For those who don’t know me, I’ve held many positions in over 35 years in NSP but have been out of ski patrol management for quite a while. So why get back into it? As I did then, I still believe in what we do. In the past I’ve been a patrol director, a region OEC administrator, an assistant region director, and the national Instructor Development (ID) program director. I am currently an IT for both OEC and Instructor Development, as well as a senior trainer evaluator for OET, and a PSIA ski instructor.
I’m not listing these things to brag about my resume, because I’m sure many patrollers have equal or better credentials than mine. I’m just trying to illustrate my love of teaching and my dedication to patrolling. Education is my passion. In my real job I’ve been an educator at the college level for over 30 years.
What are my goals for Instructor Development in the Eastern Division? I must admit, I was left with an outstanding program to manage. The reports I received from region advisors are very impressive. One region offered three ID courses in the last five months. That type of initiative reinforces my goal to continue strengthening and building the strongest ID program in the nation.
As many seasoned instructors in all disciplines leave or take a break from teaching, we must continue to bring new instructors into the fold. That starts with Instructor Development courses. Now that we are able to offer hybrid courses, I am encouraging all region advisors to increase their course offerings to accommodate the busy lives of patrollers. There is no longer the need to have a big enrollment to offer a course. In fact, the National ID program is offering frequent virtual course sessions to further meet the needs of those desiring to get started on the road to becoming an NSP instructor.
There are several new things happening in the ID program at the national level. I promise to keep everyone updated. Until then, I hope everyone enjoys what is left of the pre-skiing season.
