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Profiles in Storytelling
Each month we will profile one of our Mesa County Spellbinders. This will be a great way for us to share life and storytelling experiences with other Spellbinders. Our membership includes a rich and diverse pool of ideas and experiences. This will be a great way to share that information! Look for our first profile next month. |
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Benefits of Becoming a Spellbinder
I know you are aware that being a Spellbinder is more fun than a person should be allowed to have, but did you know it's probably good for your health? According to a recent Prevention Magazine article, people 55 and over who did volunteer work lived longer and if you add to this an activity that stretches your mind (like learning stories) your mind will maintain it's ability to handle daily activities better than those who are less mentally active! |
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Spellbinders of Mesa County Statistics
School Year 2002/03
Total Student Audience: 6,850
Classrooms: 112
Schools: 18
Tellers: 14
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School Year 2007/08
Total Student Audience: 38,672
Classrooms: 467
Schools: 34
Tellers: 43
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School Year 2008/09
(as of 12/31/08)
Total Student Audience: 24,320
Classrooms: 306
Schools: 23
Tellers: 35 |
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 Welcome to Mesa County Spellbinders Newsletter!
A little bit about us:
The mission of the National Spellbinders organization is to nurture literacy, character and intergenerational community through the art of oral storytelling. In order to spread the magic of oral storytelling Spellbinder chapters train volunteers to become storytellers in their communities.
This newsletter is sent to you by the Mesa County Spellbinders. Enjoy! |
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Rocky Mountain Storytellers Conference
Time to Register for New Horizons, the 34th annual Rocky Mountain Storyteller' Conference, April 23, 24 and 25. This year's conference takes a fresh approach to storytelling with more of everything at a brand new venue: Swallow Hill, 71 E. Yale Ave., Denver. Register at: rmstory.org
Featured Presenters and Performers:
Sherry Norfolk - Storyteller, author, teaching artist and workshop presenter on storytelling and literacy.
Julie Davis - Storyteller and accomplished autoharpist, guitarist and flautist.
Harry Tuft - If it makes music, Harry can play it!
Dr. Vincent Harding - Veterans of Hope Project that collects stories of the struggles for freedom and justice worldwide.
Opalanga and Cleo Parker Robinson Dance - Dancing the Story exploring story as dance and dance as story. |
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Timpanogos Storytelling Festival Turns 20!
The 2009 Timpanogos Storytelling Festival will be held September 3-5, 2009. You can get up-to-date information at the website link below. The website also includes information about hotels that are giving a discount to festival attendees. This will be the festival's 20th anniversary. The storytellers that will be there are listed at the site and include Donald Davis, Bill Harley, Carmen Deedy, and many more! So mark your calendars and save the dates!
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Spellbinders Show & Tell
 If you missed the last workshop you missed something special! Our February workshop storytellers told some great stories!
Lorna McIlnay shared Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp by Mercer Mayer.
Sally Matchett shared "More Than a Match" by Aaron Shepard. You can find this story at the link below.
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Question of the Month
 What can I do if the children begin to lose focus on the story, or become noisy to the point of distraction?
You can say, "If you can hear me, touch your head." You can also begin to speak very softly or stop speaking for a moment until attention is returned to you. Ruthmary Allison
Since I tell in special education classes, I've discovered some delightful call and response methods that are helpful. The teller of the story will say a word and the audience is instructed to respond with a specific word. In Native American storytelling this is often, "Hey?" and the response is "Ho!" In Bahamian storytelling it is "Bunday?" and the response is "Bunday!" I tell the children when I say the word it means "are you listening?" When they respond they are telling me "yes!" Karen Hurst
It doesn't happen much--mainly at special events, but not often. If I get distracted, I just stop and say something about the fact that I am getting distracted and ask them if they want to hear the rest of the story. Sally Matchett
Hats! I wear one of my fuzzy peaked caps which the children love to stroke at the end of the visit. The rule is that when the hat is on my head, nobody talks. When I take it off we can have question and answer or comments. If they forget I just point to my head and it seems to do the trick! Penny Stewart
To prevent this behavior I almost always give the students an "assignment" to listen for something particular in the story. If most of the students are really rambunctious, I stop talking and request that they move from the floor in front of me and back to their desks. Once they are sitting quietly I pick up where I left off or start over. I then tell standing up and moving around the room. (Food for thought: sometimes the disruptive activity may signal that the story is not appropriate for the level of students.) Mary Ann Janson
First, I try to bring their attention back to me by adjusting the story content or the way I am telling it. Often if I just keep going, change the tone and/or volume, or create a sense that something interesting is coming up they will stop what they were doing and focus on the story again. If it is a big problem that doesn't resolve itself quickly, I stop an explain how difficult it is for me to tell the story while they are disturbing the peace. I also make sure I compliment the ones who were being good listeners! Laurie Kollasch
If it is a couple of students that are visiting with each other rather than listen, I just pause and look at them until they look up and come back to the story. If it is a class for little ones, like pre-K, or K, I just try to get down closer, get more excitement into the story, and ask them a question or for some kind of response. If I think the students have been on the floor too long (maybe before I came in and then through a story with me), I will do some wiggle or movement activity to let them stretch. Norma Roscoe
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We hope you find this newsletter useful. Be sure to check out the Quick Links to find a great source for stories and more for St. Patrick's day! Please let us know what you would like to see in future issues by clicking Newsletter Feedback to send your suggestions via email.
Thank you for your contributions and support to our organization.
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Sincerely,
Karen Hurst
Spellbinders Mesa County
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