Research Poster for WFATE 2023 – The Story We Tell Ourselves (Co-Authored)

Week 7 – July 1, 2023 – A New Perspective

Hello to a new month. It’s July 1st and I am reminding myself that this new blog series is about GRATITUDE. When I started blogging years ago, it was with the intention of practicing how to write, expressing my feelings, and a way to navigate life. It was “My Pedagogical Journey.” I left teaching at that time and life got messy. I wondered if it would have been better to stay the course, but I was so unhappy.

In my meanderings to figure things out, I became a school trustee, finished my doctorate, and returned to teaching in higher education. Of course, there were many details in between, but that’s the Cole’s notes of my career since teaching in K-12. Joining the university has been a bit messy as well. Too many details to mention, but then my blog evolved into “Pandemic Reflections” during Covid19.

Apparently, the pandemic has ended but ironically I sit in my LazyBoy chair writing the blog post on a week’s long recovery from COVID-19 (I believe). It’s been awful, but I managed to continue to work and meet online. You’ve got to love technology. I’ve had some wonderful meetings with folks who mentor, collaborate, and meet. Anyway, I’m left with the lingering message of “It’s a process.” For this, I’m grateful.

I feel that the meandering has minimized in the macro and I’m starting to meander in the micro. My pandemic reflections spent most of my time wondering about what’s important to me. I think that I’m closer to that then I have ever been and I feel closer to myself than I ever have. It feels good. I am trying to turn “the ship” around and make choices that are more aligned to who I am and what I love to do.

This week as a first week for me to focus on my research (and not teaching). Time spent was taken with intentionality and deliberate action. I’m learning how to do make these decisions for myself. I cannot not be everywhere all at once and I have nothing to prove. I’m very grateful to return back to teaching since my experience in K-12 and what I am learning to do is to be an academic and do some research.

Research is an integral part of any professor’s work, but I’m term faculty, so my primary obligation is teaching and service. Research is not expected in my current position, but I am learning at my own pace as to what research looks like for me and what my research program will look like. It’s evolving and I am learning how to be patient (with myself and the process). I am grateful to those who mentor me.

I met with a mentor this week and I cannot believe how valuable it has been to have a conversation with this person. Generous, kind, and compassionate. Just a few words describe this person. I appreciate the honesty, encouragement, and articulation of how things are going or how things should be. It’s incredible. The conversation changed my perspective. I can see that THIS WILL BE A PROCESS.

From lofty targets and goals to next steps and realizing the worthwhileness of the learning process makes this new way of being more reasonable and doable. I know that there has been many people guiding me (and others challenging me in ways that question my values and beliefs). It takes time to hear what you need to hear. This week, I can see what I need to do to move forward and I’m excited to do so.