
People is defined as the characters in your story (i.e. teacher, students, cited texts, etc.). Just like in design thinking, the goal is to always start with people. They are the heart of the story. The other pillars of the story don’t matter if you don’t first connect with your audience (in this case, your students).
Story doesn’t have to be a big, or new endeavor. In fact, story is already built into the course structure and your syllabus when you provide a course description, explain what students can expect from you and the course, and in the assignments you write.
Keep in mind that as the instructor, you’re an important character in the story, but not necessarily the main character. Rather, you’re facilitating and co-constructing a story with your students throughout the course’s entirety. People connects us.