Posted on February 22nd, 2021
By VANESSA W. SNYDER
There’s an untidiness to this doctoral journey that I had not anticipated. Even though I was told early on that the path to Dr. Snyder isn’t direct, I didn’t fully grasp the concept until now.
I was told it’s an “iterative”
process, which basically means circling back and forth in different directions.
In terms of writing this dissertation, it means cutting, replacing, undoing,
rewriting, deleting, pasting, rearranging … you get the picture.
It’s messy.
Yes, there’s a rubric. And you’d think
that an educator of more than 20 years could just follow the roadmap and reach
my destination, right? However, just because there’s a rubric doesn’t mean the
path is straight or clear.
Right now, I must have at least 15
versions of my dissertation. It’s too early to delete anything. I’ve often had
to resurrect an earlier version with information I didn’t think I would need, only
to discover that a crucial paragraph written 12 months ago is necessary to move
forward.
It’s messy.
But in the end, I will produce a
clear, well-researched, and well-written body of scholarly work, a study that I
believe will ultimately change lives.
Consider your successes and your
accomplishments. Remember the journey along the way.
Was it seamless? Did you ever
start over? Were there detours and
missteps? Did you have turn around to get something/someone you thought you
didn’t need? I know I did.
And right now, it’s all still a
little messy.
So, I will embrace this messiness.
Because like so many other things in life, messiness is part of the process.
But it’s so worth the reward in
the end.
(A former journalist currently working on her
doctorate in Social Emotional Learning, Vanessa is a dedicated and passionate
educator in the DC Public Schools system. She loves learning, leadership,
innovation, collaboration, and discovering new ways to drive student gains and
support staff members).
Posted on February 8th, 2021
By VANESSA W. SNYDER
I really wanted the name of this blog to be “Milestones.” It
would’ve been so perfect, having started at end of an unusual year and with the promise of
a new one. Writing about reaching the next milestone in my doctoral journey would’ve
been a lot more fun, and perhaps even easier to write.
Well, I’m not there just yet.
Nonetheless, here I am on a Sunday morning of gentle snow –
24 hours after spending yet another Saturday filled mostly with writing – reflecting
on what has become a personal holding pattern.
Holding patterns aren’t very exciting on the surface, but further
examination reveals some progress. For example, I’ve completed the first three
chapters of my dissertation without being told to start all over (which was a
real fear)!
Right now, I’m stepping back to take a critical look at what
I’ve written and ask myself important
questions.
Am I telling the story I need to tell? Have I captured the full scope of my research
problem? Is it clear? What’s missing? Do I need to do more?
How does my dissertation compare to others? (I spend lots of
time reading successful dissertations.)
Turns out you can be pretty busy during “holding patterns.”
They don’t indicate lack of activity. They actually mean the
opposite if you embrace it. They’re opportunities to learn, think, and reflect
before moving on to the next thing. They force you to be in the moment and
absorb all that comes with it.
It’s almost like doing a plank. Your whole body is holding
and it hurts. But something is happening inside of you that makes you stronger
if you stay in the position. Holding patterns are necessary and we can’t skip
them, because that’s often where we learn.
So, don’t run from holding patterns in your life. Embrace
them. Learn from then. Build upon them.
Before you know it, you’ll be at the next thing – probably
the milestone you’re waiting for.
(A former journalist currently working on her doctorate in
Social Emotional Learning, Vanessa is a dedicated and passionate educator in
the DC Public Schools system. She loves learning, leadership, innovation,
collaboration, and discovering new ways to drive student gains and support
staff members).
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