Take It Easy on Your Brain!

We rely heavily on our brains to help us get more done. According to research, we do it way too much. We rely on our brains constantly to remember a litany of tasks on our mental to-do lists and to help us prioritize the list so we can and take the right action.

The problem is that our brains burn through much energy and attention trying to hold on to ideas, tasks, etc. that it doesn’t want to forget. It’s called the Zeigarnik effect. Think of it as a reminder system built into our minds that keeps pinging us when we know that there are things that we need to do and can’t forget about.

18 Years Later, We Choose Life - Never Forget (9/11)

So hard to believe that it's been 18 (חי, chai) years.

It seems like it was just yesterday.

I was finishing prayers with my students in #Chicago when we were told to proceed to the gym for a special announcement.

I still remember who told me the news, what he said, and the facial expression he used.

How could I forget?

😨The sheer terror and confusion.
😨The loss and destruction.
😨The sense of powerlessness and emptiness.

Naphtali HoffSeptember 11, 2019Impactful Coaching & Consulting9/11, memory, life, help, support, communityComment

Where did it all go? Thoughts about student memory and retention

Have you ever taught something and your class really seemed to get it, only to revisit the concept a short while later, and it’s as if they never heard of it? Better yet, have you patted yourself on the back after your students aced an exam only for you to ask a related question two days later and get back a class full of blank stares? It’s almost as if their minds were one big etch-a-sketch that had once memorized lots of information before being wiped clean.

If you’re like me, you’ve had that experience more than once. And we all know how it feels. It can be one of the most frustrating experiences for a teacher, seemingly invalidating all of the hard work — in terms of preparation, content delivery and reinforcement — of the past many weeks. Why does this happen and what can teachers do to ensure that students properly process and retain key information?

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