In the fall of 2005, I began a two year graduate program in Social Work at the University of Denver. I knew from the first day it was time to learn, time to absorb new information. 

I have a similar feeling currently. Summer 2024. 52 years old. Time to learn. Time to absorb new information. 

I have come to a conclusion there are three things I consider to be significant parts of my day-to-day living, that I really know nothing about. 

I have spent my life in a school system and am realizing I do not know how we learn. I know I do learn, I learn all the time. But, how does one facilitate learning? What are the skills to learning? I know that executive function skills support focus and the process of learning, but how do people learn? I know inspiration and motivation toward a desired outcome contributes to learning, but what are the generalized steps to facilitate new learning? 

I feel as if my interest in learning has come as a result of asking the bigger question (continually) in my mind: what does school look like in 2024? (and beyond)

As Jim Kwik explains scientifically in his book, Limitless, one strategy to learn is to ask questions. I feel as if my answer to the school question has come in the form of Jim’s book, and a last minute opportunity to attend a two day AVID training with a focus on Literacy. As random as it seemed for a school social worker to be attending this training, I knew I had been asking how to teach skills and engage the students in my Monday night class.

Another thing I realize I know nothing about is Yoga. I love yoga. Every yoga teacher is different. I have had a high percentage of positive yoga experiences with a variety of teachers. I know enough about Yoga to know that having a not-so-great experience with a yoga class, IS the yoga. I have never considered being a yoga facilitator myself because it seems impossible to facilitate. Over the years, it became more reasonable to consider teacher training to learn more about yoga and the poses. I have one yoga facilitator that I had a bit of a (huge) supernatural response to. I knew he led trainings at his studio. On a whim I registered for his fall training almost a year in advance. I also bought all the books and began reading this month. This is how I know I know nothing. 

Since I registered for the teacher training so far in advance, I have had time to ponder how the months will look this fall when I work full time. The trainings are held on the weekends August – November (three weekends a month). I am investing in this learning, and I want it to be as effective/meaningful as possible. I have been asking: what is a yoga lifestyle? I figure I should try to incorporate some lifestyle habits that allow me to enjoy the training knowing that my usual response to my weekends being full would be the opposite of a yoga lifestyle.

This question I assume led me to my last category of what I know nothing about, and that is nutrition. This is a more involved curiosity as it is nestled into new lifestyle considerations in response to the time of life called menopause. It is worth mentioning that I have been curious about my own blood sugar (glucose) for well over a year. There is much more I can say on this subject, but I will pause that conversation for now.

Learning, yoga, and nutrition are just the tip of the iceberg of things I realize I know so little about. 

Tis the season of learning for me.