Memory Like an Elephant? Celebrating World Elephant Day with Teaching, Learning and Leading the Herd

Frances Gallagher Author

Aug 10, 2025 |

Celebrate World Elephant Day with a fun twist on teaching, learning, and memory. Discover how the incredible recall of elephant matriarchs.

“Memory Like an Elephant? Let’s Talk Teaching, Learning, and Leading the Herd”

Today, 12 August, 2025, it’s time to grab your trunk (metaphorically speaking) and celebrate World Elephant Day. This year’s theme is “Matriarchs and Memories,” honouring both the incredible memory of elephant matriarchs and the inspiring women working to conserve these magnificent creatures.

Elephants are famous for their phenomenal memories. They can recall migration routes after decades, remember old friends after years apart, and never forget where the best watering hole is. In the world of teaching and learning, we’re all aiming for that kind of skills that stick. The question is: how do we help learners remember key lessons long after the course ends?

And, perhaps more importantly, who in your workplace or classroom has a memory to rival an elephant’s? (We all know at least one person who remembers exactly what slide you were on three weeks ago, and what colour your jumper was at the time.)

From the Savanna to the Classroom

Elephants use their memories for survival—navigating dangerous terrain, finding food, and keeping the herd safe. In education, memory is just as crucial for success, but our “terrain” is made up of assignments, projects, and maybe a few stubborn spreadsheet formulas.

Here’s where our courses come in. They may not involve tusks or trunks, but they definitely create herds of skilled, confident learners ready to navigate their own landscapes.

Payroll: The Elephant in the Payslip

Elephants never forget where the water is—and payroll professionals never forget the exact tax calculation that keeps payday running smoothly. In our Payroll (5N1546 / 6N4005) courses, learners develop the kind of precise recall that means fewer mistakes and more happy employees.

After all, much like an elephant turning up at the wrong watering hole, nobody wants to be at the wrong payslip total.

Leadership and Supervisory Management: Matriarch Training

In elephant herds, the matriarch is the leader—guiding her family with experience, patience, and an uncanny sense of direction. Our Leadership (6N2191) and Supervisory Management (6N4329) courses are basically “matriarch training” for humans.

Learners leave with the confidence to steer their teams, solve problems, and maybe even keep the peace when two colleagues start locking metaphorical tusks over the office kettle.

Spreadsheets: Navigating the Data Plains

An elephant can map hundreds of kilometres in its head. Our Spreadsheets (5N1977 / 6N4089) learners can map thousands of rows in Excel without getting lost. Whether it’s SUM, VLOOKUP, or conditional formatting, they learn how to get from column A to column Z without wandering into a data desert.

Communications and Customer Service: Speaking Across the Savanna

Elephants communicate over vast distances using infrasound. Our Communications (5N0690 / 6N1950) and Customer Service (5N0972) students learn how to ensure their message carries—whether they’re speaking face-to-face at reception or sending an email across continents.

Just as a herd stays together through sound, a workplace thrives on clear, confident communication.

Business Administration: Organising the Herd

Every elephant herd has its organiser—the one who knows when it’s time to move, who’s missing, and where the next stop is. In the human world, that’s your Business Administration (5N1610) or Information and Administration (5N1389) graduate.

They keep operations running smoothly, schedules in check, and paperwork from piling higher than an elephant’s back.

Training Delivery and Evaluation: Passing Down Wisdom

Elephant matriarchs pass on vital survival knowledge to younger members. In our Training Delivery and Evaluation (6N3326) and Training Needs Identification and Design (6N3325) courses, trainers learn to do exactly that—sharing knowledge in ways that stick for years.

Because the best teachers don’t just fill minds—they prepare learners to lead the next herd.

Memory Tricks from the Herd

If elephants were running the classroom, they’d use:

• Storytelling: Elephants remember routes as narratives passed down through generations. In learning, stories make lessons stick.
• Group learning: Herds share knowledge collectively—just like collaborative activities in our courses.
• Repetition over time: Elephants revisit important sites. You revisit important topics for better recall.

These techniques aren’t just animal instincts—they’re proven educational strategies.

Who’s the Elephant in Your Classroom?

Take a moment to think: who’s got the best memory in your circle? The learner who remembers every point from last week’s discussion. The admin who can recall a client’s email from 2019. The payroll officer who still knows last year’s Christmas bonus figures.

Maybe it’s time to crown them your “Matriarch (or Patriarch) of Memory”—no tusks required.

This World Elephant Day, let’s celebrate the wisdom of matriarchs, the power of memory, and the joy of learning. Whether you’re navigating a spreadsheet, leading a team, running payroll, or mastering customer service, remember: knowledge is meant to be passed on, just like an elephant’s migration map.

So here’s your challenge:

• Learn something new today.
• Teach it to someone tomorrow.
• And maybe, just maybe, remember it forever.

Happy World Elephant Day—may your memory be mighty, your leadership steady, and your learning journey unforgettable.

Reference: Days of the Year

Categories: : Blended, Level 5, Level 6