Instructional Coaching
When you and your program succeed in teaching, the university succeeds. The Office of Teaching and Learning can support you in improving your practice to increase student learning, engagement, and retention. The instructional coaching program is designed to provide you with teaching strategies, tips, and encouragement to continue to grow in your role as an instructor, no matter where you are at in your career.
If you are struggling, don't lose hope, our coaches are a safe, confidential support system for you and your department.
There are two tracks in this program:
- Department Direct Support - Our instructional coaches will partner with your department to determine instructional development needs. Our instructional coaches will develop a professional development plan that addresses your department's specific needs making resources and learning experiences available to your whole department.
- Individual Support - Our instructional coaches will meet with you and listen to your specific teaching and assessment needs. Instructional coaches may offers tips and suggestions for improved course performance and/or recommend professional development opportunities that complement your individuals needs and goals. Individual meetings are confidential and information provided will not be shared with your department or college unless you request that it be shared.
Instructional coaching isn't just for individuals or departments who are having teaching challenges. We can provide assistance even if you already have a well-designed class or program but want to learn more engaging teaching methods, strengthen your assessments, or identify appropriate professional development activities. Our coaches can assist you and your program in identifying goals and strategies that take your class or program to a new level.
Our instructional coaches offer one-on-one consultations with NDSU instructors and departments. Each consulting session is aimed at providing personalized guidance to support effective teaching at NDSU.
Instructional coaching is a FREE personalized and confidential service available to all instructors and departments on campus. OTL will not include names of faculty or programs using our coaching service in program evaluation reports. The only reported data will be the number of individuals and departments served within the NDSU community.
Instructional Coaching Postcard
PDF | Audio (MP3)
Distribute this card at your next faculty or graduate teaching assistant meeting.
Meet the Coaches
Meet the instructional coaches who are ready to assist you. You may work with one or more of these coaches, depending upon the nature of your request.
Dr. Stacy Duffield
Dr. Duffield's areas of expertise include:
- interactive instructional strategies for adult and young adult learners,
- cooperative learning,
- formative and summative assessment design,
- skill/proficiency-focused assessment,
- and lesson/session design.
Dr. Duffield's work is based on research-based best practices in assessment and instruction.
Dr. Jeff Boyer
Dr. Boyer’s areas of expertise include:
- designing assignments to demonstrate student learning,
- implementing formative and summative assessment techniques,
- aligning learning outcomes with assessment methods and measures,
- and aligning course-level assessment approaches with program assessment.
Dr. Boyer’s work is focused on advancing a culture of learning improvement at NDSU.
Dr. Bill Martin
Dr. Martin's areas of expertise include:
- Cooperative and active learning strategies,
- Regular experience with peer review of teaching at NDSU,
- Professional development of future and current secondary mathematics teachers,
- Extensive administrative experience as Head of the NDSU School of Education, and
- Extensive teaching experience of undergraduate mathematics, educational methods, secondary mathematics.
Dr. Martin is an NDSU professor emeritus and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin in Mathematics Education. His research focuses on teaching and learning of undergraduate mathematics and assessment of learning.
Working With an Instructional Coach
When considering working with an instructional coach, your initial meeting will be more efficient if you do a little preparation before you request assistance. You can prepare for your consultation ahead of time by reflecting on specific teaching challenges you are concerned about. Think about methods and approaches of teaching you seek guidance to improve or want to learn more about. Decide if assessment and evaluation strategies are part of your consultation needs.
The steps below lead you through the process of working with an instructional coach.
- Request a consultation
- The OTL instructional coach that best meets your needs will contact you within 2 days to set up an initial consultation.
- Your instructional coach will listen to what you are trying to achieve and ask questions to gain more information.
- Additional meetings may be scheduled as needed.
Please use this form to request a consultation with an OTL team member.