They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. But if we humans don’t continue to learn throughout our lives then we soon will be left behind. As a child, my parents needed me to run the VCR. I thought that was pretty funny. There I was, a kid, running a high tech device (for the time) that my parents couldn't operate. Now that my seven-year-old can teach me a few things about our iPad it’s not so funny.

One trick we humans should always be working on is to cultivate good habits. When it comes to lifelong learning, Lori Reed has suggested 7 1/2 of them. Some lifelong learning habits come easy to me. I definitely accept responsibility for my own learning. I don’t always do anything about it, but I definitely realize that nobody can learn for me. I also like to learn, when I can find the time. In the teaching profession it is important to find the time to learn and I do generally do a pretty good job of carving out some hours here and there to keep up on the latest. Or I at least know where to go to find the information I might need. I also have confidence in myself as a competent, effective learner. I know that I can find the information I need and that with enough time I can learn it.

Something I can do better at is developing the habit of viewing problems as challenges. Many times I don’t really want to deal with a problem. I want the answer and I want it now and if I don’t get it now then get annoyed. Stupid problems!

Sometimes I’m also not very good at habit number 7 1/2. That habit is to play! It should be the easiest habit, but for me it’s not. Playing takes time and I don’t have a lot of time. What I have is a lot of stupid problems!