Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Library Day 2

Am back in the library today, one week later. Things are going well. I was able to do some more coding over the weekend, and a lot more this morning. Am really on a roll now, and it's about time. 

What's even better is that I'm getting better at analyzing these interviews as time goes by. They're going more quickly, and truly using the "constant comparative" analysis techniques I wrote about in my methods chapter. I guess it's not all bullshit after all! No, I mean I realized it's not bullshit when I wrote about it, but it's nice that the stuff really works after all. 

This morning I completed coding the second of my two most difficult interviews in the study. I wasn't looking forward to those two, though in the end they weren't as bad as I had remembered. After coding several other interviews where I could easily see how the students were learning about their identity development, I was better able to understand why these two problem children, if you will, are just a bit behind their peers. All is not lost for these two, but for various reasons they are off track. I wish them well. I wish them good therapy. MAJOR therapy. One in particular is dealing with a LOT, and is doing remarkably well given her lot in life. She'll eventually be OK. The other... well I haven't heard anything that leads me to believe she's even aware there's a problem. In some ways I worry more for her than the other with the tough lot, and I don't even know what the issue is. 

It's funny how highly-tuned my ability to read seems to be today. Words just seem to leap off the page, and I'm making all sorts of connections left and right. An hour has passed since I'd had lunch and I'm not falling asleep. Yet. Watch me crash with my head on the table in the next minute after I finish this post...ZZZZZZZZ....

Today actually feels like a day where I can say with some confidence that I am going to finish up this beast by next spring. Kind of a nice place to be. Still have a LONG way to go, but there is definitely a light on at the end of the tunnel, I can see it, and it's getting a little brighter today.

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