Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/hey-im-a-good-problem-solver!-stephens-power-plays/5017041/
My journey in becoming a teacher-researcher almost ended before it began. Frightened by the staggering amount of numbers and statistics required in research, I delayed taking the most important class of my graduate career. Little did I know, I would come to love the research class taught by Debra Harkins, would later collaborate with her on many research papers on empathy and conflict, and ultimately be published in a respected early childhood journal.Becoming a teacher-researcher
The many years I spent in the field of early childhood actually prepared me for the role of a teacher-researcher. In classes that specialized in child development, I was asked to observe children and record their behavior. My case studies included: temperament of a one year old named Greg, the mirror image of a three year old twin girl named Jen, a language development study of a two year old named Craig, social development of a one year old named Emily, and a bilingual kindergartener named Pablo. In all of these case studies, observing the child, recording behavior, and having questions unfold led me to understand the individual child better and paved the way for doing the kinds of action research I describe below.
Defining the Question. During ...