The Art of Storytelling to Engage Students

Have you ever connected your lesson with your students to a personal experience or a story you witnessed? If not, you should. Watch the engagement in the students’ eyes as they lean into the story you are telling. The students will want to hear more, asking questions and encouraging you to give more details. Students want to learn, but even more than that, they want to connect with the material they consume.

Storytelling as a Tool for Critical Thinking

Storytelling is a humanizing practice that can guide inquiry and foster critical thinking (Nagarkar et al., 2026; Astiz, 2020). Critical thinking is a skill that many students struggle to develop. Sometimes, it is easy to get a student to agree with you, but very difficult to teach them to think critically on their own (Bowen & Watson, 2018). Some of our students want the answer or have us teach to the test. However, especially in healthcare fields, critical thinking and learning the material beyond exams are important.

I have found that when I connect the concept to a story, the students are engaged and more permeable. The questions asked are mostly a desire to hear the nitty-gritty of the experience, but through that, you will be able to connect the story to your teaching material. I promise you, they will remember the material more deeply than if you spoon-fed it to them. The idea is that the student can later reflect on that story to remember not only the details but also the material being taught, connecting the lesson.

You are supporting your students’ learning through storytelling that allows for experiences and truths some will choose not to tell, or that change the narratives told (Astiz, 2020).

Using Personal Experiences to Teach Real-World Lessons

An example of how storytelling can teach a lesson is in reviewing patients’ medical histories.

I was seeing a patient in a dental office for a routine appointment. I examined the patient’s medical history and found nothing concerning, so I asked the standard follow-up question: “Has anything changed in your medical history in the last six months?”

The patient happily replied, “No changes.” So, I began the dental cleaning. I did not get far when I noticed some bandages on my patient’s knee.

“What happened?” I asked. “Did you fall?”

“No,” they replied. “I had my knee replaced.”

I immediately stopped because, several years ago, the protocol for dental prophylaxis for knee replacement was antibiotic premedication. I was horrified at my inability to take a full history on the patient and at having begun treatment when the protocol was that they could not get their teeth cleaned without the premedication. Had I taken a few extra minutes and asked more detailed questions, the patient likely would have responded appropriately by noting that they had a surgical procedure.

Storytelling has been used for centuries by many cultures to convey health-related knowledge (Nagarkar et al., 2026). Findings from a recent scoping review emphasized that storytelling is not only a promising modality for enhancing health knowledge but also a culturally grounded approach to advancing health equity (Nagarkar et al., 2026).

I used this humbling experience not only to provide a real-world example that could teach students important lessons but also to enhance their knowledge of health.

Connecting the Story to the Lesson

So, what is the lesson here? What I want the students to take from this story is multifunctional.

First, it is important to acknowledge that everyone makes mistakes, even teachers. Second, a detailed medical history can prevent medical errors. Third, there are situations in which merely posing the question does not give a patient enough background information to provide an accurate response. Finally, think critically about the importance of knowing your patient’s medical history.

How do you know if students comprehended the purpose of the lesson when the story is told? Start a discussion. Ask your students why they think the story was important. How did it connect to the day’s lesson? Initiate a conversation where you can summarize the lesson’s main ideas and make sure everyone understands.

Therefore, the next time you want to teach a new lesson—or even one you have been teaching for some time—consider incorporating a creative plot or personal experience to help relate the content to practical applications.

Tiffany Baggs, CRDH, MSDH, is a Professor for the Dental Hygiene program at Valencia College. She is an active member of the Florida Dental Hygiene Association (FDHA) and the Florida Allied Dental Educators Association (FADE). 

References 

Astiz, M. F. 2020. “Storytelling in the Higher Education Classroom: Why It Matters.” College Teaching 68 (4): 187–188. https://doi.org/10.1080/87567555.2020.1785382

Bowen, J. A., and C. E. Watson. 2018. Teaching Naked Techniques: A Practical Guide to Designing Better Classes. 1st ed. Hoboken, NJ: Jossey-Bass. 

Nagarkar, A., G. Martin, K. Sadaniantz, S. Iyengar, H. C. Wisniewski, M. K. Denu, G. Chiriboga, S. N. Forrester, J. J. Allison, and L. C. Kovell. 2026. “Storytelling for Health Promotion: A Scoping Review.” American Journal of Health Promotion 40 (2): 187–209. https://doi.org/10.1177/08901171251365366