
Stories help students grasp and express more complex ideas
Learning to present in a storytelling mode can increase confidence in communicating ideas
Listening and telling stories connects students to each other, building community and resilience

Tino Rayos ~ Award-winning Poet and Co-facilitator of the Equity Storytelling Exercise

Living Stories Productions

Living Story Productions, (LSP) – Over the past two years, LSP has been committed to recording 100K first-person narratives from Americans, people of color who have made significant contributions to building their communities. LSP provides the online platform for conducting exercises, recording, editing, and publishing stories. The following is a brief description of a second project that has evolved out of delivering the storytelling exercise.

Amateur Journalists Project - In addition to telling stories, we are encouraging teachers to draft their students into the role of amateur journalists who interview local heroes and elders to find out how they earned their seat at the table. Utilizing today's search, streaming and recording technologies, students can research interviewees at a distance to capture pictures and articles in preparation for and implementation of an interview.

We are currently working with an afterschool group in Washington state to develop this program.

Produced by:

Living Story Productions

A TOTA Foundation Pilot Project

Please contact: Andre James

alwaysarj@gmail.com