Author: Dr. Sandra Cottingham: April 2009

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Do you LOVE Your Job?

I am asking if you love your job, because I do.

About 15 years ago, when I was working towards a Masters Degree at the University of Oregon, I had to take a research methodology course. The professor happened to have a particular expertise in a program evaluation, and strayed off into the area of job satisfaction assessment. I learned that there are five key areas that come into play:

1. autonomy

2. sense of purpose

3. closure

4. feedback

5. financial remuneration

An evaluation of a particular job in a specific venue yields a score on how much freedom the employee has, whether the job is meaningful in the bigger scheme of things (e.g., makes a difference in people’s lives, etc.), where the job requires starting something and seeing it all the way through, if feedback about the work is forthcoming, and how well the job pays.

Then the employee rates the same five aspects of the job, based on how important each is to them. For example, I don’t need autonomy or feedback as much as I absolutely must have a sense of purpose and closure. How much I am paid is up there as well.

When the two profiles are compared, they are either a good match – and the employee is happy and loves their job. Or the disconnect between what the job offers and the needs and priorities of the employee leave them unhappy and unfulfilled.

The close match between the job I do as a special education consultant for a school district and what I need to “love my job” are certainly not an accident. I have applied this formula systematically a number of times when faced with difficult decisions related to potential career moves. I also used it to find my way here.

If you don’t love your job, rate your priorities first, and then take a look at the job. You may find that it is only a bit of tinkering needed - asking for more feedback if it is important to you but lacking. If the alignment is simply missing – then I say… overhaul! For if you don’t love your job, then it is nothing more than work.

LEAD BABIES

Breaking the cycle of learning disabilities, declining IQ, ADHD, behavior problems, and autism

Authors: Joanna Cerazy M.Ed. and Sandra Cottingham Ph.D
www.nomoreleadbabies.com
Publisher: Kunati Inc (USA & Canada) 1-866-356-2442
www.kunati.com
Distribution: Independent Publishers Group (IPG)
ISBN: 978-1-60164-192-2

Monday, April 20, 2009

Susan Boyle.

LEAD BABIES
Breaking the cycle of learning disabilities, declining IQ, ADHD, behavior problems, and autism

Authors: Joanna Cerazy M.Ed. and Sandra Cottingham Ph.D
www.nomoreleadbabies.com
Publisher: Kunati Inc (USA & Canada) 1-866-356-2442
www.kunati.com
Distribution: Independent Publishers Group (IPG)
ISBN: 978-1-60164-192-2

BLOGGING – a creative outlet. (Who would have thought?)

I was introduced to blogging by publisher and author, Derek Armstrong (www.kunati.com). His urging to “getting blogging” was slightly more intense than a gentle nudge – but not quite a do or die ultimatum. Last weekend, I set aside Good Friday knowing that if I put some other pressing duties on hold, there was a whole long weekend ahead of me to get what I needed done. And then gingerly waded in. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

By the time Easter Sunday rolled around, I had emailed Derek to confess that I was so hooked on blogging, I had delegated Easter dinner’s hors d’oeuvres, mashed potatoes, and pies to family members that thought they were just coming as guests. As for the turkey, I did have to cook that. I was basting in between blogs.

This weekend, I ventured out into the wild world of Twitter. I was promptly rewarded with an email informing me that Barack Obama had signed on as a my follower. (Go figure.)

I can only assume Martha Stewart just hasn’t checked hers yet today or I'd have heard from her too.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Go Canucks

Game 3 - Canucks against St. Louis Blues.

GO CANUCKS!

You can read, Lead Babies later... the game is starting.

Things I Think I Might Have Been

Life takes each of us down many unexpected paths, while challenging us as we make our way down planned ones. Both types of excursions are rewarding and worthy of reflection. But what about the paths we never did take?

I think in all of this writing and teaching and researching, I may have missed a couple of turn here signs. One pointed to Archeologist. I often romanticize about freeing the skeleton of something older than our imaginations from the earth and rock around it - digging with tweezers and a small paintbrush in the middle of nowhere.

At the time I was considering the field of archeology, it was the beginning of the last big recession, and the mindset around me was all about finding a job. The statistics for archeologists and paleontologists in even related work were grim – and that was with a PhD in hand; a bit daunting for an 18 year old with a bachelor degree as her goal. Of course, the real reason I missed this calling are obvious to me now. I like to sleep in my own bed, for starters. And life without a flush toilet is simply not an option.

Then there is my non-existent career as a professional musician. A cellist to be exact. Somehow I have it in my head that if I had started to play at five years old, I really could have been good. Really good. But I began playing the cello at 45 , and I am not really good at all.

My third vocation that never came to be was that of lawyer. I only bring it up because others say that it is what they think I am cut out for. From time to time I imagine myself out on the veranda between Denny Crane and Alan Shore with a scotch neat. I think I have the stomach for the drama and the brains to know law. But I would have to pass on the scotch. And I am not sure if this is just a television thing, but there are a lot of lawyers still in their offices after the sun goes down. I love my life, and my evenings too much for that.

Archeologist – Concert Cellist – Defense Attorney … perhaps not. I can’t help wondering if the pathways I went down were not the right ones after all. I like what I do and my pathways may have come just close enough anyway. I have a treasured collection of animal bones – skulls of birds, a coyote, steer that I used as a visual arts teacher as objects to study for drawing and painting. After 3 years of lessons as a beginner cellist, I play my cello on Friday nights with the piano accompaniment of a friend – for nothing else than the pleasure of being able. As for the legal side of life… I will continue to enjoy living vicariously through Candice Bergen’s character (Shirley) as soon as I figure out which night they switched Boston Legal to. And I couldn’t be more satisfied that all of the pathways in my life have converged at this place – co-author of an important new book about to release in just days.

LEAD BABIES Breaking the cycle of learning disabilities, declining IQ, ADHD, behavior problems, and autism

Authors: Joanna Cerazy M.Ed. and Sandra Cottingham Ph.D

www.nomoreleadbabies.com
Publisher: Kunati Inc (USA & Canada) 1-866-356-2442
www.kunati.com
Distribution: Independent Publishers Group (IPG)
ISBN: 978-1-60164-192-2

Friday, April 17, 2009

TO BE CANADIAN

I will admit upfront that I feel an exaggerated – and sometimes overbearing sense of ownership when it comes to Canada. As an 11^th generation Canadian, there are all sorts of claims to fame in my family’s history, no doubt some of those exaggerated slightly over the years as well.

I will counter that with the occasional sense of frustration and embarrassment as “the Canadian way” is so often embodied in nationwide complacency around laws and policies that make absolutely no sense. Anything that smacks of injustice or unfairness infuriates me, but I am not one to chain myself to a bulldozer or take to the streets with a petition. (Remember? I am Canadian.) The most outrageous protest I have personally waged of late was to write to the Finance Minister this winter, to complain that the banks were not passing the interest savings on to mortgage consumers, which I understood was the intent of the Bank of Canada. I expected something to be done, and said so. I got a nice letter back, signed by Minister Flaherty, which clearly missed my point.

But Last summer I had a very cool experience that genuinely rekindled my Canadian spirit. I was in Ottawa in late August, watching the light show that is projected against the Parliament buildings – a little low tech, but a lot of fun. Two sets of bleachers were packed and the lawn between them and the Parliament buildings was covered with families on blankets and lawn chairs, huddled in the dark. As the show approached the end, and a rendition of O’Canada blared from the massive sound system, every single last man, woman and child spontaneously stood, and stayed standing until it ended. It was an unexpected and powerful few minutes that will stick with me for years to come.

Kudos, Canadians as we stand proud.

By Dr. Sandra Cottingham, co-author

Sunday, April 12, 2009

IMPLEMENTING THE MANDATE OF INCLUSION FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS: A Model for Moving From Concept to Action

My dissertation interest is in the topic of "inclusive schools". Although inclusion has been mandated by government and has become common language found at every level of school planning, it remains at the conceptual stage. In fact, the prerequisites for successful educational integration of students with disabilities are so frequently ignored that the very principle of inclusion has become threatened. The call for social change in education on the issue of inclusion is at a critical juncture.

Applying the principles of social constructionist theory and Appreciative Inquiry, the primary purpose of her project is to create a model for educational institutions and other organizations to move ideas from concept to positive action - to salvage, rethink and retool important principles which reflect core values, but which are incongruent with entrenched organizational practice. My action research has facilitated a move from the existing Ministerial mandate of inclusion to democratic dialogue amongst stakeholders, and ultimately to a reconstructed notion of "inclusion" owned by all.

http://taos.publishpath.com/completed-dissertations

Dissertation Table of Contents
Dissertation Summary
Dissertation Foreword
Dissertation Chapters 1-6
Dissertation Appendix

Dr. Sandra Cottingham, Taos Institute Associate

When I completed my PhD in 2007, I was honored to be invited to become a Taos Institute Associate.

The Taos Institute ( www.taosinstitute.net) is a community of scholars and practitioners concerned with the social processes essential for the construction or reason, knowledge, and human value. A common theme of social change connects its members - "a non-profit organization committed to exploring, developing and disseminating ideas and practices that promote creative, appreciative and collaborative processes in families, communities, and organizations around the world."

I accepted the invitation and continue to engage with others enthusiastically, in social change initiatives which are important and empowering to us all.

Please visit http://www.taosinstitute.net/institute-associates. You will find me when you click on Canada.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

The Journey from Tilburg to Lead Babies

I have always believed that it takes leaving home and traveling abroad to really get a clear view of the culture we are a part of. Being fish out of water in a country where the language, customs and cuisine is nothing like home, somehow helps illuminate what makes us different and in the process, enhances our understanding of ourselves. I have to say, I really like how that feels. It is why I like to travel and make it a priority in my life.

With that perspective in mind, I went off in search of a post-graduate program that was outside of my field of previous study and present employment. I was in search of an opportunity to grow and learn, and I believed that I needed to look outside of education. My journey to the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Science at the Universiteit van Tilburg in the Netherlands made perfect sense (to me). I could not have been happier to meet my 19 fellow PhD cohort students and discover 17 countries represented, and not a teacher amongst us. Photo insert: With my children (Brook, Katie and Charlene) experiencing the Netherlands.

Ok. I admit that the whole endeavour was a little outside the norm, with world class universities such as UBC and SFU just down the road from home. But I liked where it was all leading, which is what this post is about. I came to appreciate how differently others look at world and to confirm my growing hunch that education was a world of thoughts and ideas and ways of approaching things, but not the only world.

Something else became evident; a realization that was so potent, that it eventually became the motivation for writing, Lead Babies. Despite all of these other brilliant points of view, vessels of knowledge and reams of research outside of education, it was all happening in silos. The members of my cohort were talking. And it was, to say the least, invigorating. But the fact that we were a diverse group cross-pollinating each others' research and inquiry with our unrelated perspectives highlighted that what we were doing was fairly novel in the grand scheme of things.

And so... I returned to my field of special education, convinced that there is much less "unknown" than the education community is willing to accept. It becomes a matter as simple as going abroad and seeking out others who hold the individual pieces of a bigger puzzle. They are asking different questions. And so, hold valuable pieces of information that become meaningful when juxtaposed beside other also seemingly related pieces of information.

Basically, if you can't the find the answer, you didn't venture out far enough. There is no better example than the question of the causes of autism, learning disabilities, and ADHD. Lead Babies, co-written with friend and colleague, Joanna Cerazy, was a first attempt at seeing just how far we had to travel outside of the education community to bring back the missing information. It was a fruitful journey, to say the least.

LEAD BABIES
Breaking the cycle of learning disabilities, declining IQ, ADHD,
behavior problems, and autism

 Authors: Joanna Cerazy M.Ed. and Sandra Cottingham Ph.D 

www.nomoreleadbabies.com

 Publisher: Kunati Inc (USA & Canada) 1-866-356-2442 

www.kunati.com

 Distribution: Independent Publishers Group (IPG) ISBN: 978-1-60164-192-2