Right in the Middle of it..
After defending my proposal, things got real in a different way.
It is a strange experience to realize that your research is not separate from your job, it is your job. The Language Comprehension Learning Academy is not something I am studying from the sidelines. It is work I am leading, refining, and living in real time, which has both challenges and advantages.
The timing of this was both. The state mandate around literacy screening and early reading support created a level of urgency that helped. The focus on structured, evidence-based practices was already in the air. This work did not feel like “one more thing” to teachers. It felt connected to where the field is already moving.
Buy-in is always the hardest part of any initiative. This time, I did not have to convince people that language comprehension matters. The conversation was already started. I was able to build from it instead of forcing another mandate down our teachers’ throats.
And to their credit, they showed up! They engaged. They were thoughtful, reflective, and willing to try.
And even though the snow storm pushed the timeline back a bit, I am happy to say my TLP is done and most of my data is collected!
Now it’s time to sit with the data and do the actual analysis. SPSS is open. I need to build a codebook. I’m brushing up on both my quantitative and qualitative skills. It’s not new, but it’s been a while, so there’s a bit of rust to shake off. This is the part where you have to be careful. No rushing through it. No cutting corners. The decisions I make here matter, and they need to hold up.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little hesitant stepping back into this level of technical work. Not because I can’t do it, but because it requires a different pace and a different level of precision than the work I’ve been doing day to day.
What helps is knowing I have a strong dissertation team behind me. People who know this process, who will push my thinking and call it out if something doesn’t make sense. So I’m keeping it simple. I’m not trying to do everything at once. I’m meeting myself in the middle, staying focused, staying consistent so I can finish what I started.
