A teachable moment, in education, is the time at which learning a particular topic or idea becomes possible or easiest.

In education

The concept was popularized by

Robert Havighurst Robert James Havighurst (Hurlock) (June 5, 1900 – January 31, 1991) was a chemist and physicist, educator, and expert on human development and aging. Havighurst worked and published well into his 80s. He died of Alzheimer's disease in January ...

in his 1952 book, ''Human Development and Education.'' In the context of education theory, Havighurst explained, :"A developmental task is a task which is learned at a specific point and which makes achievement of succeeding tasks possible. When the timing is right, the ability to learn a particular task will be possible. This is referred to as a 'teachable moment.' It is important to keep in mind that unless the time is right, learning will not occur. Hence, it is important to repeat important points whenever possible so that when a student's teachable moment occurs, s/he can benefit from the knowledge." The concept pre-dates Havighurst's book, as does the use of the phrase, but he is credited with popularizing it. The phrase sometimes denotes not a developmental stage, but rather "that moment when a unique, high interest situation arises that lends itself to discussion of a particular topic." It implies "personal engagement" with issues and problems. These moments can (and often do) come when least expected. Teachers and parents alike can benefit from the use of teachable moments.

Political use

In July 2009,

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

professor Henry Louis Gates was arrested at his home; the incident garnered media attention throughout the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The mayor of Cambridge,

E. Denise Simmons E. Denise Simmons (born October 2, 1951) is the former mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts, having served her first mayoral term 2008–2009 term and her second mayoral term 2016-2017. She was the first openly lesbian African-American mayor in the ...

, said that she hoped that the result would be a "teachable moment". U.S. President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

expressed the same hope as Simmons: Obama's use of the phrase attracted considerable comment in the American media and blogosphere. Gates himself echoed the same theme, stating, "I told the President that my entire career as an educator has been devoted to racial healing and improved race relations in this country. I am determined that this be a teaching moment."Baker, Peter and Helene Cooper
"Obama Shifts Tone on Gates After Mulling Debate,"
''New York Times.'' July 24, 2009. On July 4, 2011, Glyn Davis, vice-chancellor of the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...

, used the term in an article in ''Campus Review'', describing the Australian Higher Education Base Funding Review as a rare opportunity to educate a wider public about how public tertiary education is supported. Davis argued that "We (Australian Universities) must show why Australia's public universities returned to the community, many times over, the money spent providing higher education," and that this constituted a teachable moment.

Notes

References

Festinger Festinger is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Richard Festinger (born 1948), American composer * Leon Festinger Leon Festinger (8 May 1919 – 11 February 1989) was an American social psychologist who originated the theor ...

, Leon. (1957)
''A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance.''
Stanford:

Stanford University Press Stanford University Press (SUP) is the publishing house of Stanford University. It is one of the oldest academic presses in the United States and the first university press to be established on the West Coast. It was among the presses officially ...

. * Gladwell, Malcolm. (2002)
''The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference.''
Boston: Back Bay. * Havighurst, Robert James, (1952)
''Human Development and Education.''
New York: Longmans, Green. * {{cite book , title = Teachable Moments , first1 = Peter , last1 = Woods , first2 = Bob , last2 = Jeffrey , url = http://oro.open.ac.uk/20307/ , website = The Open University , year = 1996 , publisher = Open University Press , isbn = 9780335193745 , access-date = March 5, 2015

External links

*
Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility
English phrases Heuristics Teaching

In education

Political use

See also

Notes

References

External links