Priming Activity #1: Storytelling Can Change the World

Imagine! Play! Wonder! With Zarah C. Gagatiga

Here is the official poster of Imagine! Play! Wonder! A Storytelling Workshop with Zarah C. Gagatiga.

Paglaki ko, gusto ko maging kwentista!

Museo Pambata has chosen me as one of the six storytellers to be included in the roster of artists and creatives who push for the development of literacy and children's rights. I am deeply honored.

I struggle to keep the self inflicted flattery down low. I pray to be blessed with the grace of smallness. I do want to be recognized for the hard work I put in as a teacher librarian, storyteller and author. And truly, I am happy. But I also need to keep in mind that this honor is not entirely my own doing. In many ways, I have the support of friends in the industry. I know that my parents were instrumental in building in me a positive work ethic. My children are my constant inspiration. My husband is my worst critic (and this is a good thing).

More than anything, this honor of being inducted as a role model for young people inspires me to do more. To never stop creating and looking for possibilities when the road that is ahead presents dead ends. To the Museo Pambata people, this early, I thank you for this honor. In this day and age, our work in providing young people with the chance to grow roots and wings is all the more challenging. May we draw strength from each other and inspire more young people to continue what we have started.

See you all next month in the launching of the new Ang Paglaki Ko room!

Librarian-Storyteller: Ann Grace Bansig

Librarian-Storyteller Ann Grace Bansig shares her answers to my questions before we had our storytelling session in Sambat Elementary School with Sambat Trust scholars.

1. What motivated me to volunteer? 

Volunteering is my passion. It was intensified during my college days where I was a member of a socio-civic organization that visit institutions. Now, this passion is being sustained by the many volunteering opportunities in La Salle through our Social Action Office, Book mobile project and other personal endeavors. So, in short, its within me. 

2. What is my personal goal as a storyteller? 

My personal goal is to foster love for reading and develop life-long readers. It is my advocacy now to spread awareness about the many benefits of storytelling to children. 

3. What is my volunteer-storyteller experience prior to this activity? 

I have a lot of storytelling experiences prior to this activity. I usually do storytelling whenever we do Bookmobile project. I also volunteered in ATD Fourth World Philippines in the previous summers. And being a Reading major, storyelling is very essential as we advocate for a literature-based reading program.

4. What are my expectations from this experience?

I don't really expect much but I do hope that the students that we catered during the small group storytelling session realized how reading can make a difference to their lives. 

Librarian-Storyteller: Martin Julius Perez

Martin Julius Perez shares his answers to my questions before we had our storytelling session in Sambat Elementary School with Sambat Trust scholars.

1. What motivated me to volunteer?

 At first I’m reluctant to join due to a busy schedule, but then I decided to volunteer. As a librarian and an advocate of reading and learning, I think I can help and contribute to this activity. I’m thankful that when I was younger, there are people who would share to me stories that inspired me and touched my life. This time, it is my chance to return the favor to the younger generation. I hope to inspire them with these little acts of mine.
 

2. What is my personal goal as a storyteller?

 When telling or sharing stories, I just want to put smiles in the faces of these children and to inculcate in their minds and hearts positive insights, values and lessons that will, in some way, have an impact in their lives. I want to promote reading for learning and for leisure, and to make them appreciate every story, whether it is short or long, simple or complicated. I want them to realize that in every story there’s something to learn and there’s an idea to capture for the development of their imagination and outlook in life.
 

3. What is my volunteer-storyteller experience prior to this activity?

I think the last time I volunteered for a storytelling activity was in an outreach program for patients of a children’s hospital in Quezon City. Also, aside from this, I love to share children’s stories to my little cousins at home.
 

4. What are my expectations from this experience?

I just wanted to have fun and to share what I have to these children. While they are learning, I think I will also learn from them and from their stories too.

Librarian- Storyteller: Gee Ahne Kathrine dL Giray

Librarian-Storyteller Gee Ahne Katherine dL Giray shares her answers to my questions before we had our storytelling session in Sambat Elementary School with Sambat Trust scholars.

1. What motivated me to volunteer? 

I was motivated to join when I saw your last bibliotheraphy for the Yolanda survivors. Ever since, I want to do a storytelling outreach not only for experience but also for the positive effects that it could do to the children. Reading/ listening stories are not only for leisure since it could instil such golden values that could hone their moral being; such values that they could keep while they are growing up.

2. What is my personal goal as a storyteller? 

My goal as a storyteller is to give food for thought and sparkling smiles. I want to touch the hearts of the listeners with the story and the way I’ll be delivering it. I also want them to realize the essence of listening to good stories that will eventually lead them to appreciate reading. I’ll feel very fulfilled if anyone of them shall become a book lover 

3. What is my volunteer-storyteller experience prior to this activity? 

I am a Grade School Librarian. We are required to have monthly Library Instructions for each grade level. We usually conduct storytelling sessions for Kinder and Grades 1 and 2.

4. What are my expectations from this experience?

A very moving experience that I could remember for the rest of my life

Librraian-Storyteller: Cocoy Pineda

Librarian-Storyteller Cocoy Pineda shares his answers to my questions before we had our storytelling session in Sambat Elementary School with Sambat Trust scholars.

What motivated me to volunteer? 
 I am fond of helping children and wanted to learn how to effectively engage them through storytelling. 

What is my personal goal as a storyteller? 
To be the best! loljk. I just want to be that person who can inspire/motivate others.

What is my volunteer-storyteller experience prior to this activity? 
No “formal” experience yet. But I’ve tried storytelling before for LIS classes and library/community outreach.

What are my expectations from this experience?
Teach, learn and have fun.

Librarian-Storyteller: Michelle Arispe

Librarian-Storyteller Michelle Arispe shares her answers to my questions before we had our storytelling session in Sambat Elementary School with Sambat Trust scholars.

What motivated me to volunteer? 
I don't get to do library/literacy related volunteering anymore so i'd love to do it again. And it's different when you get to share what you can do without getting paid for it or whatever, feels fulfilling. 

What is my personal goal as a storyteller? 
There's nothing like being able to make kids happy after a storytelling, to make them enjoy a good story, to be able to provoke thoughts, and to be able to look at things from their perspective as every child is different in how his thinking is molded by his experiences at home, in the community, etc.

What is my volunteer-storyteller experience prior to this activity? 
None. Only read-aloud storytelling at work to kids from preschool to the second grade.

What are my expectations from this experience?
Every experience is unique, so i'd just love to be surprised and learn something new.

Librarian-Storyteller: Mennie Ruth Viray

Librarian-Storyteller Mennie Ruth Viray shares her answers to my questions before we had our storytelling session in Sambat Elementary School with Sambat Trust scholars.

What motivated me to volunteer?
Love for children especially how they see and embrace the world with such innocence and amazement.

What is my personal goal as storyteler? 
With stories, I'm hoping to inspire children to continue seeing the good things in our world, to hope and believe in the power of imagination.

What is my volunteer-storyteller experience prior to this activity?
 Before, I was invited to be a storyteller in our preschool unit. When I volunteer as yaya to my neices and when there were opportunities to do outreach programs involving children.

What are my expectations from this experience? 
Love!

Librarian-Storyteller: Darrel Marco

Librarian-Storyteller Darrel Marco shares his answers to my questions before we had our storytelling session in Sambat Elementary School with Sambat Trust scholars.

What motivated me to volunteer?
I really want to share stories as I know how powerful they are. They can touch and transform lives. They can even build a nation.
. 
What is my personal goal as a storyteller?
More than the telling of stories, I want those who will be able to hear them, to share and pass on those stories. At the same time, I also want them to create and share their own stories. Stories are power that everyone has and anyone can afford.

 What is my volunteer-storyteller experience prior to this activity?
I've been telling stories to LG and EED students for 5 years now! Usually read-aloud, but now I'm trying to venture into ala-Ms Z-style and digital storytelling. I also love to do volunteer storytelling to communities especially the minorities.


What are my expectations from this experience?
 FUN!

Filipino Librarians Volunteer as Storytellers

In this age of digital and social media, a good idea is often hatched online. Little did I know that a storytelling session with Leyte children at the Fabella center would inspire young Filipino Librarians to volunteer as storytellers in a session with Sambat Trust scholars. From a photo posted by Menniie Ruth Viray, CSA Makati school librarian, and my comment to an open call to volunteer as storytellers seven volunteers, librarians all, committed to meet and "greet" scholars of Sambat Trust last December 21, 2013.

To further germinate the idea and plans, Mennie set up an FB group where we can discuss and flesh out details of the session. After coordinating with the local field coordinator of Sambat Trust, Ate Wilma de Rojas, the plans were finalized and we soon found ourselves at Sambat Elementary School meeting the scholars.

With Darrel Marco, Ann Grace Bansig and Mennie Ruth Viray, leading the program, the scholars had fun playing games, doing origami and listening to stories told and shared by the librarian-storyteller volunteers. We had simple food for the scholars, bread and water, and we gave each one scholar a book. It was a simple celebration of Christmas!

In the following days, I will post write-ups of these seven young librarian storytellers. I asked them four questions that would help them focus as far as their storytelling journey is concerned. They are full of hope and idealism. This is enough to keep an old warrior like myself inspired to continue carrying the storytelling torch so that other librarians may follow this path.

Thank you to the school leadership of Sambat Elementary School, to Ate Wilma de Rojas and to Anthony Mariano for giving us this opportunity to touch lives!

Youth Peace Summit by the CLP School

Just sharing the thank you letter from Teacher Tin Canon of the CLP School since I was a guest storyteller during the Peace Summit. Check out the pictures!

Yps thank you letter zara gagatiga from Zarah Gagatiga

Puppets for Storytelling: Making Stick Puppets

In my storytelling sessions, I love doing read aloud from well chosen picture books and illustrated story books. I also do participative telling from the oral tradition.

Since storytelling is also a visual art, I make use of flashcards/kamishibai, cultural artifacts like gangsa, rainmaker, malong and tubao. I use puppets as well. These various devices and tools keep the storytelling encounter exciting. It drives boredom away. Props and puppets aid in extending the imaginative power a notch further leading young listeners to a clearer understanding and enjoyment of the story.

Here's a simple step by step procedure in making a stick puppet. The needed materials are as follows: bond papers, patterns or cut outs, coloring materials, scissors, adhesive tape, chopsticks or barbecue sticks.

 a. Draw on a clean sheet of paper the chosen animal, plant or object, person or thing for puppet making.

b. Free downloadable or reproducible art or graphics may also be used. For this purpose, I used a set of animal patterns from the book Best of Dr. Jean Puppets and Storytime.

c. Color the patterns using crayons, oil pastel/craypas, markers or color pencils.

d. Cut the patterns. Be careful! Very young children may need assistance or a blunt pair of scissors when cutting.

e. Get some chopsticks. Paste or stick the cut animal patterns on the chopstick using adhesive tape.

That's it! Ready for story time!

I use these puppets for the folk story, Father Rat Finds a Midwife from Tales From the 7,000 Isles: Filipino Folk Stories (de Las Casas and Gagatiga, 2011). Click the link for a story script that can be used for a puppet show.

Have fun!

Gcina Mhlope Becker is Back!

Storytelling Without the Book

This conversation happened a few minutes before a storytelling performance.

Teacher: Hi! Ms. Zarah, thank you for saying yes to our invitation.

Me: My pleasure!

Teacher: May I know what book you'll be using for storytelling this morning?

Me: I won't use a book (smiles).

Teacher looked shocked. Disbelief etched all over her face. After a few seconds her surprise died  and she nervously smiled.

Teacher: May I know what story you'll tell then.

Me: Hmmm... I have not decided yet.

Teacher was horrified!

Me: I'll tell from the oral tradition. I'll use paper, chalk, my Sagada walking stick and my malong. Participation stories... (smiles some more)

Teacher: Can you at least give me the title of your story?

Me: I'll start with the story of this dog named Bingo. Then move on to some more animal stories. A bird, yes. And a spider.

Teacher sighed and went to the podium to start the morning program.

Storytelling Past, Present...and Counting!

Dear Librarian: Storytelling Program for the Library

Our letter sender for this month's Dear Librarian post came from Augie Ebreo of the University of Batangas.

Dear Ms. Zarah,

Please ... excuse me ma'am. May I ask for your help on how to build and operate a Storytelling Corner inside the Library?

Will send my reply and a guest blogger's in the next few days.

Kindred Spirits

Bodjie Pascua, storyteller par excellence, has only these words to say for storytellers:

Know your moments so you can land on your moments, and make your moments land!
– Bodjie Pascua

Updates on Tales From the 7,000 Isles Book Project

Dianne de Las Casas is in town for a series of workshops. Scholastic Philippines sponsored her five workshops in Bulacan, Batangas and Manila. All were smash hits!



We're off to Sagada tonight for research and folk lore collection on the book we're putting together. Then we'll fly to Bohol in the Visayas island for more research. And a bit of sea, sun and sand.

Dianne De Las Casas Live in Manila

Learn the craft of storytelling from one of the award-winning professional storytellers in the US and a book author too!

Scholastic brings you Dianne de Las Casas on a limited engagement on the following dates:

May 5 (St. Paul College Bocaue, Bulacan)
May 6 (Canossa Academy Lipa, Batangas)
May 7 (Development Academy of the Philippines, Ortigas Center, Pasig City)

Time: 7:30 am to 12 nonn
Registration Fee : 50% discount or P650.00 per participant only for Scholastic partner schools. Regular fee is P1,300 which includes handouts, books and snacks.

To register, call us at 900-1537 or 628-4487. Hurry! Limited seats only.

To know more about Dianne, visit www.storyconnection.net.

Invite your friends too!