Stories That Zoom Like Bees
We’ve put together some resources for parents and teachers working with Zoom and other live-screen technologies. As parents and kids are facing the reality of remote learning – and more screen time – it’s more important than ever to balance that out with lots of loving face time at home.
A great article in the NY Times helps explain why long sessions on Zoom sometimes leave us feeling , “isolated, anxious and disconnected.”
Telling stories, even silly stories like in the practice below, is a great way for a child to reground post-school and tap into her personal connection with you. It allows your child to see and harmonize her emotions with your real face.
Zooming Around,
Silke & Joe
Practice Story - Zoom, the Busy Bee
Next time your child is feeling Zoom fatigue, open a window in your heart and let your imagination unfold into this story. The goal is to allow the story to spark your own creative voice. What is the story that your child needs to hear?
ZOOM, ZOOM, ZOOM
I am as busy as a bee,
no time for supper or tea!
It takes me hours and hours and hours,
to visit all the flowers.
Bee was thinking, what is all this buzzing about? It seemed like all the humans had turned into bumblebees. At least, that was the word on the street according to his friend Robin. "People Zoom in school," Robin said. "They Zoom in meetings, Zoom with the teacher, Zoom with parents!"
“There must be some gigantic flowering bush that attracts all these zooming humans,” said Bee to Robin.
Picture that flowering bush. Try to describe it to your child. Make it beautiful, the branches and roots like the wires and connections of the internet. Dive into your imagination and bring it to life. Your child might have some ideas too. Maybe the two of you could draw a picture?
"I know,” said Robin, looking in the window at little Johnny. “The flowering bush must be inside that box! When I flew to Lisa's house I saw her in front of the flowering box as well!”
Bee wanted to find out for himself. He flew around Johnny's house and found an open window. In he zoomed. There sat Johnny, but he did not notice the bee, since he was asked to focus during his Zoom call with class.
I wonder what he sees? thought Bee, and he flew onto the center of the screen and landed on the nose of the teacher – but it only looked like it. This is a strange bush, thought Bee, where is the pollen?
All of a sudden, Johnny saw the bee on Teacher's nose. "A bee!" he shouted.
“Correct!” answered the teacher, who was reviewing the proper orientation of lower case letters.
"No, a real bee!" Johnny shouted. "Help, it’s going to sting me!"
What a silly idea, thought Bee, I don't want to lose my life! Then he too shouted, “Help!” as Johnny began flailing his arms.
"Calm down!" said the teacher.
Robin sat on the window sill and whistled to her friend. Zoom! went Bee and escaped. Johnny saw the robin sitting there and asked if he could go out to play. "After the zoom meeting!” said Mom.
"I wish I was a bee,” said Johnny.
"I wish I was a Robin,” said mom.
After the Zoom meeting, Johnny and Mother went out and flew around the garden like a bumblebee and a robin.
"Look what I did!” said Bee, “I made them come outside. Now I’m going to show them where they can find some real nectar!"
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This practice is based on a method we call The Storytelling Loop. Don't worry about the details. You can always change the story. The important thing is to learn the method – start with reality, tell a story, then see how it gives you an opportunity to come back to reality with fresh eyes.
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Our blog The Storytelling Loop has been read by over 60,000 people across the world. In it, we share tips, research, and examples of how to connect with kids through storytelling. It is a joint project of Silke Rose West and Joseph Sarosy, authors of How to Tell Stories to Children.