Why story matters in critical pedagogy

Story matters! Why story matters? Because, it offers imagination, ideas and a deep insight, and assists a child to be creative. Gandhi believed: "a proper and all-round development of the mind...can take place, only when it proceeds with the education of the physical and spiritual faculties of the child."
While facing the struggles a child needs an order; however, it is better not to impose anything on a child; for a child freedom is necessary, it helps to be powerful and creative. At heart I believe that freedom and happiness are very important for a child's disposition. It helps develop the child's inherent qualities and character. Krishnamurti writes: "where there is order, there is always freedom".
Sensational pedagogies make learning meaningful and personal and connected to mind, body and soul. Complementary to holistic pedagogy, sensational pedagogy is a cooperative form of learning that can contribute to whole-child development. And we know only the pure sensation develops perception. Therefore, a sensational pedagogy helps learners experience learning effectively.
There is a deep connection between the learning process and the relationship between sensation and pedagogy. Story telling is the central part of holistic education and critical pedagogy. Here I narrate a story as an example of creative learning that connects a learner to nature and the environment.
It was a beautiful dawn! I heard a noise in my attic, I didn't think they were ghosts or thieves. I rather thought it was MistySugar, our little cat Freddie. Maybe, he was scratching a sofa or a carpet instead of his scratching pads, thumping and bumping on the stairs. I was lazy to open my eyes. Closing my eyes I just hushed him and whispered: 'Fredu, Fredu, Freddie please stop', but he did not. So I got off from the bed to find our cat, MistySugar, to see what was really going on. I found him standing on the corridor with erected ears and a tensed facial expression. He looked at me carefully and tried to say something softly, mew.., mew... As if he was trying to say: squirrels! Squirrels out there! Mommy, mommy go and check them!
It seems he is very alert about the noise, squirrel's chirps. Then, I thought there was a good chance that I had squirrels in my attic.
I looked outside the bedroom window and found a young lighter brown squirrel chirping on the sunshade. I asked him: 'what happened to you? Are you hungry'? The baby squirrel looked at me and started talking to me" 'chirps, chirps! Yes I am'! It seems that this little squirrel was trying to understand my language, what I was talking to him, and felt attracted to my conversation.
He made a series of chirps; 'I really need nuts, some nuts please! And he started running on the window sunshade. He chirped and walked back and forth a few times. Then, he ran finally.
He reminded me Bengali National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam's "Khuku O Kathberali", an excellent rhyme. It seems squirrels moved the poet too to write a wonderful rhyme for the children.
In this rhyme a little girl is asking a squirrel what he loves to eat the most: Squirrel, Squirrel, do you like to eat guava?
I find squirrels are most active in the morning and evening, they love to play in our backyard, sometimes at the front. They are so beautiful, some of them are black and some of them are lighter brown.
Our cat Freducinno enjoys these animals most, their each body movement. They run very fast as they are light. I saw our MistySugar Freddie loved to talk to them: khakk.., khakk. I am not sure though he liked them or not. Perhaps, MistySugar scolded them sounding Khakk…khakkk…meaning: 'hey why you in my home?.. Go away...', as they often break the rules of his kingdom/ his Lakeridge home, his territory, the lovely Riviera.
They make so much of the noise, sounds like fast scurrying and running. They run usually outside the attic, sometimes near the edge of the roof. Sometimes, I find them, they are rolling off nuts and playing in the garden.
I often hear squirrels, seagulls and birds are chirping together in the backyard garden. During the evening, I also find some beautiful brown rabbits are playing in the backyard. Sometimes rabbits sit face to face with our MistySugar quietly. I watch them with a great desire, they must stay here the entire day!It is wonderful to see these beautiful creatures playing and running everywhere, all day long. They are entering, taking exit and re-entering our Lakeridge home, Riviera!
"The Riviera", is just beside the Ontario Lake, West Rouge. This place is really a sweet animal home, a natural heaven on the earth. Like all animals, squirrels, rabbits and birds have to go outside to eat and drink. There are many ecosystems all over the world and this West Rouge, Lakeridge area is one of them. Many living creatures are living in the Ontario Lake and roaming around it with a great safety, freedom and pleasure.
I wonder: Where is heaven? Who says that it is too far? When I tell this story in a classroom I can see the wonder in children's eyes. They rhyme with me, as if they were present at Riviera, Lakeridge home.
"Squirrels and birds are still shining, like a lightning in the dark!
I hear a white blue lightning, Freddie keeps calling them darling, darling"!  
Miller, a holistic educator, also believes that "students awake to the processes of life by connecting to the earth. The curriculum teaches students not only about environmental problem-solving, but more importantly, how we are fundamentally embedded in the earth's natural processes." In the primary years, holistic education can emphasise the connection with the earth through gardening and farming programmes, science and math outdoor projects, guided nature walks to local conservation areas and other activities as a part of an environmental and community-building programme. Holistic educators think that earth connections can revitalise children to the natural processes of life. For example, the wind, the sun, the trees, and grass can help children be alive and awaken them. Along similar lines, I suggest that informal education starts with creative forms such as stories, visual art and oral recitation, major events and crises, and sensational pedagogies - smell, taste and sound. We need to teach our children in natural and informal ways so that their minds work and their horizons are broadened.
The writer is an anthropologist and environmentalist. Currently she is doing her PhD research on Curriculum Studies and Teacher Development at Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto.
Email: Pamelia07@hotmail.com