THE UNCERTAIN JOURNEY: A REFLECTIVE EXPLORATION OF THE TEACHABLE MOMENT

This reflective, experientially based study examines the "teachable moment " in the context of two learning contexts, a university tutorial classroom and a karate dojo. The data for the study is generated through in-depth reading; journal, exploratory and expositional writing; and a cyclical interaction with the texts generated during the study. As teacher, student and writer, the researcher examines her experiences in these contexts to further her development as a teacher. The boundaries of the inquiry are selected to allow enough room to explore concepts and experiences as they emerge. The researcher attempts to convey the experiential nature as well as the content of the inquiry in the thesis text. The form of the thesis and the processes used in writing it contribute substantially to the content of the document. The writing is more than the account of the research findings; rather, it is the methodological vehicle used to drive the inquiry. The text of the thesis is an attempt to creatively express the ineffable qualities of teaching. Italicized excerpts, from the researcher's own journal inserted throughout the text, are used to express reflections on the embodied experiences of these qualities of teaching an