Recently, I downloaded from Itunes aspeech by Lee Shulman given at Stanford University entitled “Preparing Mindsfor Chance Favors: The Challenges of Routine and Surprise in ProfessionalEducation.” http://castroller.com/Podcasts/WhatsNewAt/950182 Shulman attributes the origin of the word “serendipity” to HoraceWalpole, who told a fairy tale about the princes of Seridip. In the story, theking sent his three sons out to learn about the world. According to Walpole,“as their highnesses traveled, they were always making discoveries, byaccidents and sagacity, of things which they were not in quest of.” Shulmanlinks chance to happy accidents and sagacity to having a preparedmind that recognizes opportunities when presented. I mention this story because it leadsdirectly into my path to and through graduate school as a doctoral candidate.
Itbegan with a tearful phone call from my mom that informed me that my dad wasdiagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer. Atthe time, I was teaching at an international school in Aruba. It was time to return to the US and without ajob, housing, or clear plan, I ended the school year – anxious yet gleefully anticipating a newstage in my life. (Just a quick preview,so you aren't distressed, my dad is still with us and most likely working inthe garden as I write this. He receivedboth chemo and radiation treatments with a positive attitude and has thrived.)
I had considered completing my PhD ineducation while overseas, but the online programs were not designed forex-patriots. I knew this was theopportunity for me to take the time to pursue my degree. Since the goal was tobe near my parents, my choice of graduate school was limited to twoschools. I prepared a solid CV andstatement of purpose, but without the advantage of knowing the campus orprofessors, I depended on someone taking a chance on me and accept me as theirdoctoral student. Clearly, someone didtake that chance, as I was accepted to UW-Madison in Curriculum and Instructionand will finish my dissertation in the next year. Throughout this process, though, I've learneda few lessons about being a PhD student.
Lesson 1 – Be open to possibilitieswhen they are presented.
Serendipitycame into play again during my first meeting with my adviser just weeks beforeclasses were to begin. She asked if Iwas looking for funding, as the Teaching Assistant who was supervising studentteachers had recently resigned. Havingbeen a classroom teacher for 12 years, I jumped at the chance. I was fortunately to have that funding for4.5 years. Even though it was at moments, time-consuming and stressful, I amgrateful for the support and having the opportunity to visit numerousclassrooms and schools. I didn't know Iwas supposed to be looking for funding – so this was more chance than beingprepared! Throughout my graduate life, Iworked hard to be prepared, but I also had to be an the lookout for chance opportunitieswhen they arose. When my initial adviserleft the university, I had to find a new adviser, but through this I found asupportive group of critical peers and we write and present together.
Lesson 2 – Get in the habit of goalsetting, writing and publishing – it is academia after all!
Havinglived overseas for over 10 years, I thought I was going to weather the cultureshock of returning to the US fairly well, but I wasn't prepared for the cultureshock of academia. Within the firstmonth I was overwhelmed by the reading and writing and the constant doubtwhether I had the smarts and gumption to complete the degree. When I first reached out for help fromveteran grad students, I was quickly slapped with the statement, “Graduateschool is sink or swim. If you can'tswim, you don't belong here.” Fortunately, I stumbled on Paul Silvia's book How to Write a Lot: APractical Guide to Productive Academic Writing and formed my own supportivewriting group. I credit my own survival and positive attitude about academia tothis group. We used positive peerpressure to set and achieve writing goals, and, along the way, encouraged eachother through the dramas of grad school. In addition, an article I wrote connected me to my current researchsite. Now that I'm a veteran gradstudent, I make sure to give the type of support to the new students that I waslooking for. And, I encourage everyonewho will listen to plan and schedule writing sessions with an eye topublication.
Lesson 3 – Not everything you do needsto get 100% effort 100% of the time. Prioritize!
Inmy program, we have three years of classes before preliminary exams, which tendto be the literature review for the dissertation, including both methodologyand theoretical framework. My departmenttends to be qualitative focused, though more professors are beginning to domixed-method work. The guidingphilosophy given to new graduate students is to explore, sift, and thenwinnow. What many students, includingmyself, struggle with is having the doors flung open to every possibility andthen having to deal with the recognition that you don't and can't know itall. However, have faith in the process– as I got nearer to writing my proposal, my own focus become clearer. I can see this struggle in the faces of thenewbies – as they frantically try to thoroughly read every assignment. As a grad student I had to balance supervising,teaching and my own course work, along with family responsibilities. Jim Burke, my favorite writer and teacher,encouraged me to “honor your roles” - consciously choosing to prioritize andmake time for those things that matter most, and sometimes that meant acceptingan incomplete on a course until I could devote the time to it.
Lesson 4 – Look forward and backward –but stay focused on the present.
Fiveyears ago, I had no idea I would be a doctoral candidate. A year ago, I had no idea I would beresearching in an elementary school. Amonth ago, I had no idea I would be teaching 6th grade in the fallas I finish writing up my dissertation. I am excited to see how my 4 years ofintensive study has changed the way I teach. While I have plans for the future,I know that chance favors the prepared mind, so I'm staying focused in thepresent to enjoy the companionship of friends and family, the excitement ofteaching middle school, and the challenge of academia.
Suzanne Porath is a dissertator at the University ofWisconsin – Madison in Curriculum and Instruction, Literacy studies. Her research focus is embedded professional development of teachers throughcollaborative reflection. In addition, she is an adjunct faculty member at Concordia University Wisconsin. Having been a classroom teacher for 12 years, Suzanne has returned to the full-time classroom teaching in middle schoolhumanities. Married to a director ofinformation technology, her own professional development is infused withtechnology through Twitter @LitProfSuz and her blog http://heartofateacher.blogspot.com/ which recounts her classroom days andgrad school meanderings.
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