Well, this blog is a bit informal, as I've decided that one of the goals of this blog would be to document my progress through my Ed.D program. This documentation is for you, me, and us really.
You: I know I’m not the only person working full time and going to school, and sometimes it’s nice to see someone else walking the path with you.
Me: I need a moment to reflect after my courses. I need to take an ungraded moment to find meaning in the courses that I’m taking and think about how it affects me as a professional.
Us: I need motivation too! School and full time career is hard work! I love school, but sometimes you need a place where you can come to remember why you’ve chosen a path and keep your mind on your ultimate goal.
Reflection…
At this point, I’ve taken five courses in my program. (I should be working on a literature review for the fifth course as I type….) The course that I’m completing is “Research Based Decision Making”. I’ll admit that this course was not what I expected—in a good way though. I expected a dry analysis course, but instead got a change in perspective.
As a classroom teacher, research has the reputation of being the “big bad” (check out that Buffy reference). We say, “Researchers use a cold approach to a warm profession!” Not necessarily though. After taking the course, it’s just become clear to me that research does what it’s suppose to do. It’s not there to answer all of your questions, or provide a quick fix for your problems; it’s there to offer perspective.
Research helps you see things in a way you didn’t necessarily think about or that you wouldn’t otherwise see. What’s even more exciting (this is that moment when you realize you’ve been in school too long) is it helps you think of better questions and solutions that are tailored to your personal situation.
Overall, “research” does not equal “law”, it just helps us make well-rounded decisions.