Doing Research in a Professional Development School and Why I Feel Like Houdini in a Straight Jacket

When I was a little girl, my father told me the story of how he once saw the great Houdini escape from a straight jacket. In the early 1900s, Harry Houdini fascinated thousands of people by performing feats of lifethreatening daring and agility. In the straight jacket escape, Harry was suited in a formidable looking garment made of canvas with extremely long sleeves that ended in ties. Harry’s arms were crossed over his chest, with the long sleeves tied in the back. To make matters worse, a large iron chain was wrapped around poor Harry’s body and his feet were padlocked together. Finally, Harry was hoisted upside down, while the fascinated crowd waited anxiously to see if he could break his bonds. After what seemed like an eternity of writhing and contorting as he dangled above the ground, Harry set his hands free, unshackled his feet, and landed safely on the ground! The crowd cheered wildly in enthusiastic but naive astonishment. My father’s generation thought Harry’s act was, at least in part, “magic.” How could a man create an effective solution to such an overwhelming predicament? What knowledge and skills did he possess to carry out the solution? How could Harry remain calm under pressure while making the act look so easy under the scrutiny of a live audience?