Interrupting the Story

Students try to prevent the teacher from telling a story by constantly interrupting with questions.

Procedure

1. Tell students you are going to begin a story (a personal anecdote works well) and that they should try to stop you from saying more than a few words by asking questions.
2. Begin the story. As soon as you say a few words, students raise their hands or call out questions. For example:
   • You: The other day...
   • Student A: Which day was it?
   • You: It was Tuesday.
   • Student B: Was it in the morning or afternoon?
3. Answer each question, then try to continue. Students keep interrupting.
4. The rule is: as soon as someone raises their hand (or, in a small class, calls out), you must stop and answer.

Tips

• With large classes, have students raise hands. With small classes, let them call out freely.
• For online teaching, students can use the "raise hand" icon or type questions in the chat -- answer as soon as you see one.
• Provides natural practice in asking questions in the past tense.
• Integrates listening and speaking around storytelling, which is inherently engaging.