"We learn in ... stories".(in the classroom)

Educational psychologist Frank Smith wrote that "Thought flows in ... stories about events, stories about people, and stories about intentions and achievements. The best teachers are the best storytellers. We learn in ... stories" ("Quotations," n.d.). Perhaps he is right about learning from stories, but not just stories from teachers. I was reminded just last semester how much I have learned from my students' stories and how much they have learned from their students.

The teachers in my introductory gifted education class came from a variety of backgrounds and school districts and were working toward different master's degrees. I had students from rich districts and poor ones, small ones and huge ones. My students came from Columbia, Mexico, Venezuela, and Guatemala, as well as from small towns and big cities in Texas. A few of them came from districts with strong staff development in gifted education, but more than half had never attended a single in-service session relating to gifted children. Some knew their districts' programs "inside and out," while others had no idea what services were provided for gifted children in their schools. In this kind of class, everyone has a story to tell, and one can learn from every story. Nancy Garcia, one of my students, has given me permission to share the following story with you:

 
   Through the loud cries and temper tantrums 
   of most of the just-turned 5-year-olds, 
   Casper walked in quietly with a backpack that 
   roofed his 3-foot frame. Without prompting, 
   he correctly hung his backpack where his 
   name appeared. With his eyes fixed on me, 
   he walked up and introduced himself and 
   the found his name on one of the tables. He 
   pulled out his chair and sat quietly, absorbing 
   his surroundings. When I tested all 22 
   bilingual kindergartners, I discovered that he 
   surpassed his peers. He knew the alphabet, 
   numbers, shapes, and syllables. As I recorded 
   my findings, he read the form and pointed 
   out that I had written today's date in the field 
   for his birth date. Through giggles, he said, 
   "Yo no naci hoy (I wasn't born today)." 
 
   Casper was energetic and eager to share his 
   ideas on everything we discussed in class. He 
   always raised his hand to answer any question 
   or to comment. His ideas were imaginative 
   and original. While celebrating Columbus 
   Day, I read a book about the explorer and 
   used the globe to show Columbus' journey. 
   Casper wondered aloud, "Why is the world 
   named earth (dirt) if there is more water than 
   dirt?" I praised Casper often, so much that I 
   realized that other children were reluctant to 
   speak up. Eventually I had to ask, "Can anyone 
   else answer besides Casper?" 
 
   He soon realized that he could impress me 
   in other ways, such as finishing his work 
   promptly, writing neatly, and going beyond 
   the basic directions I gave. Casper could tweak 
   and reinvent my assignments cleverly. For 
   ...