In my children’s story, Three Pounds Fifty in Change, Julian, an artist down on his luck, sketches a five pound note on a napkin — the note he wishes he owned. Nancy, the cafe owner, generously decides to accept his drawing as the genuine article, in payment for his cup of coffee. The magic happens when Nancy offers Julian £3.50 in change. Insodoing, she changes the course of his life by restoring his confidence in his work.
I was recently preparing to present Three Pounds Fifty in a storytelling workshop on empathy, to students aged 8-10 at Vinehall School, in East Sussex, UK. It occurred to me that I, like Julian, was hoping the students would join me to create magic — to enter the story world together, and decide, collectively, to care about the fate of its inhabitants.
As a workshop leader, I do my utmost to entertain and engage them — taking on different roles, and pausing to allow them to finish my sentences or improvise gestures. But the magic only happens if they choose to join in and feel invested in Julian’s predicament.
Would they care about whether Julian is able to pay for his coffee — and then finds a way to repay the mayor? Would they laugh at the mayor’s comeuppance? Would they warm to the final hint of romance between Julian and Nancy?
Reaching the students’ hearts feels imperative in these workshops because my theme — empathy — has never been more relevant. Empathy got us through the pandemic, and now, we need it to recover, reconnect and thrive. Sharing stories is one of our most powerful means, as a society, to exercise and develop this superpower.
On the morning of the workshop, as I started to read, the students responded with exclamations, laughter and thoughtful observations. All of a sudden, I knew how Julian felt when Nancy treated his drawing as actual currency.
After I finished the story — leaving Julian and Nancy to enjoy their celebratory ice cream treat — we discussed how the characters showed empathy. Students then explored their own experiences of receiving empathy — opening up about how kindness and understanding offered by friends and family had helped them through some painful and scary situations. We also brainstormed about the different ways that we could act with empathy towards others — everything from helping with chores to offering words of encouragement. To demonstrate the power of a smile and eye contact, we ended the workshop with the send-the-smile-around-the-room-game — lots of jumping, laughing and a healthy competitive spirit.
I left the students with the challenge of performing an act of kindness every day and journaling about it in an “Empathy Adventure” booklet. The booklet lasted a week. I hope their adventures with the magic of empathy last a lifetime.
*****
Thank you for sharing your talents as a story teller with us. I think the children loved the story as it captivated them, fully encouraging them to think about empathy.
Ally Linney, junior school teacher, Vinehall School, Robertsbridge, UK
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