Monday 2 December 2013

So near .... and yet so far!

Thought I would touch base with my fellow bloggers.  I have been feeling slightly overwhelmed with the amount of work I have to do in such a short space of time.  I have a plan, but it doesn't fit into the time scale I have left, so I have after much deliberation decided to self-defer until May.  I am fortunate in being inundated with work and as most of us know we have to take the work when it is there. I am currently working full time as a teaching assistant, modelling in the evenings, teaching dance on a Thursday evening and a Saturday and performing in a Motown tribute band whenever I can.
 My role as a teaching assistant is temporary to cover a maternity leave and finishes in March, I am doing all I can to get a permanent job as I love it so much, i.e. choreographing the school musical, volunteering to take after school activities etc., great experience, but all of this impinges on my study time and I feel I am constantly playing catch-up.
I have struggled with the literature review it seems to have taken up so much of my time.  I can't tell you how many times I've written down a really good quote and then struggled to find it later, or I've read a brief synopsis of an article only to find that to read it in its entirety requires me to subscribe at a cost.

Where I am now:
  •  I have collated all the data from the evaluations from my students pre intervention  and presented the findings in graph form.
  • I have carried out my literature search
  • I have designed my survey for Teachers 
  • I have prepared the lesson plans for my intended interventions and arranged a further observation lesson post intervention
  • I have identified Teachers for my video interview  
I feel the pressure is off for now and I can concentrate on getting my interviews booked in a realistic timescale.
Hope everyone is getting on o.k.
Betty x

 
 

3 comments:

  1. I'm sorry to hear that you have deferred but glad that you are feeling the pressure is off. For me it has more been about getting the draft feedback and focusing my inquiry in more. I hope that you have a good Christmas and don't work too hard with all the many jobs you have!

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  2. Hi Betty,
    Sometimes making the decision is the hardest job of all!
    I'm glad everything is going well for you professionally and will keep my fingers-crossed that you get a full-time post within the school :)
    Best of luck with your inquiry, it's gonna be even better now that you'll have the time to do it without rushing.
    S

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  3. Hi Betty.

    I think we both are very similar as to were we are with the module. I too had work commitments and interrupted my studies for module 3 and am now continuing with this module for it to be completed in May. I have actually just got the job at a school as a teaching assistant as I want to have as much experience teaching and working with children as possible. I haven't started the job yet but I know when I do my life will be crazy busy, (it already is haha) . I too will be working in other jobs at evenings and weekends too! It is hard to find time to fit in Uni work and I also find when I do have the time that I don't know were to begin as there is so much to do. But I do feel more prepared this time around. I have collected a lot of my data already but I am not sure on how to analyse it the best way yet. What did you find is a good way?
    And I know exactly what you mean about the literature.... I have notes of lots of literature but when it comes to referencing it all I am not going to be able to, so today I am making a start on writing up all my literature reviews correctly and citing them all with the author and date published etc. Long day ahead I know but I think when it comes to writing the critical reflection, which I hope to start soon, it should be much easier and clearer.

    What is your inquiry about again?

    Chelsie x

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