Narrative Self-Study Inquiry into Storytelling and Humor as Pedagogy

This qualitative narrative inquiry self-study explores the integration of storytelling and humor as a primary pedagogy within teacher education. Situated in a midwestern R-2 university, the researcher, a novice teacher educator, traces how her identity as a military child influenced her reliance on self-deprecating humor and storytelling to build rapid rapport. Utilizing the Self-Study of Teacher Education Practices (S-STEP) methodology and Clandinin and Connelly’s (2006) three-dimensional space (temporality, sociality, and place), the study analyzes data from 48 students, including emails, artifacts, and surveys. Findings indicate that humorous storytelling serves as a critical relational tool that increases student engagement, fosters a sense of belonging among first-generation college students, and creates an inclusive environment for addressing complex issues like race and equity. The study further reveals that storytelling facilitates bidirectional vulnerability and community building. The results affirm the importance of reflexivity in developing a professional identity that bridges the transition from practitioner to researcher.