Seize the Teachable Moment

Submitted by Sheryl Lee Hinman
Galesburg High School
Galesburg, Illinois

Past teaching (13 years): Junior High grades 7-9, English

Present teaching (20 years): High School grades 9-12  
English and journalism  

"You can learn as much from a bad role model
as you can from a good one."

                                                                        student comment, April 2002

A kicked back, after-school discussion with some students gave me my opening. The young man who offered the above observation has adopted a healthy attitude about his personal responsibility to become the person he wants to be. As teachers, we can help youngsters to recognize inappropriate, destructive behavior, to establish patterns for themselves, and to contribute to society. 

Quality character education materials and support programs have emerged in recent years, but many of the most effective lessons come during a "teachable moment." A disturbance this year lead to an important discussion about predatory adults. My ninth grade English class was busy working on research in the computer lab when a sharp intake of breath and a few flustered comments signaled a problem. A boy had accessed an address that loaded blatant pornography. He immediately began trying to click out of the graphically sexual pictures, but he was a victim of a "mouse trap," a program that continues to load pop-up ads each time the visitor clicks to shut a window.

My first step was to shut the Internet browser and then help the student regain some of his composure. He was concerned that his peers and I might think he had intentionally searched for the topic. Actually, he had been looking for information about a popular series of books for young people. The search engine brought up a content description that was nothing like the site which appeared on the screen. I explained that he might have been a victim of a deceitful practice; a business buys an abandoned address and re-directs traffic to its site. (Later, my investigation proved that hypothesis to be true.) The class discussed the evil inherent in targeting young people with obscene products, and we considered the emotions that might strike a web developer of the original, high-quality site who learns what happened. In a few minutes' worth of class time, students were able to share empowering strategies for protecting themselves and their families online.

Technology has provided so many venues for character discussions. Like many other educational institutions, our high school has experienced an increase in cheating because of the ease of cut and paste plagiarism. In class, we spent a few minutes looking at some of the sites that market research papers. We saw some free options riddled with punctuation and content errors.  Ninth graders were shocked to discover that paper mills charge steep fees to create tailor-made research assignments allegedly written by masters degree experts. We discussed the long-range consequences of being served by lawyers, doctors, teachers, or business owners who bought the grades they received in college courses.

Of course, teachers need to take time to help students recognize good role model behavior as well. Again, we can use events in the class to reinforce important qualities. On a Friday, my last period class was consistently on task. Although it was a warm spring day and the last five minutes of class, when I suggested that we try to finish up a grammar exercise from the day before, not a student groaned. Out came the books. Wow. I praised them for their work ethic, their cooperation, their maturity.

The tragedy of September 11th led to noble efforts by individuals and groups to provide for victims. Throughout America, teachers have pointed to many of these people as role models. I learned of a Texas company selling remembrance bracelets similar to those for Vietnam POWs. Calling to place an order, I spoke to a 16 year old who had volunteered. She told me with pride of a computer company CEO who came straight from his business to man the phones late into the night. The healing power of compassion was so recognizable in her voice.  

Drawing inspiration from real or literary events, teachers can help students understand that attitude and action shape destiny.  Early in my career, a veteran teacher said her favorite unit was a hero-based biography research project that she felt subtly undermined prejudice. "If you learn to admire even one person from an ethnic background, it makes it hard to hate the group," she explained.

The instructor wasn't asking students to blindly accept all the behavior and ideals of the person studied. She expected that the students would critique the life choices the individuals had made. That type of reflection has benefits that relate directly to young people; they are reminded that nobody's perfect. A relative may hold beliefs or exhibit behaviors that are not admired by the student, yet that family member can be loved.

As students recognize the qualities that they admire, they need strategies for developing those traits. Biographies provide insight. For example, the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin outlines the steps he took to cultivate habits such as temperance, silence, sincerity, frugality, and justice. He defines the concepts, explains how he monitored his behavior, and describes the impact of his plan.

My own life was influenced by the story of Helen Keller and her determined teacher, Annie Sullivan. Years after seeing the production, I could recall scenes that shaped my teaching. On first seeing Helen walk out onto the porch, Annie recognizes the intelligence of her new student. That focus on positives has set the standard for teachers. We need to concentrate on the fact that children walk through the door capable of growth. Further, we need to communicate our faith in that growth to them.

As a final step, educators need to involve students in the process of bettering their own communities. That process may be as simple as writing a thoughtful note and enclosing a clipping for a child who is mentioned [in a] newspaper story, or it may involve advising student activities with real world connections. Through service, young people learn of their own strength. I saw that in action several years ago when I coached two teens during the creation of an elaborate website to publicize Teen Court, an outstanding program for first-time juvenile offenders. Members of the local auxiliary of the American Legion marshaled the community to counsel youth who had committed misdemeanors. The successful concept was ripe for sharing globally.

Over a period of six months, the two boys worked with the Teen Court board and developed over 100 pages explaining the organization and providing all the documents necessary to establish Teen Court in other communities. A few months after the site  was posted we began hearing from communities that were downloading material and adapting it to suit their concerns.

Over the years, the Teen Court site has been used in workshops around the nation. A reporter from Japan and a news crew from France visited Galesburg after locating Internet information about Teen Court.

That Teen Court experience was so beneficial that the pattern has continued. Last summer, I worked with student teams interested in publicizing additional successful programs in our community. Two high school juniors completed a site to explain the many activities of CARE, a school-sponsored organization to prevent substance abuse. The site includes lesson plans, activities, photos, testimonials, documents related to establishing the program, and much more. 

A team of three girls completed a site suggested by our choir instructor, Mrs. Carolyn Kellert. As the director of a lavish madrigal dinner, she mentioned that she wished that she could share her knowledge with other music instructors. Invitation to Your Madrigal Dinner  answered that need. Students spent hours interviewing, modifying pictures, setting up audio files, and learning how to organize resources efficiently. The result is a site which guides beginners through the steps of coordinating a successful madrigal program.

Like the young man whose quotation provoked my response to the Harry Singer Foundation's question, these students accepted personal responsibility for bettering their world. After 34 years of teaching, that doesn't surprise me one bit. Yes, youngsters will encounter adults with serious character flaws. Yes, locally and nationally, we all may be called upon to address serious social issues. However, an educator's emphasis on self-reliance enables students to become world-class problem solvers.

Answers To Questions Regarding The Required Reading

Question 1: Comment on the 6-year-old with a telescope and his interest in abstract ideas.  How unusual was he?  Have you encountered students with similar focus and reasoning abilities?  Discuss.

It seems perfectly natural to me that youngsters would reflect on moral issues and that their unique experiences will educate us. Many years ago I had the privilege of learning from such a wise young woman.

As a recent immigrant, she sought help on written assignments. She was one of those gentle, hard working, intelligent students that it is a delight to assist. By her demeanor, I would never have guessed the horrors she had faced escaping Vietnam as a child with only a slightly-older sister to cling to for emotional support.

In a vivid essay, she described how at nine years old, she had held her sister's hand as they sat below deck. Water crept up to knee level. Human waste from the crowded top deck trickled down through the cracks in the wood. Her family had been able to afford only the two places, so they had sacrificed to send their beloved daughters out on the treacherous sea hoping for safety and freedom.

The girls survived to be rescued, placed in a refugee camp, and relocated to separate foster homes in the United States. She explained how she and her sister were both doing well in school and how they planned to graduate and earn enough money to search for their missing family members one day. Her essay mentioned that sometimes classmates laughed at the way she spoke or lacked awareness of social customs; she was eager to improve her cultural knowledge.   

I was shocked at the thoughtless behavior and suggested that she might allow peers to read her moving story. Her answer was a quiet no. She wasn't afraid that they would be insensitive. On the contrary, she seemed quite sure that they would be touched. However, she said that some might feel bad for what they had said or done. After all the harsh circumstances of her own life, she had chosen a course that would inflict no pain on anyone else. Despite the concrete realities of fear, she seized the abstract concept of love as her sustaining force. 

Questions 2 and 3:  Were you surprised to read that young children may be “ethically introspective citizens”? Do you agree that morality can be taught in all kinds of classes.  Give examples from experience.

Children understand right from wrong. I've seen that even in the most dire circumstances. In the summers of 1970 and 1971, I worked in Belfast, Northern Ireland. I was there to assist with playground supervision in some of the areas which faced the mounting traumas of religious-based strife.

The second year, I was working with international volunteers when rioting broke out near our playground. Gangs of teen hooligans broke into some of the nearby stores and looted goods. Toward evening, one of the children showed up at the door of the dorm where the volunteers were housed. Sweet and intelligent, she was a favorite among the group. That day, however, we knew that the candy she had brought with her was part of the spoils of the raid. I can remember watching her face as she walked to various volunteers offering a chocolate bar. Each person said a simple "No thank you."

One of the volunteers entered from the men's section having just awakened. When she offered the candy, one of the other people said, "Maybe you'd could explain to Victor how you got the sweets." Shamefaced, she explained that it came from the wreckage of a nearby sweetshop owned by an elderly couple. Victor didn't berate her. He said, "I don't think that candy bar would taste very good to me, do you?"

"It doesn't taste good to me either," she answered. She took the chocolate to a wastebasket and threw it away. Very quietly, the group had helped her make an ethical decision: Vengeance is not sweet.   

Question 4:  What was meant by the phrase encountered in you required reading:  “We are all moral witnesses”?  Describe an instance in the classroom when you were a good moral witness.

During a recent workshop, the presenter was showing a number of web sites created by education majors in her class. Most included images copied from sites that were linked to the activities designed for lessons. In example after example, there were no acknowledgments of the sources. Finally, an audience member asked about the issue of copyright. The presenter laughed. "It's a common practice to copy and reuse items on the Internet." It may be common, but it is not right.  

As a teacher who loves to involve students with technology, I discuss the ethics of the Internet on a regular basis. I also have to be a witness by following the ethical standards I espouse.

Students see me digging into antique books to scan public domain images and modify them for sites we are creating. If we gather photos, clip art, or facts from the web, we take time to read through the policies for use. Showing respect for the intellectual property of others is one way to emphasize a pattern of behavior that I value.

Question 5:  Define courage.  Tell of a youngster who has had the courage to stand up for his/her beliefs/values.

Courage means doing what is right no matter what the cost. For youngsters, that may mean standing up for their principles even against family and friends.

I was impressed by an article about Gerica McCrary and members of the junior class of Taylor County High School in Butler, Georgia. This spring they will hold the first integrated prom in their community's history. In the past, parents and students set up individual dances--one for blacks and one for whites. McCrary asked fellow class members to "stand for what is right" and vote to hold one prom. As a newspaper article commented, at first she encountered resistance from community members as well as students who were afraid of the change. Through her persistence, nearly 75 percent of the juniors and seniors supported her proposal and tore down the wall that had stood since the first days of integrated schooling.

"Stand for what is right, or stand alone" was a classroom slogan that inspired McCrary. "At first, I was standing alone," she said in an interview with the Associated Press." Some thought it was absurd. I wanted unity, diversity, equality. Now, when I walk through the school, people congratulate me."

Courage may not always succeed. Standing for what is right may not always result in approval from others. It is personally compelling.   

Question 6:  Comment on the discussion on courage that took place during a 4th grade history lesson, as outlined in the required reading.  Share an experience where your class spontaneously engaged in a moral analysis.

The type of discussion that took place in that 4th grade class is the ideal atmosphere for learning. Students identify patterns of thought and behavior, analyze the actions, and connect those revelations with their own environment.

I have seen that happen during all kinds of classrooms. One of my favorite series of moral discussions, however, happens during the study of Charles Dickens's Great Expectations. I ask students if they would be willing to spend time with a cruel, eccentric person if they thought that they might gain a great deal of money by doing so. The question sparks debate about the lure of material gain. At the beginning of the novel, few students fault Mrs. Joe Gargery for sending her brother Pip into the dreary, bitter world of Miss Havisham. Pip might be rich one day if he gains the patronage of such a wealthy woman.

As the story progresses, students recognize the compassion, common sense, and loyalty that are represented by Joe Gargery, a humble blacksmith. Students affirm the values he symbolizes by describing him as a "true friend and father figure."  

Question 7:  How is a good person described at the end of the required reading involving A Bronx Tale?

"A good person is the alert witness not only of others, but to his or her own ethical tensions as they flash their various signals...."

Among all the dramatic events in A Bronx Tale, one of the most telling is the scene at the boxing match in which the father refuses to accept front row seats from Sonny, the mob boss. His son questions his decision. The father offers him an uncompromising choice. Go if you want--sit front row and you sit with an evil man.

There is no attempt to rationalize meaning of the offer. Poignantly, C apologizes for questioning what his father can provide. Both parent and child have been witnesses to an important ethical moment. Although Sonny has some lessons to teach, he will not be the central, positive role model in the boy's life.

Question 8:  What should a teacher do when she/he sees a student trying to get another student in trouble or somehow disrupting the class?

Being flexible is the key. Many strategies may solve the problem. Disrupters may need to have a seat change which places them away from a student who can be distracted. In some cases, the troublesome students may need a different kind of task. For example, they may be restless so they need an activity that allows them to channel energy like passing out papers, setting up a display, or looking up facts on the computer.

Sometimes, it will be necessary to confront the behavior directly by talking privately with students who misbehave. I try to describe that behavior in terms that are as objective as possible. (Chris, today I saw you passing notes to Pat while we were reviewing for the test. That takes his attention away from the lesson and jeopardizes his chance for doing well.)

I try to include a description of the behavior I want to see. (Chris, I want you to stop passing note. During review sessions, I want to see you facing forward, taking notes, answering questions, etc.)

If I do not see progress with the situation, I make a home contact. I usually ask if the parent will let the student know that I called to explain what I was seeing, and I ask if I can follow up with a note on the next two Fridays to let the parent know if there has been improved behavior. I find that if students can get into a pattern of improved behavior over a period of two weeks, they begin to see the positive results for themselves. Also, parents have some time to consider options and express concerns over that time period. Fortunately, the Internet has made parent contact easier. Some parents have asked for a Friday email. Because many of the assignments are kept on my computer, I can send missing work, attendance/tardies, and grade averages, as well as the behavior report. 

Question 9:  The Harry Singer Foundation pilot project, Dream Machine, White Hats and Problem Solvers are based on the premise that students have the capacity to act responsibly, interact with adults in the community and make mature decisions.  In light of the article by Shannon Brownlee regarding the development of the teen brain, do you think the Foundation may be giving teens too much credit?

I understand that scientists have based their findings on data that they gather with the best procedures they can design. However, they are making blanket judgments drawn from the artificial atmosphere of lab tests. Dr. Yurgelun-Todd showed adults and teenagers photographs of people's faces contorted in fear. When the researcher asked the subjects to identify the emotion expressed, all the adults got it right. Many teens were unable to correctly identify the expression. The results suggested that youngsters are not as good as we think at interpreting facial expressions.

The fact that students might not be able to look at still photos and identify an emotion did not translate to an unfeeling generation. It simply meant that the young people might have understood more fully through another technique. Social interaction would have been a truer test. If they could have heard the voices, seen the expressions forming, talked with the victims--then, I believe that the teens would have been as much or more likely to express compassionate understanding.

The need for human connections, in fact, provides the best argument for the development of inter-generational projects. For example, last year I worked with a teacher and two students from Germany and a local art student who constructed an extensive site discussing the need for reparations for Eastern block victims of the holocaust. The student in charge of research and writing interviewed survivors as well as experts to create a moving case. Our high school art instructor worked with an exceptionally talented high school junior to portray graphically the searing experiences described. Visitors to the site come away with an assurance that these young people understand fear--and they have acted with compassionate intent to provide support to a cause.

Question 10:  If you think your students are capable, will you engage a group in one of our pilot projects?  If not, why not?

I have already printed some of the material about White Hats and shared that with our volunteer groups. In our small town, we have a number of wonderful community service opportunities. I'd like to see them make use of these methods of recognition. For example, we have several students who volunteer at our Humane Society to be regular caretakers for animals. They would be excellent candidates for the program. Next school year, our high school will be initiating a community service class. I have shared the site material with one of the two instructors involved in that new course.

The essay and writing activities also appeal to me. I actually came across the Harry Singer Foundation because I search for scholarship and academic challenges that suit the needs of various students.

One of the elements of the site that interested me most was the option to request the loan of books. I noticed that there were a number of inspirational books available. That could be useful for a class unit I have in mind. Recently, PBS televised the brilliant mini-series Shakleton, the story of survival under harsh Antarctic conditions. Several books describing the leadership talents of Sir Ernest Shakleton have come on the market. I've also been reading Elizabeth I, CEO, a book that draws life lessons from her reign.

Using the foundation books, classroom novels, and clips from videos, students could construct their own "life lessons" guide. What anecdotes speak to them? The project would have much scope for reflection and creativity.

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