Teachable Moments

During my first observation in Preschool Practicum, my supervisor spent a lot of time talking with me about the importance of teachable moments (apparently I missed quite a few). It was probably the most influential talk I have had since beginning practicum, and I can guarantee you I am a better teacher now than I was because I have been able to capitalize on "teachable moments."

The hardest thing about teaching in the moment is that it is unplanned. As a teacher, you have to be flexible and make a split-second decision on whether or not this moment is worth capitalizing on, worth taking away from your next lesson. I have found that more often or not, teachable moments are worth it. 

Being able to capitalize on a moment, and really capturing the students' interest, is an invaluable opportunity to expand a students' learning. 

This Tuesday was full of teachable moments...

I gave impromptu lessons on being courteous to authority figures, allowing people to concentrate on their work, why we shut off water when we work on plumbing, how a crock pot works, and, my favorite, the voting process. Needless to say, it was a crazy day. I do, however, believe that the lessons learned were worth the craziness! I believe we learn by living, regardless of whether or not we are in the classroom!

I found a blog forum from PBS that could not be better at explaining teachable moments...I highly recommend it:

 http://aplaceofourown.org/question_detail.php?id=599