The challenges I have faced with my inquiry process are a combination of three factors. My previous PME classes were during the regular school year where I set aside two weekday evenings (free of children and distractions) to concentrate on my schoolwork. I also used my lunch hour to complete class readings. These environments helped me to stay on track and succeed in my classes. However, this semester began while I was  on a family holiday in Italy; my learning time was limited to the hours after everyone went to bed. I did not have the comforts of my home office or the necessary time to work.  Since returning home last week, I am back in my home office, with minimal distractions (the kids are still home all day) with my personal time to learn.

However, being back in an environment that was conducive to my learning in the past has not been enough to keep me on task. My struggle with focus is not because my mind is distracted; it is more skipping ahead, going past my current goal onto the next step after. In my research for my inquiry project, I come across resources that will work really well later, and I spend too much time reading these, that it has set me behind schedule. I need to stay focused on my goal and the date I set for accomplishing it.

Reflecting on these challenges, I understand that I should have spent more time organizing my planning. As a teacher, I create long-term and short-term plans every semester with timelines, however it did not occur to me to do this as a student. To help with getting back on track, I have created a time line, with details outlining how I am going to use my personal learning time to achieve my goal within the time-frame I set for myself.

Now that I have considered these three challenges, and have taken steps to remedy the situation, I find that I am dealing with the pressure better now than I have in the past. Typically, I rush to get the work done by the deadline, and feel very anxious just to get it done. However being cognizant about why I feel overwhelmed, and reflecting on how I can change the situation has helped me to stay calm, focused and motivated to reach my goal.