Title: Chair and Program Director
Rank: Associate Professor
Phone: (515) 271-2457
Email: leslie.jackson@dos5.net
Education: BS Occupational Therapy, University of Illinois at Chicago; MEd, Erikson Institute; OTD, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis
Began at Drake: 2020
Current classes I teach:
2012-May 2020 – Chicago State University, Chicago, IL
OT Program Coordinator, OT Department, 2017-May 2020
Assistant Professor, Occupational Therapy Department, 2017- May 2020
Academic Fieldwork Coordinator/Lecturer, 2012-2017
2006-2008 – Howard University, Washington, DC
Adjunct Faculty, Occupational Therapy Department
2012-2017 – Palos Community Hospital, Palos Heights, IL
Registry Occupational Therapist (acute care)
2006-2011 – Easter Seals, Inc., Chicago IL
SCSEP Quality Compliance Manager, 2010-2011
Family Support Project Coordinator, 2009-2010
Director, Training Modules for Inclusive Child Care (TMICC) Project, 2006-2009
1993-2006 – American Occupational Therapy Association, Bethesda MD
Practice Associate, Practice Department, 1993-2006
Federal Affairs Representative, Federal Affairs Department, 1998- 2006
1990-1993 – University of Illinois @ Chicago, Chicago IL
OT Research Assistant/Project Coordinator
1987-1990 – Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Chicago IL
Pediatric Occupational Therapist
1984-1987 – LaSalle County Easter Seal Center, Ottawa IL
Lead Occupational Therapist
1982-1984 – LaGrange Area Department of Special Education, LaGrange IL
Itinerant School Occupational Therapist
As an occupational therapist, I am trained to watch and observe people - what they do and how they do it – as I try to discover the why of what they do. What drives individuals to engage in specific every day activities (what we call “occupations”)? What motivates them to persist in the face of myriad obstacles and struggles? And what are the factors that support and/or hinder successful performance which results in a sense of mastery/competence over their environment and confidence to move forward? These are the questions that drive my efforts as teacher.
I see my role as that of facilitator, to help the learner discover what they do and do not know, why this is important, how it applies to what they need to know and what they need to do, and how to build on it. Being a facilitator implies that I am intentional in what I want my students to know in order to design my courses effectively, including how I will measure student learning and how I teach my courses.
I highly value critical thinking and problem solving. My primary goal for all of my students is that they understand what they are learning and when and how to apply it, rather than focusing on a grade. When students are able to think critically about a given situation to consider all of the options and determine the most appropriate course of action for any client, then I believe I have achieved my goal.
Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (2020). Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Funded for $3 million over five years (Chicago State University).
Widow; 5 children, 8 grandchildren
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