It’s the first day of 2021 when I write this. I am about to begin my new adventure working in a university. It has been quite a year, 2020. Besides the notable pandemic issues, I have completed a PhD, obtained a new job and left my K-12 district level position.
With new adventures comes fears and challenges. I look forward to these new obstacles but I also look forward to the opportunity to extend myself.
In PhD student life there are times when you feel the “me” slowly floating away. In some occasions it’s being pushed out violently and as a PhD student you need to make choices. It means giving something up to get something else or it might also mean changing the core aspect of something to gain the freedom you desire. Strangely these are emotions I feel on a daily basis as I struggle with my own scholarship and finding my voice. This voice I want to push out but yet in order to fit the academic mode, you need to silence that voice until those imaginary “chains” are released.
Spending my long weekend writing something that is not related to my dissertation. There is definitely freedom that comes with this type of writing. Not having the restrictions or “restraints” I feel when I am writing academic dissertation style nor the external voices that are not mine. As a result, the writing is going well and flowing easily.
This weekend I am reflecting on how I need to learn more about supporting kids with trauma particularly our refugee population. I think I will be visiting some of literature in the next little while. Got the following two books yesterday.
Always something to read and learn…
I said I would start blogging and apparently I haven’t been very good at making this happen. So I am now sitting in Edmonton blogging on the couch (literally typing this post with my iPhone).
I often get questions about what I am up to academically and at work. Currently I am reading a book and trying to put together a book review for a journal. I am also working on a paper I am hoping to push out to a journal. Of course this happens in the cracks of time after my day job. Most days it is pretty hard to get motivated to do much after the day job since I am quite frankly exhausted.
My day job is a busy one but it is rewarding as I am working with teachers to improve the teaching practice in their classrooms.
I often wish I had more hours in a day and more time to do finish the projects I have started but I am realizing this is not my reality.
I have decided it’s time to start blogging again. I will be taking the time to write about my academic life, current wonders, share teaching tips. I hope you will follow me on my journey.