"Introduction to the Best Class I've ever Taken"

The best class I’ve ever taken, so far, is a Storytelling Class offered at a Junior College in Modesto, Ca. After being out of school for twenty years, my three daughters were at ages that no longer required every hour of my time, and my husband had finally accomplished his dream of becoming a Fireman, I mustard up the courage to face my greatest fear- obtaining my BA degree. I already held an AA degree in Computer Science, yet time has a way of intimidating your courageous act. Never the less, I pressed forward and registered for school. I was uncertain regarding my major, but what I did know is that I loved to speak and write. As I searched the college course catalog, my eyes stumbled across an unique speech course- "Storytelling."

This course is not offered at the numerous junior colleges or universities. I knew it was an absolute necessity for me to take this class. On the first day, we were challenged to write a story about an upside-down event, which is a crucial first step in developing your personal story. An upside-down event is an event that occurred at some point in your life that challenged your normal way of thinking or behaving, therefore creating a new norm because of the impact it had on you. The professor walked us through the technique of creating, writing, and presenting our story, using this storytelling method. She not only taught us how to compose and present stories, but taught the class itself by utilizing the art of Storytelling. She extended herself to every student, desiring each of us to succeed in our quest to becoming great storytellers. Having travelled doing Storytelling at various events for over seven years before taking this class, it never occurred to me that there was an actual academic technique to Storytelling, since it came so natural to me. I grew up sitting at my father’s feet, for what appeared to be a considerable amount of time, week after week, listening to him recount outrageous fictional stories. Storytelling, for me, was more of a hobby that transformed into an opportunity to do what I cherish as a profession.

Equally important, this Storytelling course creatively used all the disciplines of expressive art: visual, movement, music, drama, sound, and writing. The course, as well as the instructor, encouraged me pass my fears, challenged my comfort zone as a presenter, and turned my fear of continuing my educational goals into a fun journey. I improved as a speaker, while becoming a better student determined to succeed, which is why I am currently enrolled in English 145.