The Power of Moments
Wisdom from the Field #3
In their bestselling book The Power of Moments, Chip & Dan Heath share several stories of events that make an impact on people.
Of note: former high school students remember fewer classroom activities (where they log more time than anywhere else) compared to “prom, football games, musical productions, student body elections, swim meets, talent shows”.1
What makes for a defining moment? The Heath brothers found four characteristics:
Moments of Elevation: They rise above the everyday and provoke happiness by boosting sensory pleasures. Example: First date with your future spouse.
Moments of Insight: They rewire our understanding of ourselves or the world. Example: Knowing “this is the person I am going to marry”.
Moments of Pride: They capture us at our best - moments of achievement, moments of courage. Example: Finishing a 5K race we’ve been training for.
Moments of Connection: They are typically social events and make relationships stronger: weddings, graduations, speeches, sporting events.
A central tenet of The Power of Moments is they can be designed with intent. Memorable experiences don’t have to be left to fate. As the authors note:
“What if you could give that same feeling to your kids, your students, your colleagues, your customers? Moments matter. And an opportunity we miss when we leave them to chance! Teachers can inspire, caregivers can comfort, service workers can delight, politicians can unite, and managers can motivate. All it takes is a little bit of insight and forethought.”
The Events that Shape Our Beliefs
Meaningful experiences not only make for good memories; they can also shape our beliefs in whatever context these moments take place.
This leads to an learning activity you can try with your faculty during a staff meeting. (With some adapting, teachers might also facilitate this with students.)
First, write down three defining moments from your educational experience.
Second, in a small group share these three moments and what made them memorable.
Third, as a group report out what trends or patterns you noticed after everyone shared.
Finally, explain the four characteristics of a defining moment.
Then share the follow-up questions below to guide reflection on how their defining moments shaped who they are as educators, as well as how they might change.
Reflective Questions
How would you categorize your three defining moments within the four characteristics shared previously?
What was the context for these moments? Where did they take place? Were the experiences voluntary (i.e. athletics) or compulsory (i.e. core academics)?
Do these moments have a common thread with how you teach students today?
Thinking about your curriculum. Are there opportunities for creating defining moments? Which characteristics listed previously could help you design them?
Heath, C., & Heath, D. (2017). The Power of Moments: Why certain experiences have extraordinary impact. Simon and Schuster.