What Sticks

As educators we often struggle with ways to deliver instruction to your students so that the information "sticks" After reading the introduction of Made to Stick, titled "What Sticks", I found the analogies and information quite informative and amusing. The authors are right, certain stories sell better than others. But why? Is it just because the topic is more interesting or is it the way the information is written that one can relate to it better?
Well, not all our conversations are meant to "stick". But one does have to carefully craft the information we want to be remembered. This is essential in today's educational arena. We as teachers are competing with students who are continuously visually stimulated in their spare time. Coming to school where they now have to sit and listen to the teacher speak on and on while holding a pencil to write down important information is just not that entertaining. Teachers are up against a tough crowd daily. That is why we must carefully craft our presentations to capture their attentions and keep them focused on content that must be learned, but may not always be exciting. We know that when we make information relevant to our students and their lives they remember. This is a difficult job for teachers to make ideas stick when teachers are faced with daily challenges.