Snapshot 9

October 3, 2013

 

Back to the Grind

 

           

            It's that time of the year again as another school session is about to begin. When I arrived at the elementary school, in which I work at, it's all a familiar environment to me. With an exact schedule with the same events from day to day, I've a special way of remembering things. Most all of this information is secured in my memory from the previous years.  Consequently, this sequence of events has conveniently found its place in my long-term memory.  As I am getting back to the grind, I see that there are some new challenges upon this new school year that I see to come. 

 

            The start of this new school year brings new changes to the program that I'm in.  There are now three new members that I've noticed who weren't in our class room from last year.  Having these new ladies during the morning shift, the children are now well supervised.  Upon this aid, I struggle with remembering their names as I try to connect them with their faces.  While I was getting to know them further, I found out that these two new staff members actually work at the preschool as well.  Having this additional familiarity of these individuals gives me a further connection when seeing them around the building. This additional interaction places this new memory further in my long-term memory.

 

            Along with the new staff that I work with, I also encountered many new children that I see in our program. Now I need to learn their names with their faces, and accompanied by their grade as well.  With a large group of preschool students, I'm needed to learn their teachers and the locations of where their rooms are.  With this being brand new information to me, memory of these characteristics takes time.  A trick to my method, that helps me out, is when I find  out that the preschool student has an older sibling that I know of already.  The connection to an old memory makes this new memory easier to hold onto. This of course makes the learning of their faces and names easier.  This of course is based on the fact that this new information has a basis on long term memory from prior years.

 

            The method to my madness at work takes time.  With time, this new information will become easily accessible.  Actually going back to the same environment helps trigger my memory of how things are done. I've come to a conclusion that it's good to have this sturdy foundation   for the school year as new / more information is to come.  As I settle into the school environment once again, I am not worried.  I know that once the wheels start moving, I myself will fall back to the grind.