July 12, 2026 – It’s been a hot minute

It’s been a while since last blogged. In the last month, it seemed like when it rains, it pours. Everything happened all at once. As a result, I had to learn how to ask for help, ask for an extension, and ask forgiveness. My big learning was rewriting a chapter. We got feedback and met several times as to how things could be revamped. We made a plan we agreed with, and by the time I was able to get to this work, it was A HUGE MOUNTAIN to overcome. I had no idea how much work was required to rewrite this chapter with this new approach. Huge respect to qualitative researchers, and thank you for my writing team for their support. If anything, what I got from that experience was a tonne of learning about grit, patience, resilience, process, methodology, kindness, and grace.

I am likely to write about some of the wonderful and amazing events that has happened this last month like the Deeper Learning Conference and the Fit-Choice Network Online, but for now, I would like to talk about OVERCOMING OBSTACLES aside from the one just mentioned about rewriting a chapter. Also on my things to do last week was reviewing a dissertation as an external examiner and thesis as a committee member. I am reminded how challenging the research process is. You are learning how to do research, you are figuring out how to best research your topic to answer your question, you struggle with how to best present the information, and there is a battle with yourself and any self-talk you may have as an emerging or early career researcher. It’s not easy.

For me, my learning cycle happens every 8-years or so. when I was teaching, I needed to change every 7-8 years, I left teaching after 16 years and served as as school trustee for 7 years which was also the same time I completed my doctoral degree, and now I have just completed 8 years at the university. It seems like it would be the time of which I am transforming into a new for of me and thus, my work. This semester is my second out of eight years to have a research semester to not be teaching during this term, and it might be my last for a while until I ask to ask to have the term free from teaching, which is a right I have as stated in my collective agreement. That said, working is good too. LOL. I am not complaining, but what I am saying is, I need to make most of this time.

Although I cannot believe that it’s already mid-July and how fast time is flying by, I am so grateful for what I am learning, what I have learned, and for the people who are in my circle. I realized that my people do not have be in the same geographical region, and people (i.e., mentors) will come and go when you need them. One of my biggest lesson is that the only person looking out for you is YOU. I don’t know why I had thought that people are there to help others, but I am clear now that now matter what’s happening “out there”… what’s happening “in here”? I had so much to overcome. It was imposter syndrome X 10, but there were so many life changes happening at the time, and how that impacted my identity, my sense of self, and my sense of value… I could not see my worth.

Anyway, ever since I left teaching in K-12, I’ve been on a PEDAGOGICAL JOURNEY to figure out who I am, what I love to do, and why it matters. I am so grateful for mentors, colleagues, friends, family, and students for helping me along this journey. It’s taken some time to rebuild myself. Eight years later, I have my own place, my kid has graduated from university, and I feel more like myself. I want to be who I am and who I am meant to be. It’s been a while, but I have submitted my manuscript to a journal to be published. Wow. Shocking. I got plenty of signs pointing me in the direction of math education, and it was time. What I love about the submission is, I told my supervisor/co-author that I had submitted the manuscript, and I got a “thank you” and humility in return.

When you are aligned to who you are, life unfolds exactly the way it should. 🙂