Part Researcher...

In order to graduate from my program I need to write a dissertation (a long research paper) on a project that I did. I also need to publish research papers in order to be able to obtain and maintain a job. So, I have been spending the past three years working on my own research projects. All of these projects have surrounded the same theme, preschool children's self-awareness.
My first project was conducted in Head Start centers, and was focused on the children's abilities to recognize the dimensions of their own bodies, as well as the ability for their bodies to be obstacles preventing them from completing a task. The results of this study indicated that body self-awareness is still not complete by four years of age. The children were also significantly better at the tasks that required them to recognize the dimensions of their own bodies than on tasks requiring them to recognize their bodies as obstacles. This paper is going to be submitted for publication on Friday, and will hopefully be my first, first authored paper. 
My second project was also conducted in Head Start centers, but was focused on the children's abilities to accurately evaluate their own cognitive abilities. Each child was administered one test of basic mathematical abilities, and two tests of basic cognitive abilities, and were then asked to assess on a 4 point scale how well they did on the test. I have not yet analyzed these data,  but am planning to do so soon, and am going to use this project for my dissertation. 
My third project is being conducted at the Child Development Center on campus. This project is a combination of the previous two projects, and I am hoping to find a connection between body self-awareness and cognitive self-awareness. I am hoping to take this data set with me to my job, and will analyze the data during my first year while I establish a research base in my new town. 
In order to conduct this research, I have undergraduate students in the classrooms at the centers, who administer the tests to the children on a weekly basis. I go to the school each day to make sure the researchers are doing what they are supposed to be doing, have all of the materials they need, and I also assist with the testing of the children to make sure that we get it all done on schedule. 
I love this role, because it means I get to play with preschool children 2 days a week. This is a lot more fun than taking notes and studying for exams.