Let's talk about what a "teachable moment" is, and how to actually.. teach, in that moment.

A thread, by a teacher.

#BeanDad #SixHours

A teachable moment is not when you realize someone doesn't know something, and then just watch them not be able to do it.

That's just called frustration.

A teachable moment is when you see that someone is currently ready for new information, and you give them the information.

If you don't actually teach them, it's not a teachable moment. It's just an asshole moment.

(and you're the asshole)

First of all, you need to assess: can they learn information right now? In education, we talk about the "affective filter"- basically, things that stand in someone's way of learning.

Think HALT - Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired. I'd add Anxious and Afraid. HAAALT prevents learning.

It's not a teachable moment if someone has an immediate, physical/emotional need that must be met. Meet their needs first, or give them supports to overcome those needs, and THEN it becomes a teachable moment.

It's also important that your method of teaching... doesn't haaalt.

So how does one teach in a way that doesn't make someone Hungry, Angry, Afraid, Anxious, Lonely, Tired?

First, offer emotional support "You know, this is a good time for me to teach you how to do this. I'm gonna walk you through it." Affective filter, lowered. Teachable moment.

Now, the easiest teaching method for any multi-step process is called "I do, we do, you do."

It is.. exactly what it sounds like.

First, I do. I complete the process, narrating the steps, while the student watches. Slowly. Deliberately. I show my understanding. Demonstration.

Next, We do.

This is a frustrating stage. We both have to be involved. Perhaps I do while the student reminds me of the steps - but I don't do anything they forget to tell me. I prompt them to recall what they're forgetting. The point is to get their mind to recall the steps.

Depending on the learner's affective filter, age, and the difficulty of the task, the We Do might take several attempts.

Some tasks do not require a single "teachable moment" - they take multiple teachable moments.

We call this.. teaching. Or, you know, parenting.

Finally, the I Do.

The learner performs the task under observation with minimal feedback from the instructor. Simply, "what do you do before that?" and "ooh, what are we forgetting?" - lead them to the answer, don't bark it at them.

The brain needs to actively recall the steps.

But the most important thing-

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING

The most important thing that makes a teachable moment is that it's not about the teacher.

It's about the learner.