Instructor Development of the National Ski Patrol is an eight-hour program that introduces and reinforces effective teaching techniques through a better understanding of the learning process and teaching methods. During the course we identify the major principles for effectively training ski patrollers. We identify the key elements of the teaching and learning process for the development and preparation of lesson plans.

The National Ski Patrol has over 26,000 members who actively participate in training programs every season. Members are involved as instructors in training both new candidates and fellow patrollers in a variety of areas including skiing, toboggan handling, first aid, avalanche rescue, lift evacuation, mountaineering, and Nordic patrolling.

In the National Ski Patrol, we serve as our own instructors and teachers. Consequently, the need to educate each other in how to effectively teach and train is an important responsibility of the organization.

Most ski patrol instructors are individuals who have had little, if any, formal training and education in how to teach. While knowledge and an understanding of teaching is no guarantee that an individual will be an excellent teacher, ignorance of important principles guarantees at least partial failure. Most of us who lack formal training tend to teach as we were taught. This course provides a framework of concepts and principles to enable patrollers to effectively share their knowledge, experience and skills with other patrollers.

The Instructor Development course is a prerequisite for any other instructor program in the Ski Patrol system and is a requirement to become a Senior patroller.