Finding the time is a challenge

How do I manage it all? Taking on an EdD in 2018 was a big step, and one I am thoroughly enjoying. It is hard work, though, and requires a large time commitment. I work full time and have a young family, and also enjoy presenting my fortnightly Late Late Show with Teachers Talk Radio. So how do I fit it in?

I try to get big chunks of writing done during the holidays. Much of this is not of a great quality, but at least its out of my brain and on the page. I’m up to about 35,000 words of the required 45,000. I still have the findings and discussion to write. The introduction will be written last. My plan is to knock the rest of it out by Christmas, then review and edit. I’m hoping to submit it in September 2024. All being well…

Last summer I spent quite a lot of time at my parent’s place by the sea. Trying to set aside time to work was difficult and stressful. I obviously wanted to enjoy time with my family, not be locked away working the whole time. So I started writing at night.

I have found this strategy highly effective, and have been employing it this half term, too. When everyone is in bed, I sit up at the kitchen table and work for a couple of hours. Last summer, I bashed out my methodology chapter. At Christmas, I drafted my literature review. This half term, I had planned to write up my findings, and have made a start. I got distracted by my instrument reduction process, though. I’m really happy with the progress I’ve made on that. The survey software has stopped giving me warnings about the excessive numbers of items, which is great! I have known since the beginning that the survey was a beast and participant comments were honestly brutal (and rightly so).

I am so grateful to everyone who has laboured through early versions. Without their data, I would not have felt confident in my rationale over which items to combine or remove. Hopefully, the new version will be less of an arduous task!

Studying, working, parenting, and being a human being in the world is a difficult balancing act. However, my EdD has enriched my life enormously. I was so burnt out in 2018, I was ready to leave teaching. I now understand why I felt that way, and have a greater sense of agency to contribute to positive change. That’s worth the late nights.