Transformative Effects of Storytelling for Graduate Students : Aspiring to Be School Counselors in a Multicultural Class

Abstract

Infusing storytelling in a multicultural graduate class for graduate students aspiring to be school counselors has the capacity to increase their ability to become more vulnerable and more compassionate. Storytelling can be an educational process. Storytelling involves listening, imagining, caring, judging, reading, adapting, creating, observing, remembering, and planning. Crucial elements in learning about diversity and having compassion for others. All these variables embody the role of a school counselor advocating for students. Graduate students tell their own stories through classroom assignments, independent readings, and ultimately storytelling. In my role as a counselor educator, I model storytelling where a cohesiveness is formed between my students and myself. Students show compassion for themselves and their fellow classmates. My ability to share my story with my students showed my vulnerability and compassion; opening the path for graduate students to share their own stories and make valuable connections to the academic material. Through storytelling compassion for self and others evolve. There becomes a union with the storyteller and the listener. As I share the value of telling my own stories, based on my K-12 educational experience, professorship with the voice and experience of a former public school educator and professional school counselor either in the role of classroom teacher, gifted and talented teacher, or professional school counselor I am perfectly poised to enhance my academic teaching by demonstrating my own vulnerability, equity, compassion and empathy by using storytelling that emphasizes equity, social justice, compassion and care.

Presenters

Zalphia Wilson Hill
Associate Teaching Profession, College of Education, Rowan University, United States

Details

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session

Theme

Education and Learning Worlds of Differences

KEYWORDS

Social Justice, Storytelling, Equity, Counselors, Psychologists, Social Workers