Thing #1

The easiest of the seven and a half habits for me would have to be Habit #1.  Throughout life it is necessary to set lifelong goals if one is to be successful.  When long term goals are set in advance, they provide a rubric from which to plan backwards in order to obtain the desired end results.  Attainable objectives can be developed to insure progress toward final outcomes.  If success is measured in small increments, people do not lose sight of their ultimate goals.  When teachers predetermine the skills necessary to pass required evaluations, they inadvertently set the tone for developing learning experiences geared to completion of tasks required for mastery of the assessed objectives.  This allows students to see their progress and feel successful.  Success drives students to attain more information and attempt more difficult tasks. 

The hardiest and most frustrating habit for me is Habit #4.   As a novice teacher working in the same school I attended as a youth, it is difficult to establish myself as a competent instructor.  Many of my former teachers are now coworkers.  They treat me with respect and include me in academic decisions.  Unfortunately, I have difficulty adjusting to the new relationship.  I have always admired my former instructors and look to them as role models, now we are equals.  Perhaps one day, I will develop the self-confidence necessary to lead others and make changes in the curriculum.  Many of the senior staff members question me about current educational issues, which they were not exposed to during their college years.  With each passing day, I am learning to view myself as an educator and no longer the student.   Eventually, I will develop the self-confidence to implement the educational strategies I gain from my former teachers and modify them to fit my personality and needs.

As a right brain learner, I always read the end of the novel before beginning a book.  This allows me to determine and make note of events that occur throughout the story which are influential to the outcome of the book.  Lifelong learners set in motion events which determine the final outcomes of their life.  During this process if they pre-plan for unforeseen calamities, they will be better prepared to cope with the aftermath and learn from the experience.  Lifelong learners continue assessing their role and needs in life, in an effort to remain productive members of society.  When the human mind stops learning, it begins to deteriorate and senility occurs.  Active minds begin collecting information from birth, resorts it throughout life, adds and subtracts from it, and allows us to remain functioning members of society.   We are never too old to learn information which will be beneficial to our well being.