The Heart of Story-Based Learning

By David Hughes (Head of Learning & Innovation)

I want you to do something with me for a moment. 

Close your eyes and picture your favourite teacher. Travel back in time to their classroom and soak in what it was that made them stand out. Was it the time they spent with you? The little comments that showed you something in yourself you hadn’t seen before? Was it the fact that someone, perhaps for the first time, really saw you - not just as a kid but as a human with real potential? 

It is right in that moment that the truly transformative power of education resides. Moments like that are what truly matters in our lives and the lives of our children and students. If we are to capture the power of education in the 21st Century, it’s not simply about the latest technology or the best NAPLAN scores, but findings ways to foster these kinds of transformative moments in the lives of the students.

And the secret to fostering these kinds of moments is the heart. It is the heart of the teacher, and the heart of our parents, and ultimately the heart of our students, that truly matters in shaping a bright future for our young people. 

What makes all of this difficult is that the heart is not easy to measure or quantify. It is often the intangible and the unseen, the unobservable and the incidental, that makes the real difference. These out-of-the-way moments tend to happen when and where we least expect it - in the hallways, on the playground, in times of struggle and the in-between times. And it is only through having an open heart - ready to love in the moment - that care and compassion can flow to foster the kind of life-giving interactions that transforms lives. 

Here at Belgrave Heights Christian School we are privileged to have passionate teachers who genuinely care about their students. It’s why so many of our parents comment on the feel and the atmosphere of our school community. But beyond everything we do - all the practices, programs and structures, all the assignments, assessments and grades - we aspire to be a school that elevates and prioritises the heart.  

Story-Based Learning is all about fostering the transformation of the life-stories of our students. We’re not perfect, and we often get it wrong, but the heart is there - we believe this is what Jesus calls us to as we seek to follow him on this adventure through life.