“The Shoes Should No Longer Fit”: Creating a Space for Caring and Challenge Through the Dissertation Process

Completing a doctoral program is a grueling experience under the best of conditions, but trying to do it while working full-time in an urban school district as a classroom teacher or administrator is especially challenging. In this chapter, we describe the experiences of six experienced educators who recently completed their Doctorate in Education at the University of Louisville, in the USA, and examine the ways in which the cohort model, peer mentoring, and supportive advising contributed to their success in the doctoral program.