There are 2 Things I Can Never, Ever, Ever Remember. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Make that 3

I wish I had a neuralizer.

You know, that little flashy thing the Men In Black use to wipe out people's memory. I know I'd use it on a regular, if not daily, basis. I'd make people forget all the embarrassing things I'd done and convince them I'd done something more groovy. Do we still use that word, 'groovy'? No?

FLASH!!!

I'd make people forget all the embarrassing things I'd done and convince them I'd done something more hip. I'd be able to avoid all of those moments when I could literally feel my ears turning red and wanted to crawl into a tunnel where no one could find me. You ever felt that way? Yes?

FLASH!!!

You can thank me later.

Anyways, this is my lead into this posting's topic: Memory (I swear, if someone starts singing the song from Cats I'm gonna shoot something). Suffice to say, I don't remember EVERYTHING. In fact, most of the time I'm making things up. I'm terrible with names, a trait I get from my mother. I like waiting while she goes through my brothers' names before she gets to mine. Sometimes, just to throw her off, I answer to a name that isn't mine.

At the same time, I can remember some things very well. Anything I've seen on TV or on film, I can replay it for you. I love storytelling, and can usually remember every single detail of the plot. When I'm involved in a play or film shoot, usually line memorization is an easy thing for me, even Shakespeare. So, you may wonder, what causes you to remember some things well and other things not so well?

Answer: I haven't a clue (I forgot).

FLASH!!!

Answer: The Human Memory System. First, Input goes into the Sensory Register. If you aren't paying attention or trying hard enough, that info gets lost. But, most of time it goes to Working (Short-Term) Memory, which lasts about 15-20 seconds tops. If effort isn't put forth to retain the info, it gets lost here. However, by using In Depth Processing (linking the new knowledge to old knowledge), we can transfer the info into our Long Term Memory for future reference. Some stuff still gets lost, but that's usually because the In Depth Processing stopped or was only strong enough for a certain duration of time.

The main point to focus on is the In Depth Processing. It's safe to say that if the brain doesn't see something as relevant, it won't hold onto it. Teachers have the task of not only presenting the information but also the In Depth Processing. There are several ways to do this, but which methods one uses is dependent on their unique situation (What? You didn't expect me to tell you EVERYTHING, did you? I may always be right, but I'm not a "How To" manual).

Brains function in the same way and yet differently from one human to the next. One person may remember written words, another images, and another what it hears. Perhaps the best approach to teaching a subject is to try and reach as many of the information gathering senses as possible. That way you're playing to a whole range of people instead of a select few.

My lesson plans will be geared towards theatre, and you can bet that I'll have some fun with that. The students won't know what hit them and before long, will be shocked to realize they've learned something (Dance puppets, dance!!!). For example, Shakespeare. You cannot just READ Shakespeare. No play was ever meant to be read only. My students will translate the language, watch it, perform it and, most importantly, understand it! Oh, and in case any of you out there are going to try and steal my ideas. . .


FLASH!!!