These questions and more are all part of a student’s doubts about storytelling and their abilities. As teachers, we have heard them all, and try to answer them with caring and concrete suggestions. Usually, our answers fall on fearful, deaf ears.

But what if the students could hear answers from other students?

Liz's students with their St. Brigid’s crosses. Our own Diana Lucente is at the far left.

Liz Warren is returning from Ireland after four weeks of teaching her Irish Studies Abroad program. Her blog, as always, contains wonderful pictures and summaries of the students' experiences. But there is much, much more here.

The students have written short paragraphs about each time they told: how they found their stories; why they chose them, and what they learned. "I wanted to tell a story about..."; I loved the line where..."; It reminded me of something in my childhood..." These small snippets are really big insights about the entire process. They also share their fears and joys about telling. We have all been there, worried, concerned, clueless, searching.

We tell our students, "I understand. Everyone goes through this." But hearing from several students, about what they experienced may be the best answers yet.

Fear and doubt is part of the process that all students must go through in order to come out the other side. These reflections from Liz’s group can help other students at the beginning of this precarious journey. Make sure you read the Final Reflections 2013, Third Stories of 2013 and Second Stories sections.

They are also reminders to the rest of us about what it was like, and they just might peak our interest in a new story!

P.S. You might want to read the ENTIRE blog. Liz does a great job of painting wonderful pictures!
 
http://irelandjournal.typepad.com/