Seizing the Teachable Moment
by
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UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL My two sons, Danny (age 12) and Jay (age 6), and I were fishing from the beach, in the ocean waters of Seal Beach, California, one night. We were fishing for barred perch. The grunion were running at the same time, so many people were walking around with their flashlights, or wading in the surf. Everyone was killing time, simply waiting for the grunion to run. I hooked a leopard shark—a female, over five feet long, and brought her in. It was apparent that she was pregnant, so we treated her gingerly. The boys dug a long trench in the sand, and placed a huge plastic tarp along the bottom, and they filled the trench with buckets of water. Then the three of us carried the shark, and carefully laid her in the long hole. The boys placed our Coleman lanterns around the area, so people could see how beautiful the shark was, with spots just like a leopard. It was the first time most visitors had ever seen a live shark, and much oohing and ahhing took place. Everyone had many questions about the shark (How big are its teeth? What does it eat? and so forth), which both boys happily answered. They were excited to share what they knew. It was enjoyable to hear their confident replies, and watch their interactions with the public. Although young, they were already seasoned fishermen. When I was asked: “Where was it caught?” I pointed straight out to the ocean surf, and no one could believe that they were wading in the same foam in which the shark had been swimming. They were further surprised to find that she was also looking for grunion, as were other species of sharks (shovel-nosed and gray sharks), alongside cow-nosed rays, yellow-fin croakers, corbina, and small stingrays, that stayed a little further off shore. The boys frequently changed the water for the leopard shark. Some of the more adventurous visitors wanted to touch her, and were totally amazed that she felt like sandpaper. People learned a lot from the boys, who were excited to share their knowledge. Later, the three of us delicately lifted the leopard shark, and carried her back into the ocean, where she peacefully swam away. This impromptu hands-on experience turned two youngsters into unexpected teachers, and visitors of all ages into learners. How fun is that?!
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About the Book
The teachable moment is any unplanned, off-the-cuff comment or out-of-the-blue event that can be used as a learning opportunity. It is a spontaneous response that addresses whatever sparked the enthusiastic interest of an individual or a group. It is a fleeting impromptu reply to address a sudden interest or burning questions in the here and now, when listeners are most open, engaged, and receptive. Eighty (80) anecdotes, from individuals in all walks of life, include their spur of the moment replies to the unexpected. Their heart-warming stories are poignant, funny, and sometimes jaw-dropping.
About the Author
“Books are my life!” says Dr. Sherry L. Meinberg. “I read books, I write books, I edit books, I share books. I eat, sleep, and breathe books.” When she retired from teaching in public schools, Dr. Meinberg owned over six thousand children’s books. She generally reads a book a day, with three to five being read at the same time. A large mishmash of books is stacked in every room in her house. She regularly donates books to libraries, schools, shelters, and individuals. Even her car license says READ4ME, and its license plate holder says so many books, so little time. She absolutely loves storytelling and has carried on a lifelong love affair with the printed word. Books are a source of joy for her. She is a true bibliophile. After retiring from thirty-four years in public schools, she became a core adjunct university professor, as well as a student teacher supervisor, for sixteen years. After casually adding those two numbers together, she freaked upon realizing that she had been teaching for fifty years! She decided that her freshness date had expired. So she retired for the second time. Later she began teaching creative writing classes for the Oasis National Education Organization, a top-performing nonprofit. Dr. Meinberg finally retired for the third time when they closed the Lakewood site closest to her, and she didn’t want to travel to and from Los Angeles in heavy traffic. She now spends more time writing. To date, she has authored thirteen books. Dr. Meinberg has been featured on local, national, and international radio and television shows, as well as newspapers, magazines, and the Internet. She has been honored with well over one hundred awards. She is all about raising awareness and opening doors. She is all about getting the word out.