I am a Washingtonian (currently). One thing that many Washington, D.C. residents do is take frequent walks through the landmarks of the District.
One day, I was enjoying a very early walk with my lovely wife at the National Mall and, for some reason, we found ourselves reflecting on teachable moments.
We really dived deep into the idea of the conversation, and it made me realize how much I miss teaching “something to somebody.”
As a veteran and in my private life and career, I had the privilege of conducting many hours of training. Some were spent learning and others teaching, but they all made me reminisce about “teachable moments.”
In my experience, three things need to happen for a good teachable moment to take place.
First, the opportunity for teaching/learning needs to arise. Many times, we know things and never get the opportunity to transmit that knowledge forward for lack of the right opportunity.
Second, the student needs to be in learning mode. This means the recipient is in good spirits to learn and receive new information in a welcoming manner.
Last but not least, the teacher needs to be in “teaching mode.”
If the teacher is not in tune with being a good communicator, the student is not in a good learning mode, or the teaching environment does not exist, then the “teachable moment” has a very poor chance of survival.
Once the three components of a “teachable moment” meet, two magical things happen almost organically.
One, the student learns the teachings!
