#researchfocus

Focusing on my research…research focus…research question…what will you research…?

My stomach turns at the thought. My stomach turns so much at the thought that I’ve put off writing this blog post as long as I possibly can. Procrastination is a sure cure for, well, for nothing actually. Okay, I’m going to approach this like Muhammed Ali, to punch it out without over thinking, over explaining, and over rambling.

1.       Anxiety. Many people I’ve been in class with know that anxiety is an area of interest for me. However, it’s a big, vast, black hole of an area that seems to go on for an eternity. Too big in my mind. I've considered different aspects of anxiety and how I might focus on one of them as an area of research:

a.       Environmental factors that contribute to anxiety in the 0-5 years (in my mind) 

• Reduced opportunities to develop communication skills (resulting in weaker communication skills, resulting in less of an ability to express oneself and/or understand the world around you. 
•  Overscheduling:  the reality is we don’t live in a Leave it to Beaver neighborhood. Both parents work, most kids grow up with a day that’s structured around day care of some sort. Many parents still want their kids to have access to play and sports and social opportunities so they sign them up for kindergym, parent & tot swimming lessons, or baby gymnastics (or all of the above!). As a result their evenings and weekends are busy and (over)stimulating. Life can start to feel a little out of control.
• Reduced opportunities for children to naturally develop self-regulation skills through free-play due to shifts in family lifestyles.

b.     Anxiety in the school aged child…what can we do?

• Self-regulation skills; increasing student understanding of self-regulation and developing self regulation skills to cope with anxiety
• Using play to develop self-regulation skills in the older student
•  Innovative learning environments
•  Learning can take place in many different environments; what alternative learning environments are effective alternatives for students with anxiety, or for students in general? 
• Providing choice and flexibility within the school environment 
• Choose one example of an innovative learning environment to study? Impact on students? 

a.       Other topics of interest:

                                                              i.      Looking at the core competencies…

1.       How we can use them in partnership with our students

2.       Creating student friendly language

Ideas for possible research topics/questions hit me throughout the day at school, during conversations at School Based Team or in parent meetings, while I chat with students or as I read through work related material. My ideas tend to be far too big, I know that. It doesn’t help matters that I’m not yet decided on a project or a thesis as a way to present my research and learning.  I know I have time, but quite frankly, I’d rather be looking at a narrower field of choices, for the sake of my own sanity and my own, well, anxiety.