Why don't people retain information anymore? Is it just that we are inundated with so many random, seemingly useless facts every second of our waking day? Is it impossible to sift through the sludge of information and hold on to the necessary items?



I am aware of the fact I teach high school. But not quite so much as yesterday. If you are in a class that has Biology and Chemistry for prerequisites, then how can you not tell me if you had Chemistry last year? Much less remember any of the concepts, just tell me if you had it on your schedule!



So it would seem that I no longer am teaching Anatomy and Physiology, just Anatomy. How can you do the Physiology side with no Chemistry? Impossible to get through the heads of sophomores and counselors that insist on putting them in the class.



Now, if I taught the way my collegue does (this person teaches Anatomy and Physiology for the Health Science curriculum, not as a science credit....but yet we still have to plan together), and simply has the students write vocabulary terms and do bookwork.....anyone could pass. But no, I just do the calendar, make power points for our notes, come up with labs and activities, write the quizzes.....and email it all to said person. According to this person, they do what I do and more as far as teaching! They are the world's best teacher! Frustrating.....

As to retaining information, I try to help my kids out. Like today, for instance. I figured me saying the chemical was dangerous and not to touch, taste, or smell it over and over like five thousand times before the lab began wouldn't thwart them against playing with the pretty blue crystals. So I wrote the NFPA symbol and "POISON" on each group's container. So why would you play with it? Like pour it on the desk and flick it at your partner? I know some kids are SpEd, but if I know you know how to read.....So yay for parent conferences. They can't come back into lab until I have a parent conference.

Speaking of parent conferences, they are great. I've only encountered two types thus far in my teaching career. The first is the parent that likes to yell and blame you, the administration, the hall monitor, anyone really, for their child's lack of.....whatever. Appropriate behavior, completing assignments, attendance problems. The second is the parent who doesn't care but comes to the parent conference because, by law, their child must be in school. And if they aren't allowed to come to class, then they get marked absent, and the parents lose a lot of money in truancy fees. A lot of my kids come to school because them being present everyday ensures a home for their family. Noble, but a little wasted if you don't do anything.

sigh. I think people not remembering annoys me because I remember most things. *most*. And it annoys me when I don't remember things like I normally do, or it takes me longer to dredge up something. But that's me, and I already remembered when my spirals were due.