Hi Detra:
Students (and people in general) like stories, especially when they're spoken with a good flow, narrative, and the audience (students) can relate (at least partially) to the material. Situations students are likely to encounter to sharing mistakes made from the teachers experience are often received very well.
The thing is, a teacher can sense students are fading, "snap them to attention" with a story, and voila, refocused and attentive. Slick!
Regards, Barry