Finally got around to reading Pragmatic Thinking and Learning: Refactor Your Wetware by Andy Hunt and wish I’d read it sooner. Go buy it now for your Kindle or iPad, or whatever. I’ll wait.

While I was pleased to see that I’ve been doing some of the things he suggests already, and had realised some of his insights too, it was also eye-opening in suggestions of how to push the door further open to get even more benefit. That will be the next goal: follow up on ideas and instill new practices.

‘Practice makes permanent’, as Andy says. The other good point he makes is that you have to believe in yourself. If you set out with the ‘I can’t do that’ attitude, then you will fail. Instead, if you believe you can make the change, learn the new skill, or whatever, then you can do it. So, go on, you can do it. You know you can. Sure you may not get it right the first time, but give yourself a chance, and you’ll learn to do it: practice makes permanent.

The book has a ton of useful ideas that I’ll need to work into things students can do, which should help them learn more easily too. Great stuff. What are you doing reading this? Go read the book now.