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 in his 1952 book, ''Human Development and Education.'' In the context of

education theory Education sciences, also known as education studies or education theory, and traditionally called ''pedagogy'', seek to describe, understand, and prescribe education including education policy. Subfields include comparative education, education ...

, 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

Arrest of Henry Louis Gates

In July 2009,

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professor

Henry Louis Gates Henry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Henry (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters * Henry (surname) * Henry, a stage name of François-Louis Henry (1786–1855), French baritone Arts and entertainmen ...

was arrested at his home; the incident garnered media attention throughout the

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. The mayor of Cambridge, E. Denise Simmons, 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 was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

expressed the same: 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."

Others

On July 4, 2011, Glyn Davis, vice-chancellor of the

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, 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. During the

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, it was revealed that Paul Chiang, a Liberal MP, remarked that

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candidate Joe Tay should be reported to the Toronto Chinese Consulate in exchange for a monetary bounty placed by the Hong Kong police. He later apologized. Liberal Party leader and Prime Minister

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viewed Chiang's apology as a "teachable moment" by saying it "underscores the respect with which we treat human rights in this countrythe differences between Canadian society and other countries." On March 31, 2025, Chiang announced that he would withdraw from the 2025 election after the

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opened an investigation into his comment.

Notes

References

* Festinger, 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 is currently a member of the Ass ...

. * 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