. The "teachable moment" is a catchphrase among teachers and other educators. It refers to those times when the situation offers an opportunity for the teacher to demonstrate some valuable lesson. Life also offers us teachable moments, sometimes when we least expect it, or when we are not seeking it. In my experience as an educator, perhaps the most important factor is a student's motivation, readiness, and willingness to learn. Put simply, if a person is not interested in learning a given subject, they won't.
For example, the other day I had to get some work done on my truck. So, I dropped it off for the day and made my way on foot up to the public library. Where they used to have some tables and chairs set up behind the stacks it was now devoid of furniture, a post-pandemic pandemic measure, maybe. There was still a small circle of easy chairs set up right by the entrance, so I sat down there to read my book. A homeless woman came and sat down there and began talking to me. She thought I was a fellow homeless person. I tried to be polite as she began telling me about all her problems (you know the type: it's hard to get a word in edgewise once they get going). She told me about how she was the victim of some scam where she was swindled out of her house. I asked if she had a lawyer, and she said she didn't trust lawyers. Then she told me about how she just found out she is eligible for Social Security but couldn't access it. I asked her if she knew her SSN, she did. I said she could go on their website and it would tell her what to do. She said she doesn't carry a smartphone. I pointed out the computers in the library and she said she didn't use computers, for some reason. The point is that in spite of all this available help, in spite of her life circumstances (she could certainly use a Social Security check), in spite of all the evidence that learning something new might be helpful, she was just not willing to learn. She basically wanted someone to do it for her. The whole encounter left me somewhat bewildered. Other times the ego presents an obstacle to learning, and similarly, fear. To be ready to learn means you have to put yourself in a vulnerable position. You have to admit you don't know some things. You have to be willing to make mistakes in front of your peers. I have seen students become virtually paralyzed by the fear of getting something wrong in front of their classmates. Anything educators can do to create an environment where students feel comfortable making mistakes will go a long way in this respect. Some people take it so far as to attempt to pretend they know something they really don't, rather than risk the vulnerability of actual learning. The real experts can always spot these people a mile away. In the end, which path is more embarrassing? The message here is not for the teachers, or even the students out there, but for anyone who wants to improve themselves in any way. The acquisition of new knowledge, skills and abilities is never a bad thing. Fear is always a negative, it is something to be overcome. Be willing to make mistakes. Be willing to laugh at yourself. Seek out experts who can teach you what you want to know or be able to do. Some things are very difficult at first and require a lot of practice. A gymnast or a skateboarder attempting to learn a new move must fail many times before they perfect the trick. Failure becomes your teacher. You have to learn to embrace it. The bottom line is the only person who is ever going to improve themselves and learn anything is the one who is motivated, ready, and willing to learn. This has to come from within. The teacher is irrelevant. Any accomplished athlete will usually have to work with a number of different coaches during their career. The best are the ones who essentially become their own coaches. Their progress is not dictated by who their coach is. They have taken ownership over their own training. This is an example of what it means to be a lifelong learner.
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AuthorCurrently teaching High School Environmental Science and Biology. Archives
March 2024
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