Class: Art of Storytelling
Grades: 11th and 12th
Teacher: Debi Ellman

In the English elective, Art of Storytelling, students explore unconventional forms of telling a story.  To prepare themselves to share a personal story orally, students listen to several episodes of PRX’s Moth Radio Hour—which features true stories told live on stage without scripts, notes, props, or accompaniment—before hearing stories from members of the BVR community. This year, several faculty and staff members participated virtually in the annual BVR Moth radio hour and told stories of love and loss—and awkward moments with cats.

After taking my students to a live Moth production in Cambridge a couple of years ago, it dawned on me that they might enjoy even more listening to the true-life tales of faculty.  For the past several years, a group of amazing teachers has participated in this annual event, sharing poignant and heart-warming stories from their youth. Our homegrown production, always fun, inspires students to mine their own memories, crafting a personal story to share in our class Moth competition.

— Debi Ellman, English teacher