I have a real problem remembering people's names. I can always remember a face, but not names!!! It's really frustrating, especially being a teacher. I have to put a real effort into learning student's names. I usually have to relate something or someone to a student's name before I can remember it.
The same goes for students when they are learning a topic. I have found that my students remember a topic better when they have something to remember about it, something out of the ordinary. I had one student last year who would relate what he learned on a particular day to something unusual that happened on that day. He'd usually start out saying that he didn't remember a particular topic, then would say, "wait, I remember it. That was the day that .... happened. I remember now." I've never seen anyone who could do something so well. He really remembered how to do something by remembering what was going on around him.
Not all students can do this. But, as teachers, we can provide learning environments that create memorable situations. I wouldn't suggest doing something odd just to get their attention, but something hands on to explain topics. If the students are allowed to discover something, they are more likely to remember it.
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Great point! I agree that we need to create memorable scenarios. Many people need to have a ‘trigger’ to help them remember what they learned on a particular day. I try to tie things I teach into other lessons (this business concept to a prior one, or this computer concept is similar to that) we’ve had or lessons they’ve had in other subjects, but introducing a trigger is a great idea as well.
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This is so true for students. Hands on activities can help students remember a topic, but I have also found that if you change the setting of where you are teaching students will also remember what was taught better. If you move class outside for a day or change classrooms with another teacher for a day. Whenever we are teaching something extremely important (it is all important...:)) then my friend and I move classrooms just to change it up a bit for our students and they will do the same thing....oh that is what we learned when we were in the other classroom.
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