You might have observed some students who keep on working hard for the entire time but still somehow not able to perform well during the exams.
And when you ask them about the reason behind the same, one of the most common answers you will hear is "I forgot"!
This is not only the case with only one student, but many students tend to forget things during the exam.
Being a teacher, you are in a position in which you can help the students overcome the problems of forgetting.
Even before helping students overcome this problem, then you need to understand the root cause behind it.
If you don’t know the reason behind this problem then how are you going to help them?
Now, you must be struggling with the thought, how can I find the reasons for the same?
Need not worry!! We got your back!!
This blog will give you a full-fledged idea about why students forget and how you can help them as a teacher to overcome this?
So, let's just deep dive into it and see what it has in store for you!
Why Students Forget?
It is very important to understand the reason behind why students forget the things that they have learned.
There is a scientific reason behind this forgetting.
Hermann Ebbinghaus was a prominent psychologist who created forgetting curve to understand how much people can forget.
Many researchers have even used this curve to date to find out more about the forgetting behavior.
After creating this forgetting curve, Ebbinghaus even performed this study and concluded that students can easily forget 56% of their learning in one hour, 66% in one day, and 75% in six days.
In 2017, a journal named Neuron even presented the fact that if we don't employ innovative learning strategies to retain knowledge, then our brain tends to forget the things we learned.
Our brain keeps on growing and when learning is not put to use then it is considered extra. And, the brain tends to forget it!
This is the main reason that acts behind the scenes; that is why students forget.
To help the students minimize the effect of forgetting, you, as a teacher, can help in a great way.
Help the students with different strategies that can minimize the effect of forgetting.
You must be wondering, which strategies can I apply?
Let's understand how teachers can help the students minimize the problems of forgetting.
Ways to help minimize problems of forgetting
You can apply various innovative strategies in your class to engage the students at a maximum level and overcome their problem of forgetting.
Let’s discuss some of the easy-to-do things that you can do in your classroom.
1. Teach in various formats
Students mostly forget when they have the habit of going through the same type of lectures time and again.
You should try to deliver the lecture in various formats that can easily stick in their memory.
For example, if you are explaining some topic in the class then in addition to delivering the verbal lecture, try to offer them visuals of the topic as well.
This will not only help them understand things in a better fashion, but will also help them retain things in the memory.
In addition to this, once you are done with the lecture, ask the counter-question to the students. This will help the students put a bit of stress on their minds about what they have learned.
Ultimately, it will help in greater memory retention!
2. Memory Tree
When the students are presented with the entire information in one go, then it becomes very difficult for them to assimilate it all.
Try to give the information in small chunks. This will not only help the students easily learn the concepts, but will even retain them in their memory.
Moreover, try to make a connection between these chunks of information as we do for mind maps. This will help the students with a strategic flow of events and they will never forget the things.
3. Make repetition a practice
One of the major reasons that students forget the learned things in the exam or test is because they don't have much revision of it.
You should introduce revision sessions in the class.
This will not only help them go through the things that they have already learned, but will also give them more clarity about the same.
You can even go with educational quizzes or games to enhance the habit of practice and learning for students.
These tools will not only make learning fun, but even the retention power of the students will go to the next level.
4. Indulge students in practical tasks
When the students do some things with their own hands, then they can retain those things better.
For example, you are teaching some numerical to the students. You do it on the board and students understand it well.
But, if you push them a bit towards solving those types of questions on their own, then they will grasp more. It will help them come across the challenges that they face while writing things.
Perceiving the things and writing them in the apt form are two different things.
So, help the students with this aspect to overcome the forgetting problem.
5. Love what you learn
If you only tell the students to learn a particular thing without any supporting facts, then they will soon forget it.
But, on the other hand, if you support the things with some facts and information. Then students will love the things that they are learning.
When the things are learned by heart then they leave a stronger impression as compared to things that are just learned to give the exams.
Initially, even you will find it a bit tricky and complicated to implement in the classroom.
But, once you start implementing it, then it will work like wonders for the students.
Final Thoughts
Being a teacher, you can tremendously support students in overcoming the problem of forgetting.
By now, you must have got a fair idea about why students forget and how you can help them from your standpoint.
Instead of poking the students for their poor performance during the exam, try to ask them the reason behind the same. If they are also prone to forgetting things then help them out.
Students feel a bit reluctant to share what's going on in their minds with the teachers. You need to be open enough so that students can share their problems with you and seek your support.
Do practice this in your classroom, and write us in the comment-section what’s your say about it!!
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