We have been on Fall Break this past week--YAY! However, in thinking back to the week before, I think about a lesson I taught in Forensics on trace evidence and the Locard Principle. I put some powder all over the table where I had my assignment sheets and when students came in to class they got powder all over them--thus, illustrating the Locard Principle which states that evidence is picked and moved from one location to another. It was a great teaching moment because they students were like, "Coach, what is all over your table?" So, I started explaining the concept to them and they loved it; however, it put me ahead of where I wanted to be in my lesson and then it seemed as if I was back-tracking and I didn't like that. I lost my flow of the class. I realize we have moments that we turn into "teachable moments" that we don't have planned, but in this case, I wish I had done the activity later on in the class rather than at the beginning. Live and learn!!
JT
What a great idea to get your students engaged. You made a great point about “teachable moments.” I realized sometimes it is a good thing to have the excitement bubbling over in our class. As teachers, we do not plan for that sort of thing. It’s hard to turn an engaged student or group of students away and press on with the plan when that “teachable moment” surfaces. Today, I was discussing some popular historical moments in television, when our topic shifted quickly to political advertisements. I did not plan to address this topic, but a group of students began talking about the infamous “Daisy” ad from 1964. This turned into a brief show and tell for those students who never heard of this famous political advertisement. Sometimes, those teachable moments may set us behind, or even put us ahead of pace, but one cannot deny the positive affect they have on student learning.
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