doing it on the fly

As a PhD graduate I'm meant to take a scholarly, systematic and structured approach to all my academic related activities. I'm suppose to think carefully about my pedagogic or research practices and approach them in ways that are befitting of the knowledge and skills I developed as a PhD student in the UK. Instead I've embarked on two 'on the fly' projects. One, a pseudo mini-research project exploring student transition and another, an ad-hoc 1st year writers' circle support group. One could see these activities in one of two ways; a) I'm completely arrogant, highly confident and self-assured so therefore dismissive of the need to follow procedures, structures, scholarship - I know what the problems are, I know how to fix it and the literature can't tell me, anything I don't already know; b) I'm a practitioner confronted by a concern, a problem and I've acted in a responsive manner. I, however, think there is a third way. I'm a practitioner with a deep scholarly disposition, very aware of the 'shortcomings' of my hastily prepared research and pedagogic projects, trying desperately to find the time needed, to give both my projects the kind of academic and intellectual 'thinking' time they need, they deserve. I'm an aware practitioner and I know how these projects can be strengthened to fulfill all the rigours demanded by a critical scholarly community, of which I am also a participant. But needs must. And this is a way for me to feed my intellectual curiosity and keep my teacher identity alive and kicking in an otherwise barren environment.