The Teachable Moment

As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, joy, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect.

     The truth is that I was taking the time to think about my previous thoughts. Particularly the idea of communities and our children. Everything that we do and say will activate the type of future that we foresee. This thought can be linked to the importance of mentorship, and seeking mentors that will not breed weeds in the mentee, yet seek to encourage and inspire the mentee to seek the way of the heart; to find out what exists within. This is actually how individuals learn best. Our learning, retention, and desire to learn is increased when we are interested in the learning material.

     Mentorship is important for all. There are no bad kids, maybe kids that are on the wrong track. Kids that have been exposed to problems that arrive through socio / economic status, family unit breakdowns, poverty, abuse, crime etc, all require care and our attention. Sometimes we make a pass at these kids by enacting time - outs, or simply brushing them away, but this should never be the case.

     As educators as much as it is our duty to report behaviours that are detrimental to societies, and for the purposes of public safety, we still need to understand the behaviours, and in a sense use these as teachable moments. Question the behaviour, to find solutions and preventative measures. A simple example can be that of helping a student, even though you know that you are pressed for time. This also happened to me. I had a team meeting, but a student approached me for help. At first I told the student that I have a meeting, but then the urge not to turn the student away cropped up. I decided to meet with her first. This is what the educators role is all about. Making decisions, and being able to think, and act at any given moment.

     As much as we need to practice reflective thinking practices, we must also possess the ability to make quick decisions. Whilst my thoughts may sound extreme for my simple example, it must be recognized that these are human lives that we are dealing with everyday. The educators impact is a lasting impact. And we want to make sure that this is a positive. When there are gaps or upsets, we can turn these around by activating them as teachable moments, that are accompanied with unconditional love.  

Human beings are valuable beings, and how we choose to act, think, or make a decision has the power and ability to affect eternity. 

Dedication: These thoughts are dedicated to all students / children. You are loved, my thoughts to share with love & kindness! :) 

​Notes: These thoughts were originally hand - written on March 30th, 2017.
Image 1 - Web Link
Image 2 - Web Link
Image 3 - Keynote Creation