This is my first BLOG ever so...here goes:

• The challenges of being a learner at your age
The major challenges for me center around feelings of competence vs. time constraints. At 46 my career is moving faster than ever before. I'm taking on more responsibilities and accepting more challenges. My homelife is stable and my wife and I are even thinking about adopting a child (or two). I'm also committed to this Ed.D. program. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night, though, because of one of those anxiety dreams (you know the ones where you have COMPLETELY forgotten to do something VERY important and it's due RIGHT NOW) and I wonder if I've bitten off more than I can chew.
Regardless, I NEED to do this (for myself and my career) and I'm willing to lose a little sleep over it.

• The joys of being a learner at your age
My Masters degree was a natural (in time) progression from my BA. I didn't skip a beat between the two. But, over 15 years have passed between then and now and I am loving how learning "new" things is meshing with my personal experience in the workplace. My practice has some theory behind it! The literature is allowing me to view my practice in a different light, with a fresh perspective. That is a joyful discovery and I don't know if I could've (would've) been able to entertain those insights if I had entered a doctoral program immediately after my Masters.

• Your hopes for the next decade as a learner
I want to keep this up...get my letters (Ed.D) in this decade and then continue into the next two or three doing research and trying out new things at my university (or wherever they'll allow this old man to keep putting his two-cents-worth in). I see the future as a very open, exciting time for me.

• Your advice for people who are entering your decade as a learner
Don't let fear and anxiety wear you down. Believe in yourself, say your prayers and keep pushing. With the advent of online education, this is not just a young person's game anymore. Maybe we're better able to do this than we might think.