Cover Letter April 12, 2019

Because of my experience and expertise in both education and corporate training, I bring a broad
range of skills to multiple venues. For 15 years, I have managed and developed training projects
ensuring on-time, on-budget, and in-scope delivery. I have developed over a 1,000 client training
and in-house training programs for corporate and community organizations. For 34 years, I
taught as an adjunct professor at Brigham Young University-Idaho, previously Ricks College, in
the English, Education, Academic Learning, and Online Learning Departments.

In Corporate Organizations
I have often ​served as a liaison between relevant stakeholders — investors, executives, clients, and
employees — to discuss issues, coordinate activities, and resolve problems. Of my role as a collaborator
in such corporate endeavors, one colleague said, “​Her work and management style seamlessly incorporate
the feedback of every member of her team, from finicky clients and strong-willed CEOs to html gurus and
student interns​.” Similarly, I have demonstrated expertise in understanding, organizing, and sharing data.
I have given over 1,000 presentations to top-level executives as well as other employees in small,
mid-size, and large corp​orate entities. Additionally, for over 15 years, I gave over a hundred
presentations on literacy​ to community and professional groups ranging in size from a hand-full
to well over a hundred. I provided in-service training for the 200 teachers and para-educators in
the state of Idaho. Furthermore, I contracted with Pearson publishers to give workshops to
college composition teachers around the country and even into Canada. I have enjoyed learning
with these groups. Honest collaboration helps me understand the needs of those with whom I
work.

In Academics
Through my teaching experience and my course study, I have learned to gather data using proven
research techniques and reach reasoned conclusions. My Ph.D. and MEd programs included
extensive course work in data analysis and assessment—formal and informal, qualitative and
quantitative, traditional and alternative. I used that knowledge to address my individual students’
needs as I taught at both the college and K-12 levels. For fifteen years, I worked with students at
Ricks College who needed support for their learning. Also, I worked in support services at both
secondary and elementary levels in public education. Additionally, I worked with the state of
Idaho to prepare the ISAT Alternative Test and then worked in training teachers around the state
to use this methodology. Perhaps most importantly, I applied the principles of differentiated
instruction in courses I taught at BYU-Idaho and in K12 education. Technological resources
helped me to collect, analyze, and utilize the data to individuate instruction in all types of classes
I taught. Besides classroom-based courses, computer lab courses, and competency-based courses,
I have taught online courses and hybrid courses working with many different learning
management systems. BYU-I colleagues honored me with the BYU-I Adjunct Faculty of the
Year award in 2000. I also received the TYCA West Part-time Teaching award that year.

To see specific samples of the projects mentioned, please view my ​professional portfolio​. Also,
consider the written recommendations on my ​LinkedIn profile​. I would appreciate the
opportunity to visit with you and answer questions.

Thank you for your time,

Susan H. Grover, Ph. D.

npssusan@gmail.com​ ◦ ​ 208.417.0052​ ◦ ​ 208.403.6543​ ◦ ​6862 Derek Ln., Idaho Falls, ID 83401

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

1) Describe your learning and teaching philosophy?

My ​teaching philosophy​ reflects the same principles as the BYUI Learning Model. I have been a
staunch supporter since its inception. As a member of the Faculty Association at that time, I helped
train faculty on this change. Even before the Learning Model was standardized, I had been
implementing ​collaborative, project-based, real-life learning​. Also, I taught an online English course
for about seven years that utilized the Learning Model in a realistic approach, setting students up as
editors to give content and copy editing feedback. When I worked as the Professional Services
Directors at Bitesize, I revolutionized their content writing by setting up similar collaborative teams.
I used a variety of digital tools to facilitate both the BYU-I online learning classes and the Bitesize
team collaborative content writing. I believe that tools like Google Docs and other technology
resources enhance instead of detracting from learners working together to reach greater heights.

2) Where would you likely focus your attention when training teachers?
Because of my extensive experience working with teachers, I would focus on making the teachers’
jobs easier while increasing the quality of the experience for the student. Based on Maslow’s
hierarchy of needs, basic needs must be met first if teachers are to reach the highest levels of
empathy and intelligence. If teachers feel exhausted and overwhelmed, they will struggle to feel
genuine concern and love for students. They may perceive some students to be needy or demanding
in the context of their own lack. Nevertheless, it is crucial I understand the position of all of the
stakeholders: students, teachers, curriculum designers, course development leads, administrators, and
the public. To increase understanding and collaboration, my mantra has always been Steven Covey’s
admonition: Listen to understand not to speak. After gaining increased understanding, I imagine
myself working with stakeholders to find ways to automate redundant tasks via technologies readily
available, thus freeing teachers to spend time doing what I believe teachers know and do
best—loving and lifting students.

3) What is your motivation?

I was blessed to teach as an adjunct faculty member at Ricks/BYU-I from 1983 to 2016. I loved
working with the remarkable employees and students of BYU-Idaho both on-campus and online. I
have seen the ​Spirit of Ricks​ bless many lives. It would be a privilege to support all types of teachers
who can help students become leaders who could in-turn bless the lives of those around them.

4) What value would you bring to a program?

Recently, I have learned a great deal about training while working for Bitesize, LLC— “​Going
beyond training to changing behavior.​” I focus ​not on disseminating knowledge​ but addressing
assumptions that impact daily behaviors. When referring to ​traditional training​, employees often
jokingly compare it to being blasted by a fire hose. A trainer douses trainees with information, but
the training does little to impact retention and behavior change. I would “​bitesize​” training with
just-in-time learning​ focused on what they need when they need it. At Bitesize, I helped develop the
four levers​ for behavior change: (1) environment, (2) social mentorship, (3) psychology, (4)
neurology. Imagine a path or ​track​ from the old behavior to the new behavior strewn with boulders
that make it difficult to walk that track. The boulders are often too difficult to move alone. ​Levers
are tools to make hard jobs easier. Providing teachers with the tools they need to succeed, I would
work with them to move toward implementing best practices among their daily behaviors.

npssusan@gmail.com​ ◦ ​ 208.417.0052​ ◦ ​ 208.403.6543​ ◦ ​6862 Derek Ln., Idaho Falls, ID 83401