I was thinking of how this teacher could help his students become better at understanding the periodic table.
The first thing that came to mind was an app for the Ipad that is simply called The Elements. While it would require the students to have an Ipad, it would be a great app to have at your disposal if you wanted to familiarize yourself with the table.
Another tool I think would be beneficial is Elementeo, a card game. In the past, I have found that competition has been a great way to motivate students, when needed. While some may be turned off by Pokeman like games, I think this again would help promote student learning.
RM