Teachable Moments
Teachable moments are opportunities to move one step closer to creating welcoming schools for all children and families. Imagine scenarios like these:
- A student walks by your classroom and says, “That’s so gay!” to her friends.
- You overhear one student say to another, “How can he be your father? The color of his skin is so different than yours!”
- Your son asks you “What does gay mean?” while you sit down for dinner.
- “How could a mother give up her child?” asks a student during a discussion about adoption.
Without forethought, these topics may catch us by surprise because they are not often discussed.
- Practicing responses to students’ questions and understanding terminology and ways to talk with students helps all of us take advantage of these teachable moments.
- With preparation through professional development training, these moments can actually help us improve a school’s environment.
- Contact a Welcoming Schools regional consultant to plan a training for your school or district.
- See what students are looking for or how they would respond to some teachable moments in our new film, What Do You Know?
