Lit Review Update 15

Amazing how long some of these chapters take. I spent about two hours typing in blurbs and another two hours imposing the outline structure on the typed-up blurbs. This is a particularly dense chapter, but still, my method is clearly time-intensive.

I'm trying hard to make sure I do dissertation work every day. I had to get together a syllabus for the Antioch class and that took some time today as well. I have a huge challenge ahead of me this term. I have a good deal of class prep and need to keep chugging on the dissertation. I'd hoped to have the lit review done by the time school starts. It's clear that was too ambitious. I'm now hoping to have all the material converted to outlines and the lit review written by the end of term. So much for my theory chapter. I'm hoping that my attempt to document all of this will allow me, for the first time since I arrived in Seattle, to start making realistic estimates of production time. If I can develop predictable work estimates, I will have done a great deal to restore some sense of self-esteem and self-confidence to the process of writing.

I'm facing an enormous challenge this term, due to my exceptionally heavy teaching load. I'm a TA for three sections of Ellis' POL S 331 and I'm teaching a course at Antioch. The UW and Antioch are on the same week schedule for their quarter systems this term. I'm giving the Antioch class a single writing assignment that has two drafts. This means grading for Antioch starts early in Week 10. When I see Ellis' syllabus, I'll have a clearer idea of my grading load. I've done Ellis' 331 before and I've done my Antioch class in another form at Green River. Still, both were a long while ago and I have incomplete notes. I will need prep time.

If I can write the lit review this term and pull my family out of our financial hole, I really can be proud of how far I've come over the past few years. If...