Teachable Moments

I was in college, observing in a children's ministry classroom. The teacher asked, "What are some things you might do that would make your parents unhappy?" There were the usual, "steal, lie, make a mess," and then a little voice piped up, "kill myself."

The teacher was a bit taken aback, but quickly composed herself and said, "yes, that would make your parents unhappy" before continuing on with the next lesson point.

What was going on in this 4th or 5th grader's mind that the thought of suicide even occurred to him in that context? Was he contemplating it himself? Did he recently lose a family member to suicide? I'll never know.

Now it's quite possible that the teacher talked to him privately about his comment after class. I don't know, and I don't want to put her down without knowing. But I remember feeling appalled that she would just brush off a comment like that and move on because it wasn't on the topic of obeying your parents (the lesson's intended content).

Believe me, I know how hard it is to deviate from a plan. I know how much work it takes to prepare for a lesson, and then to feel the tension when it doesn't go the way you'd expected. I know how scary it can be to be put on the spot with something you hadn't prepared for.

But I feel like the teacher needed to camp there for a bit. Dig deeper. Get feedback from the other kids. Talk about healthy ways to handle bad emotions. Would the kids have gotten to the point of obeying their parents? Maybe not. But I believe the lesson they would've learned would've been so much more valuable, because it was personal. It would've showed that the teacher cared. It would've dealt with a felt need.

Teachable moments happen often. Sometimes they're big ones like that, ones that might derail your class entirely. Sometimes they are small ones that will just take you on a two-minute tangent. Either way, they're worth it. Pay attention to those opportunities to see a kids' heart and guide that child right where he is - even if it doesn't fit your plan. And pray that God will help you to be ready when those unplanned moments come.