Instructor Development Program - The Road to Becoming an NSP Instructor

By Douglas Hill, Far West Division Instructor Development Program Supervisor

The National Ski Patrol Instructor Development Program is the path to become an Instructor in any of the five NSP education disciplines: The program consists of two components: The Instructor Development Course consists of an interactive classroom session of approximately 6-8 hours, and covers such topics as principles of teaching adults, learning styles, teaching methods, lesson planning, and evaluation techniques. Prior to taking the course, you should purchase and read the NSP textbook, "Instructor Development, Training the Adult Learner", NSP catalog #502, $19.50 + $9.00 shipping. The Instructor Development Course is also an elective for the NSP Senior Program.

The Instructor Development Course is also available on Interactive CD, which replaces the classroom session, for $39.50 + $9.00 shipping, NSP catalog #535. This method still requires enrolling in an Instructor-supervised course. For more information on this alternative means of taking the Instructor Development Course, contact Douglas Hill at fwd-id@farwest.org.

After completion of the Instructor Development Course, the instructor candidate will enter the second component of the Instructor Development Program, the Instructor Mentoring Program, in the discipline in which he or she is interested in teaching. This component gives the instructor candidate actual teaching experience under the guidance of an experienced NSP Instructor and Instructor Trainer in that discipline.

For more information on the Instructor Development Program for the Far West Division, or if you are interested in attending an Instructor Development Course or would like the course offered to your patrol, please contact Douglas Hill at fwd-id@farwest.org.