Being a Storyteller

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“Humans think in stories and we try to make sense of the world through stories.” 

Yuval Noah Harari

Here at the Human School, we have intentionally designed a process to “learn in public.” But it wasn’t always that way.

In the early days of brainstorming (a time full of  “what if’s” ) we engaged in many conversations around different ways to create content that would engage others and build a community around The Human School Compass and the mindshifts. As we iterated and refined our thinking, we realized that one of the things that we often longed for was a deeper understanding of the “messy middle.”  One of the unique design challenges we had was to develop content that was accessible and professional, but also told the story of iteration and growth and rethinking our thinking. 

We hope that in the stories we tell, and the stories within the stories we tell, you will gain a better sense of how we are learning and iterating along the way.  And by doing so through blogs, podcasts, and other media we will be telling many stories to make sense of these ideas. And this is all part of our fourth compass point: Being a storyteller. 

Being a storyteller is where we more formally release what we have learned into the world. Our stories are meant to be beacons, guidance for others to glean insight and to learn from, challenge and expand upon. They are both a reflective tool and a reflection of the growth we’ve made. They weave a powerful narrative of how we moved from objector, to inventor, to curator, and finally storyteller. The stories we tell are powerful and new because they recognize the value of context and uniqueness of those who have created and are sharing the story. 

Storytellers in a human-centered paradigm use a variety of mediums. They consider their audience and their impact. They learn with and in front of the public. They move from telling my story, to telling our story. They shift from telling a story to telling many interconnected stories. These stories articulate what we’ve learned. These stories ask who is currently at the table telling the story and who might be missing? Storytellers seek to inspire others to join in the mission and purpose of human-centered learning environments. 

Human-centered storytellers do not just highlight the polished final product. They courageously and bravely share their process. They allow others to see the evolution of their thinking and how new experiences and new learning shapes them. The stories we tell inform and reinforce the messiness of learning and help us to contextualize what makes human-centered learning different from the traditional.  When we think in and share powerful stories, those narratives become the pathway to more human-centered classrooms, schools, boardrooms, and communities.