My best teacher ever - Storytelling

1. Challenge: Describe your challenge, including all relevant information.

Back in 2009, I lived in Venezuela, a country extremely hit by poverty, criminality and so many  horrific things. I was a student at the Mechanical Engineering faculty, and we were having the  most incredible problems you can imagine: we couldn’t take our laptops to the classrooms  because there were too many thieves that have robbed an entire classroom in our building before  (with actual guns in their hands), the laboratories didn’t have enough material to work because it  was very expensive, and when we left the university at 6pm every day, we knew there was a huge  chance of being robbed in our way home, or killed (and this is not even an exaggeration). All of  these were causes for the lack of attention from us students during the lectures, and one particular  professor noticed we were in great need of the right words, he sensed we were at the brisk of  leaving the university for good.

2. Selection: In your own words, briefly describe the tool you selected (e.g., what it is and why

you selected it for your challenge -- including any appropriate video lecture references).

Attending as many lectures as I have in my life has taught me one thing, some subjects are  extremely interesting, but if the professor is not giving his 100% to get to you, you’ll find it boring  and irrelevant. Storytelling makes you feel engaged, gives you a cause, it answers why you need  to pay attention without explicitly telling to do it. “Storytelling is putting the human beings and their  experience front and centre. Take the listener along on their journey” as the content in this course  says. My professor of Fluid mechanics knew this very well and he used this tool to give us not only  hope but motivation.

3. Application: Describe how you applied the tool you selected to your challenge (e.g., what you

did and how the tool was applied effectively or ineffectively).

One day, at the beginning of our lecture, my professor said, “I want you all distracted today, It is  not important what I’m going to say, you can sleep in your sit, use your phone or do whatever you  want, It won’t affect anyhow your final grade”, of course this caused the opposed effect and all of  us were extremely curious of what he was going to say. He continued, “I’m 66 years old, my back  pain is unbearable, the payment I receive from teaching covers only the 50% of my monthly  expenses and takes 80% of my time, I have to come here by bicycle because I can no longer  maintain a car. So, why am I so stubborn, and instead of going into pension I continue to come  here?”, a silence invade the room, we were so focused on our problems that we never once  thought that our teacher was also suffering the problems we were facing plus 50 years more in  his back. “BECAUSE I’M IN LOVE WITH PHYSICS” he screamed and we were shocked, “I never  forget why I decided to come here in the first place 23 years ago, the same reason I’m here today:  the situation is deplorable yes, but that’s the country’s situation, not my head’s situation, I won’t  let it get to my thoughts, I know difficult times are not forever, knowledge is. Being sad and scare  is a choice, and I chose to be happy”. He then started to smile, letting us know why they say, “The  devil knows a lot more because of his age, than because he is simply the devil”.

We were never the same after that day, we realized that we could choose to be happy and do the  things the best way possible, even with the outside situation being so challenging. It was so  effectively told, this storytelling, that still today, I lived by those words.

4. Insight: Describe the insight you gained from applying the tool you selected to your challenge

(e.g., how an insight affected your thinking about the challenge and about design thinking  more broadly).

That storytelling did non only change the way we behaved during college, but the approach we  all have towards life. Only a few days ago, so many years after that incredible day, my colleges  and I, all living abroad, still remember those words. He was so wise to speak about himself and

never mention a thing about us, he did not lectures us, he did not put any blame o victimize  anyone, and by doing so opposite of what normally happens, he allowed a 50 student’s class in  one of the most catastrophic places on earth to graduate with honours and in time.

I get that design thinking is a way of living, you need to avoid all traditional approaches and  understand in specifics your subject, the more details and less generalization, the best outcome.

5. Approach: Describe what you might do differently next time -- applying the same tool you

selected or a different one -- and the reason(s) why.

The only thing I would have changed, from the teacher’s perspective, is doing it sooner, because  the tool was applied to a such a level of perfection that I can’t imagine changing a thing about it.

From us students, I think we should have done a mind mapping “Looking for patterns and themes  in your data”, to acknowledge the fact that for every lecture we had the same attitude obtaining the  same result, a bad one. Because the change in our mental structure was going to create an ease  in studying that will allow us to take it as a dare, not as a suffering.


My best teacher ever - Storytelling 1 . Challenge : Describe your challenge , including all relevant information . Back in 2009 , I lived in Venezuela , a country extremely hit by poverty , criminality and so many horrific things . I was a student at the Mechanical Engineering faculty , and we were having the most incredible problems you can imagine : we could n’t take our laptops to the classrooms because there were too many thieves that have robbed an entire classroom in our building before ( with actual guns in their hands ) , the laboratories did n’t have enough material to work because it was very expensive , and when we left the university at 6 pm every day , we knew there was a huge chance of being robbed in our way home , or killed ( and this is not even an exaggeration ) . All of these were causes for the lack of attention from us students during the lectures , and one particular professor noticed we were in great need of the right words , he sensed we were at the brisk of leaving the university for good . 2 . Selection : In your own words , briefly describe the tool you selected ( e.g. , what it is and why you selected it for your challenge -- including any appropriate video lecture references ) . Attending as many lectures as I have in my life has taught me one thing , some subjects are extremely interesting , but if the professor is not giving his 100 % to get to you , you ’ll find it boring and irrelevant . Storytelling makes you feel engaged , gives you a cause , it answers why you need to pay attention without explicitly telling to do it . “ Storytelling is putting the human beings and their experience front and centre . Take the listener along on their journey ” as the content in this course says . My professor of Fluid mechanics knew this very well and he used this tool to give us not only hope but motivation . 3 . Application : Describe how you applied the tool you selected to your challenge ( e.g. , what you did and how the tool was applied effectively or ineffectively ) . One day , at the beginning of our lecture , my professor said , “ I want you all distracted today , It is not important what I ’m going to say , you can sleep in your sit , use your phone or do whatever you want , It wo n’t affect anyhow your final grade ” , of course this caused the opposed effect and all of us were extremely curious of what he was going to say . He continued , “ I ’m 66 years old , my back pain is unbearable , the payment I receive from teaching covers only the 50 % of my monthly expenses and takes 80 % of my time , I have to come here by bicycle because I can no longer maintain a car . So , why am I so stubborn , and instead of going into pension I continue to come here ? ” , a silence invade the room , we were so focused on our problems that we never once thought that our teacher was also suffering the problems we were facing plus 50 years more in his back . “ BECAUSE I’M IN LOVE WITH PHYSICS ” he screamed and we were shocked , “ I never forget why I decided to come here in the first place 23 years ago , the same reason I ’m here today : the situation is deplorable yes , but that ’s the country ’s situation , not my head ’s situation , I wo n’t let it get to my thoughts , I know difficult times are not forever , knowledge is . Being sad and scare is a choice , and I chose to be happy ” . He then started to smile , letting us know why they say , “ The devil knows a lot more because of his age , than because he is simply the devil ” . We were never the same after that day , we realized that we could choose to be happy and do the things the best way possible , even with the outside situation being so challenging . It was so effectively told , this storytelling , that still today , I lived by those words . 4 . Insight : Describe the insight you gained from applying the tool you selected to your challenge ( e.g. , how an insight affected your thinking about the challenge and about design thinking more broadly ) . That storytelling did non only change the way we behaved during college , but the approach we all have towards life . Only a few days ago , so many years after that incredible day , my colleges and I , all living abroad , still remember those words . He was so wise to speak about himself and never mention a thing about us , he did not lectures us , he did not put any blame o victimize anyone , and by doing so opposite of what normally happens , he allowed a 50 student ’s class in one of the most catastrophic places on earth to graduate with honours and in time . I get that design thinking is a way of living , you need to avoid all traditional approaches and understand in specifics your subject , the more details and less generalization , the best outcome . 5 . Approach : Describe what you might do differently next time -- applying the same tool you selected or a different one -- and the reason(s ) why . The only thing I would have changed , from the teacher ’s perspective , is doing it sooner , because the tool was applied to a such a level of perfection that I ca n’t imagine changing a thing about it . From us students , I think we should have done a mind mapping “ Looking for patterns and themes in your data ” , to acknowledge the fact that for every lecture we had the same attitude obtaining the same result , a bad one . Because the change in our mental structure was going to create an ease in studying that will allow us to take it as a dare , not as a suffering .