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Teachable Moments
Submitted by Christine Mann, Child Care Support and Outreach Consultant, Child Care Resource Program,
North Shore Community Resources
Beth Lewis' definition of a “teachable moment”. She writes:
A teachable moment is an unplanned opportunity that arises in a situation where a
teacher has an ideal chance to offer insight to his or her students. It is not something that
you can plan for; rather, it is a fleeting opportunity that must be sensed and seized by the
teacher.
In the past I have been writing about inquiry based guidance, mindfulness and
awareness. By becoming a conscious parent or teacher, using all these tools of my
earlier articles, it will become easier and easier to catch teachable moments.
What a wonderful thing! Being able to notice the real underlying reason for a
situation and then to actually be able to pass this insight on. Not to lecture at our
children, but engage with them into a journey of discovery, a journey into “aha”
moments. Children respond well to teachable moments and the lessons learned in
such a moment will usually last forever.
It is also about spending quality time together, the value of belonging, and listening
to each other. There are lots of examples in everyday life that are teachable
moments.
Teachable moments are real, spontaneous, immediate, and relate to the interest
level and age of the child. By recognizing them as an opportunity, parents and
teachers can have a tremendous impact on the present and future development of
their children. What is being taught and learned is immediate and relates to real
life.
The benefits of teachable moments are endless. Not only for the children, but also
for us parents and teachers. It involves us in educational change and we make a
difference, daily, in the lives of our children. While using teachable moments we are
refining our senses, practice compassion, model kindness and create a caring
community.
August 2015
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Teachable Moment

  • 1. Teachable Moments Submitted by Christine Mann, Child Care Support and Outreach Consultant, Child Care Resource Program, North Shore Community Resources Beth Lewis' definition of a “teachable moment”. She writes: A teachable moment is an unplanned opportunity that arises in a situation where a teacher has an ideal chance to offer insight to his or her students. It is not something that you can plan for; rather, it is a fleeting opportunity that must be sensed and seized by the teacher. In the past I have been writing about inquiry based guidance, mindfulness and awareness. By becoming a conscious parent or teacher, using all these tools of my earlier articles, it will become easier and easier to catch teachable moments. What a wonderful thing! Being able to notice the real underlying reason for a situation and then to actually be able to pass this insight on. Not to lecture at our children, but engage with them into a journey of discovery, a journey into “aha” moments. Children respond well to teachable moments and the lessons learned in such a moment will usually last forever. It is also about spending quality time together, the value of belonging, and listening to each other. There are lots of examples in everyday life that are teachable moments. Teachable moments are real, spontaneous, immediate, and relate to the interest level and age of the child. By recognizing them as an opportunity, parents and teachers can have a tremendous impact on the present and future development of their children. What is being taught and learned is immediate and relates to real life. The benefits of teachable moments are endless. Not only for the children, but also for us parents and teachers. It involves us in educational change and we make a difference, daily, in the lives of our children. While using teachable moments we are refining our senses, practice compassion, model kindness and create a caring community. August 2015