When fifth grade students at Terra Linda Elementary gather for a weekly story time with their teacher Julie Barnson, they know it will be both entertaining and educational.

“When she tells stories, it kind of sticks in my brain, what we need to know,” fifth-grader Seth Coulam said. “When she tells a story, it’s easier to remember.” 

The historical stories, tall tales, ghost stories and cultural stories Barnson tells all relate to the fifth grade American history curriculum. But they are told with the flourish of an experienced professional storyteller.

Barnson said the skills she has honed to become a professional storyteller partner well with the skills needed to be a good teacher. Telling stories helps her think creatively and make connections to what she is teaching.

“I use stories in my lessons to build background for a lesson,” Barnson said. “I can use stories about weird facts, or things in history, or scientific discoveries, and I can pull all those things in to make the lessons more exciting. I can make just about anything sound interesting— math, history, science.”

Barnson also teaches her students how to be storytellers to introduce them to the artform and also to improve their confidence, fluency and listening and speaking skills.

Her students read a variety of types of stories before choosing one and developing it into a performance.

Fifth-grader Brooklyn Benedict, who loves telling stories and wants to be a writer, chose to tell a funny story, a twist on a traditional fairytale.

“My class said they liked my story because I used my hands and how I tell the end and how funny I made it,” she said. “I like seeing people laughing and giggling and smiling.”

Brooklyn said having Barnson as a teacher has helped her improve her performance skills.

“She inspired me to be better than before,” Brooklyn said.

Barnson’s top student storytellers, including Brooklyn and Seth, will perform at Jordan School District’s Story Weavers Storytelling Showcase in May.

JSD Gifted and Talented Consultant Rebecca Smith said the youth tellers who participate receive helpful feedback from judges, but the event is not a competition. 

“It is mostly a showcase and celebration of their hard work, practice and knack for storytelling,” she said. “It is delightful. Everyone— students, parents, spectators— leaves the event with a smile.”  

Youth storytellers also have the opportunity to participate in the 6th Annual Story Crossroads Summit and Festival May 13-16. Story Crossroads Founding Executive Director Rachel Hedman invites youth to participate in and attend the festival— in person or virtually.

“There's so much learning that happens by having youth tellers share the stage with professionals,” she said. “As the youth tellers perform with professionals, they get to see how professionals handle things, and hopefully the youth tellers realize that they already have those skills, and they can keep going. The people in the audience who happen to be youth, or students, see other youth performing, and they now can tell themselves, ‘Hey, I can do this, too.’”

 Barnson, who has performed in the festival, always signs up for the virtual field trip that allows her class to watch the storytellers. Teachers also have options to bring students to the live performances at Murray Park or to have storytellers perform at a school assembly. The events are open to the public, too. More information can be found at storycrossroads.org/festival/.

Hedman said many teachers see the value of storytelling in their classroom, but she is truly impressed by the way Barnson incorporates it into her lessons every day.

“Julie Barnson is the supreme example, and I wish that we had more of that,” she said. “Usually professional storytellers are asked to help and to teach, but Julie Barnson actually teaches by example herself. Not only is she a teacher, but she definitely qualifies as the ultimate story-teacher.”

In addition to telling stories to engage her students, Barnson performs storytelling at schools, churches, community and private events, county fairs and festivals. She loves telling ghost stories, which she did as a tour guide for the Salt Lake City Ghost Tours and the Centerville Cemetery Tours. See her tell a tale at this link: https://youtu.be/s0C8vSXUxlU  or  QR Code λ