25 things

1) As an elementary school teacher, I was very strict about discipline issues and classroom management
2) I want to write/edit a book on instructional materials
3) I hate bringing my laptop anywhere on rainy days
4) Sometimes I do more skimming than reading of articles
5) I love 'discovering' references that other authors are citing in their work
6) Sometimes a glass of wine or a beer help me get back to work
7) While running, I imagine myself spouting brilliant arguments about education policy
8) I think I need a new suit
9) I wish that I'd taken the plunge and gotten an administrative credential before coming to grad school
10) I definitely say the phrase- "That could be a dissertation!!" far, far too often
11) I have this awful writing habit in which I write: "The teacher is trying ___" instead of "The teacher tries ___"
12) Sometimes I really, really hate my writing
13) This is cathartic :)
14) Part of me wishes I was doing quantitative research because it seems tidier and there's an 'answer' and a way to check your work
15) I think street level bureaucrats are rad--Yay for Michael Lipsky!
16) I still have a hard time defining policy
17) I'm obsessed with how teachers teach reading, but I taught myself how to read before starting school
18) I really wish I could sit in and observe classrooms from 50 years ago or 100 years ago
19) I think private schools are overrated
20) Teachers need to be paid higher salaries
21) I think sociology is sexy
22) I was so nervous before first year oral exams and walked out not so sure that I did all that well. But going to Dona Tomas and feasting on guacamole & margaritas that night helped ease the pain :P
23) If I had more hours in the day, I would be a volunteer running/track and field/cross country coach for kids in Oakland
24) I'd love to study the kitschy stuff that teachers use and display in their classrooms- like the sparkly butterflies, heart shaped cut outs, and posters with giant apples covered with proverbs
25) The best thing about grad school is that you get to discover stuff and teach yourself stuff that noone else has thought about. You have a great excuse for not doing chores. Plus you get to muck around; it's like a mud run.