Why the Research?

For the longest time, I had been avoiding researching on my topic... why you may ask? I seemed to have concocted my own vision for this book primarily based on teacher's experiences. Why not? Would you want to read my smashing experiences teaching 40 plus students with a fair share of hyper active verbal vociferous kids?All this was intensified of course, due my own acculturation: an American learning the Israeli culture?

Weeks later my advisor proved it was not a worthy step - at least not in the direction of publishing. She explicitly said: 'it will be just another handbook teachers will read...' implying that we will chuck it to the side and forget about it. What a nice thought.

She then pleasantly informed me I would be needed to do some research hinting at her previous comments. There seemed to be some other comments lurking in the background over the mobile to mobile conversation. Nope, that was it.

I'm offering myself a present since it's my birthday tomorrow. The present of the truth. I was never good at doing research: it always felt like this scary buzz word and this time when I am ankles and sometimes knees deep in the writing process, it is hard to know where the research part comes in, how to incorporate it, where to put it.

I'm my own self-editor, writer, research, teacher. But the research hat is one that is often too big, two quirky for me. I turn the other way and get lazy and pretend I don't know a damned thing.

Why research? Well, here are my notable reasons for including it in the book:

1. gives precedence and more specifically, credibility to the teaching topic at large. (in my case, at-risk learners)
2. Thinking of my own reading experiences, I get a hook into my own topic.
3. It gives a space for the topic to grow and expand.
4. It provides a more up-to-date understanding of the topic.

So with the research issues pulled aside, it's time to find apt research reading material (ie. at-risk readers, closing the literacy gaps) Truthfully, I rather spend the time writing!

Any suggestions out there? Any new ideas for tackling the research process for book writing?