Photo courtesy of Microsoft Clip Art.
Like
most teachers, my husband and I try to schedule any routine doctor’s
appointments in the summer so we can avoid using our sick days during the
school year. I’ve always said that my sick days are not truly for me
anymore – nowadays they are spent with Jackson when he gets sick. So the more days I can save, the better.
This
week, we all made our way to the dentist for our routine cleanings and check-ups.
Nothing spectacular, right? Not
for us at least. But to my four year
old, going to the dentist is quite a theatrical performance because it's still
somewhat new to him. And pediatric dentists pull out all the stops, don't
they?! From elaborate murals on the
walls to the fun made up names for the utensils - it's quite a show! For
my little guy, his favorite part this time was getting to pick out his new
tooth brush. He “oohed” and “ahhed” over the selection before
finally choosing one with Lightning McQueen on the front. While he was
getting settled in the chair the dental hygienist threw the toothbrush, a tube
of paste, and some floss in a bag and set it on the counter. After she zipped
through the cleaning and the doctor gave him a clean bill of health, we went home. It was a pretty uneventful trip, until
Jackson stumbled onto the floss that they threw in with his Lightning McQueen
toothbrush.
It
was hours later when it happened. My son remembered his new toothbrush, found
the little bag and dumped it on the floor (because everyone knows that was the
fastest way he could get it out!). He scooped Lightning McQueen up in one
hand and the floss in the other. "What's this?" he asked.
At that exact moment, I had two choices: dismiss his innocent question and
usher him to the toy room so I could have a few moments of quiet or take the
time to explain to him what he had discovered. I'll be honest, after a
day at the dentist and a trip to the grocery store I was really tempted to just
dismiss his question. But that little teacher voice in my head screamed,
"This is a teachable moment!!!" So I sighed, took the floss and
my son to the bathroom and we spent the next 20 minutes talking about floss.
What it is. What it does. How we
use it. Why we use it. He really
had some good questions and I’m glad I took the time to let him ask them – even
though I was beyond ready for a break.
Kids
are always full of good questions - we just have to take the time to listen and
answer them in the moment. If you catch their curiosity in
the moment then you have an opportunity to teach them when they are
genuinely engaged and interested. When
the moment has passed, their enthusiasm will normally pass with it so take advantage
of the
moment.
Those
teachable moments are priceless - both at home and in the classroom.
Don't be afraid to scrap the lesson plan (you know, that plan you spent
hours perfecting?!) to take advantage of the teachable moments when learning is
truly authentic. And never forget that your little ones are learning everything
for the first time - what is old and monotonous for us is new and exciting for
them. Like floss…which in my house is now the coolest thing since sliced
bread. :)
