RIGHT SEAT RULES - PART 3 MAKING THINGS MEMORABLE

We all know an instructor who just seems to have the knack of making things memorable. We probably think of him as being a good, or even a great, instructor. Ever wondered how he does it?

I’M GOING TO LET YOU INTO THE SECRET, and it’s so simple you will forget it by the time you get to the end of this article. Here it is:

EMOTION IS MEMORY GLUE

Remember where you were, and what you were doing, when you first heard the news of the World Trade Centre disasters? Of course you do. But do you remember where you were and what you were doing when you first saw a Jamie Oliver cookbook? 

The difference between the two memories is simply EMOTION.

I used to get caned regularly at school – the memories are extremely clear. I must also have gone into the school library from time to time, yet I have no memories of that at all.

At the risk of sounding sexist – why do women remember our shortcomings so clearly? You have got it – they are emotional events.

At the risk of sounding sexist – why do women remember our shortcomings so clearly? You have got it – they are emotional events.

This all means that to be a great instructor you have to make stuff memorable, which means that you must find ways of making it emotional.