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　　Habits are a funny thing．We reach for them mindlessly, setting our brains on auto-pilot and relaxing into the unconscious comfort of familiar routine．“Not choice, but habit rules the unreflecting creatures,”William Wordsworth said in the 19th century．In the ever-changing 21st century, even the word“habit”carries a negative meaning．

　　So it seems contradictory to talk about habits in the same context as innovation(创新)．But brain researchers have discovered that when we consciously develop new habits, we create parallel paths, and even entirely new brain cells, that can jump our trains of thought onto new, innovative tracks．

　　Rather than dismissing ourselves as unchangeable creatures of habit, we can instead direct our own change by consciously developing new habits．In fact, the more new things we try, the more creative we become．

　　But don’t bother trying to kill off old habits; once those ruts of procedure are worn into the brain, they’re there to stay．Instead, the new habits we deliberately press into ourselves create parallel pathways that can bypass those old roads．

　　“The first thing needed for innovation is attraction to wonder,”says Dawna Markova, author of The Open Mind．“But we are taught instead to‘decide’, just as our president calls himself‘the Decider’．”She adds, however, that“to decide is to kill off all possibilities but one．A good innovational thinker is always exploring the many other possibilities．”

　　“All of us work through problems in ways of which we’re unaware,”she says．Researchers in the late 1960s discovered that humans are born with the ability to approach challenges in four primary ways：analytically, procedurally, collaboratively(合作地)and innovatively．At the end of adolescence, however, the brain shuts down half of that ability, preserving only those ways of thought that have seemed most valuable during the first decade or so of life．

　　The current emphasis on standardized testing highlights analysis and procedure, meaning that few of us use our innovative and collaborative ways of thought．“This breaks the major rule in the American belief system－that anyone can do anything,”explains M．J．Ryan, author of the 2006 book This Year I Will…and Ms．Markova’s business partner．“That’s a lie that we have preserved, and it fosters(促进，培养)commonness．Knowing what you’re good at and doing even more of it creates excellence．”This is where developing new habits comes in．

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　　All of us have had one teacher who has been a source of great inspiration and who’s left lasting impression on our mind．

　　The power that a teacher has over the young is potent(有力的)．Sometimes it just takes one teacher to turn a life around, open one’s eyes and make a difference．Called second parents, the best teachers nurture(孕育)our dreams, develop our talents, and help a lot of us realise our ambitions and reach our goals．It’s no wonder that different countries around the globe dedicate(专门用)a day to honour one of the most noble professions of our times．

　　Here are a few interesting facts about Teacher’s Day：

　　Dr．Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan is known by the world as a great intellectual, philosopher and educationist．It was in 1962, when Dr．Radhakrishnan became the President of India, that his birthday on the 5th of September came to be observed as Teacher’s Day all over India．It was a tribute to Dr．Radhakrishnan’s close link with the cause of teaching．Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who was one of his closest friends, said about Dr．Radhakrishnan, “He has served his country in many capacities(才能)．But above all, he is a great teacher from whom all of us have learnt much and will continue to learn．”

　　The United Nations has declared October 5 as World Teacher’s Day．This special day was created to focus the world’s attention on the contributions and achievements of teachers．

　　In the United States of America, National Teacher’s Day is always the Tuesday of the first full week of May, so the actual date varies every year．The history of celebrating this day goes back to 1944．

　China celebrates Teacher’s Day on September 10．The tradition began in the 1980s in order to reverse(改变)the anti-intellectual sentiment(观点)created during the Cultural Revolution．However, it has yet to be established as a national holiday．

　　Teacher’s Day is celebrated in Brunei(文莱)on September 23 every year．

　　January 15 is Teacher’s Day in Venezuela(委内瑞拉)．

　　Korea celebrates Teacher’s Day on May 15．

　　September 28, is Confucius’(孔子)birthday and Taiwan celebrates this day as Teacher’s Day．