For the past 30 years I have been writing and publishing what I call teachable moments. I often have composed these teaching moments with friends and colleagues. They have reflected the fact that circumstances in our lives present an opportunity to stop and reflect on the learning that can be a by product of these experiences.

Teachable Moments began for me in the Autumn of 1970. I was a first-year teacher, attending my first in-service. The presenter, Dr. Max Jones, seemed to be saying something quite profound.

I remained guarded since most of the other teachers displayed no more interest than at any other in-service meeting (I was inclined to believe, now, the reason for this apparent lack of interest derived from the disarming simplicity of what was being said). I may not have appeared enthusiastic, but I knew a seed was being planted. That seed has grown over the years into the knowledge that learning works better, transfers better, and impacts more profoundly when connected with the circumstances and situations of real life.

The titles of some past teachable moments give one the sense of what teachable moments explore, much like blog postings today.

  • The World Seems to Get Larger and Smaller at the Same Time
  • Do We Mean What We Say?
  • When Experts Disagree
  • Who Are The Kids?
  • In Defence of Confusion
  • Rich Man, Poor Man, Beggarman, Thief
  • The African Farmer and her Husband

The biggest Teachable Moment to date and what a long moment it has been is the Covid Global Pandemic that is now approaching two years in duration and may become an ongoing feature of daily life.

The teachable part of this life altering moment is the wakeup call to remind us we are a unified world but we live divided. Living divided endangers everyone and everything. This pandemic teaches us that going back to normal is no longer possible and not even desirable.

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