It is more than reasonable to offer newer teachers, who naturally need practice with the basic TPRS/CI skills of Circling and SLOW, etc., some options to stories that work with kids and give them that needed practice before they even try a story.
The activities described on the Resource page of this site on the Workshop Handouts link are good examples of options to stories, but even they can be a bit challenging for an absolute newcomer to the method. Instead, I offer a great reading sequence as the best way to test the waters of comprehensible input.
I should have done so earlier, and it didn’t occur to me how valuable this would be until Karen wrote this in a comment about Read and Discuss here last week:
… [the fact] that there [was] this option wasn’t really clear to me before this PLC…
So, if you feel that you need a break from the confusion of stories, here is a repost of what I consider the absolute best way for a teacher who is new to comprehension based instruction to get some practice:
https://benslavic.com/blog/2012/10/03/five-stages-of-r-and-d/
I might add that using a book like Le Nouvel Houdini, which appeals more to kids than some of the other offerings out there, is important. The text has to have at least some redeeming qualities in terms of being able to relate to kids today.
By the way, another place here to find options to stories can be found by clicking on the “Bail Out Moves” category. One of these includes the option of dictée, which is a huge performer when the going gets confusing and the confused (us) need to get going in the classroom.