Engaging Students Through Co-Created Stories

Capturing and sustaining students' attention can be a constant battle, especially when tackling complex or abstract topics. However, there is a powerful tool at your disposal that can make even the most difficult concepts more accessible and relatable: co-creating stories with your students.

The act of breaking down a topic together and allowing students to express their understanding in their own words can create a deeper connection and make the points more salient. When students are active participants in the learning process, they are more likely to retain the information and develop a genuine interest in the subject matter.

Consider a common challenge you may face: helping a student overcome anxiety about getting questions wrong. This fear can hold many students back from participating and engaging fully. However, by co-creating a story with the student, you can explore the issue in a safe, relatable way.

Here's an example of how the interaction might unfold:

• You: "Let's create a story about a student who worries about getting answers wrong. What should we name the character?"
• Student: "How about Alex?"
• You: "Great. So Alex is really smart, but gets nervous about raising their hand in class because they're afraid of saying the wrong thing. What happens when Alex doesn't participate?"
• Student: "Maybe he misses out."
• You: "I can see that. And how does Alex feel when he doesn't participate?"
• Student: "Probably bad, left out."
• You: "Those are tough feelings. How could we help Alex feel more comfortable speaking up?"
• Student: "The teacher could make it okay to make mistakes, maybe make it not about getting the right answers but trying."

By co-creating this story, you've opened up a dialogue about a vulnerable issue in a non-threatening way. The student is exploring solutions from Alex's perspective, making the lessons more relatable and meaningful.

Co-creation can take many forms, including using a whiteboard, drawing together on paper, or even leveraging AI tools like Ella. Ella is designed to quickly create individualized learning resources. With just a title and some details, Ella generates stories, visual aids, and more with personalized images in any style, that resemble the student or any characters you create.

Here's how it works:

1. Enter a title like "Alex answers questions in class"
2. Provide details like "speak up" and "make mistakes"
3. Ella creates the story, including illustrations exploring the topic

Using Ella frees up time for the real co-creation to happen — the personal dialogue between you and your student. The key is making that space for students to explore, express themselves, and engage more deeply with the concepts you're teaching.

Co-creating stories can unlock powerful engagement and connection, helping students internalize vital lessons. By putting students at the center of the storytelling process, you can make even the most challenging topics feel accessible and relevant.