@TeacherToolkit
Ross Morrison McGill founded @TeacherToolkit in 2007, and today, he is one of the ‘most followed educators’on social media in the world. In 2015, he was nominated as one of the ‘500 Most Influential People in Britain’ by The Sunday Times as a result of…
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Do your students struggle to recall key knowledge?
Think of memory like your bedroom wardrobe—well-organised knowledge is easier to retrieve, while cluttered information is quickly forgotten.
Why memory works like a wardrobe
This short webinar explores memory retrieval – as a wardrobe metaphor – and how it can help teachers understand memory storage and retrieval in classrooms with students. Learning is a process much richer than regurgitating facts!
Just like a well-organised wardrobe allows for quick access to clothes, a structured memory system makes it easier to recall information when needed. If knowledge is crammed in without order, students struggle to retrieve key concepts.
Memory works like a wardrobe: information needs to be stored in a structured way to be retrieved efficiently.
– A well-organised wardrobe = structured knowledge, retrieval practice, and clear mental links between concepts.
– A messy wardrobe = cognitive overload, rote memorisation, and unstructured learning, making recall difficult.
When students learn in a way that organises knowledge into meaningful categories, retrieval becomes more efficient. If they cram information with no structure, their brain struggles to “find” the knowledge when they need it.
Students forget information because their brains haven’t stored it effectively. Without clear mental “folders” to categorise concepts, recall is slow or unsuccessful.
How memory retrieval can help students organise their knowledge
Teachers can help by:
1. Sort the wardrobe: Encourage students to categorise new knowledge instead of memorising isolated facts.
2. Declutter: Avoid cognitive overload by breaking content into smaller, structured chunks.
3. Rearrange frequently: Use spaced retrieval to revisit topics, keeping knowledge accessible.
4. Use storage tricks: Teach mnemonics, schema-building, and dual coding to strengthen recall.
CPD questions for teachers:
- How do you support students to structure their knowledge in lessons?
- Are students encouraged to make connections between topics?
- How could retrieval practice be used more effectively?
- How does cognitive overload impact recall in different subjects?
- How do you support knowledge retention for SEND students?
- Are students using effective organisation strategies for revision?
- How can teachers integrate schema-building into their lesson planning?
- What changes could be made to improve retrieval-based learning?
- How does executive function impact students’ ability to organise knowledge?
- What professional development opportunities could help teachers?
Memory is strengthened when information is meaningfully structured. Teaching students to organise knowledge like a wardrobe, or a spiderweb, improves long-term retention and learning outcomes.
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