Andrew Jones

Telling tales: Do personal anecdotes belong in the classroom?

Originally published by SecEd Magazine on 5 February 2026.

In his memoir of teaching in some of New York’s toughest neighbourhoods, Irish author Frank McCourt (2005) reflected on how he engaged some of his more challenging pupils: “Instead of teaching, I told stories. Anything to keep them quiet and in their seats.”

He goes on to say: “When I told stories about the docks they looked at me in a different way. One boy said it was funny to think you had a teacher up there that worked like real people and didn’t come from college just talking about books and all.”

Like McCourt’s pupils, some of my favourite teachers, and those I still remember, were prone to the odd anecdote that made them more “real” – although, I have to admit, none of them ever claimed to have been dockers.

My memories of my A level sociology teacher, Mr Strange, are filled with amusing asides – from his attempts at pottery to the time he appeared on ITV News with his Meccano robot.

I remember other teachers: my geography teacher, for instance, describing his years as a labourer on a kibbutz in Israel and my year 5 teacher explaining how he tried to cheer himself up after the death of his dog by watching the Australian soap Home and Away – a show he normally discouraged us from watching, along with its antipodean rival Neighbours – but it happened to be an episode about a dog passing away.

Personal anecdotes have been used in classrooms for generations. If used appropriately, they can entertain pupils and, as McCourt points out, prove to pupils that teachers are, like everyone else, real people with lives outside of school. However, do they actually help pupils to learn, or are they simply entertaining diversions?

The case for anecdotes: The power of a good story

Humans are hardwired for stories. From ancient cave paintings to TikTok videos, storytelling is how we make sense of the world. According to cognitive psychologist Jerome Bruner (1991), narrative is a fundamental mode of thought, one that helps us organise experience, construct meaning and communicate understanding. We use stories to remember, to teach and to relate to others. 

This idea is not new. Storytelling has been central to pedagogy since antiquity, with philosophers such as Aristotle emphasising the importance of narrative in rhetoric and education.

More recently, educational thinkers like Lemov (2010) and Tharby (2018) have echoed this, arguing that stories can captivate attention and facilitate deeper learning by engaging both the emotions and the intellect. In this light, the classroom anecdote is not merely an entertaining aside but a potentially powerful pedagogical tool.

Anecdotes as engagement

Unlike the accounts of anecdotes I gave earlier, I do remember being transfixed by some of my teachers’ more subject-related reminiscences, particularly those that introduced us to a new topic or stressed the importance of an issue being studied.

My art teacher’s experiences of being a street artist, drawing movie characters like the Joker and Alien on the pavement, and how he was the subject of a television documentary, told us something we never expected about him but also introduced us to the wider uses of drawing with pastels and the techniques used.

Similarly, I had a history teacher who introduced the idea of mutual assured destruction in a lesson on the Cold War by briefly recounting his own fears as a young boy in the 1970s that humanity would annihilate itself.

The idea that anecdotes can effectively engage pupils, particularly when presented in narrative form, was explored by Dr Doug Lemov (2010) in the original edition of Teach Like A Champion. In this work, the use of short stories is highlighted in Technique 12, known as the “Hook”: a brief, engaging activity designed to capture pupils’ attention at the beginning of a lesson or learning sequence. When well chosen, such stories can not only engage and stimulate pupils but also help to focus their learning.

Anecdotes as concrete examples

Moreover, in the classroom, well-chosen personal anecdotes often serve as bridges between abstract concepts and real-life application. 

For example, building on the ideas of Willingham (2009; see also Sherrington, 2018), a physics teacher sharing how they used projectile motion while coaching their child’s cricket team can suddenly make parabolas a lot more tangible.

This isn’t just “fun”, it’s cognitively useful. Here, concrete examples can enhance memory and understanding, particularly when they are emotionally engaging.

In my own classroom, and while it may be considered a risky strategy, I have shared my personal experiences of bereavement when discussing religious attitudes towards terminal illness in religious studies. Opening with a reflection from my own life seems to settle the pupils and establish an overwhelmingly respectful tone for the less personal discussions that follow.

Anecdotes aid memory 

Research shows that emotionally charged content is more likely to be remembered (Tyng et al, 2017). A well-told story that evokes emotion, even just amusement, can lodge a lesson into a pupil’s long-term memory more effectively than a dry explanation.

In fact, personalising subject content has been found to improve pupil engagement and focus. Mayer (2009) argues that personalising spoken content can help learners create meaningful connections, which supports the construction of long-term knowledge. This is especially helpful when teaching abstract, theoretical or “dry” material.

Anecdotes to avoid mistakes

In a similar vein to all of the above, in one study, researchers found that when teachers shared personal stories, pupils reported greater trust and perceived the teacher as more approachable (Boris, n.d.). This can enhance classroom dynamics and contribute to a more supportive learning environment.

A tale of a personal failure, for example, can normalise mistakes and encourage resilience – a critical component of learning. Again, this type of anecdote is not for everyone or every school, but I often explain to pupils that my complete lack of effort led to a grand total of two C GCSE grades when I was in year 11, which is followed by my redemptive efforts in later life that lead to A levels and university. The moral of the story? Don’t make the same mistakes I did. 

The case against: Irrelevant monologues 

Of course, not all storytelling is created equal. I am sure far too many pupils have had to sit through stories that were too long, off-topic or frankly, a bit self-indulgent. The line between “relevant anecdote” and “rambling monologue” can be a fine one.

Cognitive overload is also a concern. Sweller’s (1988) cognitive load theory suggests that extraneous information, however entertaining, can distract from the core material and hinder learning. In short, if the anecdote doesn’t support the lesson’s objectives, it may do more harm than good.

There’s also the risk of bias. Anecdotes are inherently subjective, which can sometimes introduce misinformation or reinforce stereotypes, even unintentionally (Kahneman, 2012). While stories are powerful, they shouldn’t replace data, nor should they be the sole evidence presented in support of a claim.

And let’s be real: not every pupil will connect with every story. Cultural differences, age gaps, and life experiences all shape how a story lands. A tale that’s funny to one group might be confusing or irrelevant to another.

Moreover, not every teacher will want to do this. Despite everything I have said, if you are not comfortable sharing aspects of your life with pupils, then don’t – no-one’s suggesting you have to.

How to use anecdotes effectively: Some ideas

Used thoughtfully, personal anecdotes can be a powerful pedagogical tool. But like any tool, they need to be used with intention. Here are some tips for using personal anecdotes effectively in the classroom:

  • Keep it relevant: Make sure your story has a clear link to the learning objective. If it’s just a fun aside, are you wasting valuable learning time?
  • Be concise: A good story doesn’t need to be long. In fact, the more succinct and focused it is, the more impactful it will be.
  • Reflect on the message: Think about what the anecdote communicates beyond the surface. Is it inclusive? Does it reinforce a growth mindset? Or could it unintentionally alienate or confuse? Is it appropriate for your pupils? If in doubt, save it for the staffroom.
  • Balance emotion and information: Aim for stories that are not just entertaining but also emotionally resonant and informative. This creates a stronger learning anchor.
  • Gauge your audience: What works for key stage 4 may not work for key stage 3, and vice-versa. Know your pupils.

Final thoughts

Let’s not forget that pupils are people, not sponges. They like to laugh, connect and hear about the real world. One study found that pupils viewed teachers who shared personal stories as more authentic, which increased classroom participation and perceived learning (Frisby & Martin, 2010). 

Anecdotes can humanise the teacher, making learning feel less like a one-way transmission and more like a shared experience. In an era of AI, digital overload and information fatigue, the human element of storytelling stands out.

A well-placed anecdote can remind pupils (and teachers) that learning is not just about memorising facts, it’s about making meaning.

Further information & resources

Picture credit: PickPik (used under a Creative Commons Licence)

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