I had the privilege today to hold a storytelling workshop for a group of teachers. By using oral storytelling, teachers can improve concentration and motivation in their students. This is a common problem with language teachers (and perhaps even class teachers) of students who do not pay attention or ones who lack motivation. Just imagine if you could solve that problem by having a story in your toolbox that you can tell to the whole group at the drop of a hat (or the blink of an eye). Let me explain how storytelling works with your brain for an optimal learning situation. First, according to recent educational neuroscience, the brain needs three things to be able to learn and move information to long-term memory. Education needs to be meaningful, relevant and enjoyable. By telling an oral story, you can stimulate the brain of the listener to relax (letting go of stress that prohibits learning when the amygdala is overactive). For many, the act of listening to a sto...