Life & Work with Terry Doyle

Today we’d like to introduce you to Terry Doyle.

Hi Terry, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself. 
I grew up in a family that placed a very high value on education. My mother was a brilliant women who was a 3rd and 5th grade teacher. My sister was a superintendent of schools, and one brother a vice president at Easter Michigan University. I was drawn to education from a young age. At Aquinas College in 1971, I met Dr. Dave Yarington, who became my lifelong mentor and friend. He shared my interest in how people learned to read and guided my early career as a reading program director. Dr. Yarington helped me find a position at Ferris State University, where I taught reading and study skills for the first several years of my career. While at Ferris, I took a position as the senior instructor for faculty development, which launched my writing and consulting career, which has resulted in working with faculty on 200 campuses around the world and authoring or co-authoring seven books dealing with the teaching and learning process. I retired from Ferris after 38 years and currently am CEO of Learner-Centered Teaching Consultants and CEO of Learner-Centered Tutoring. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I was blessed to work with brilliant and supportive colleagues for most of my 51 years as an educator. I struggled at the beginning of my career as an elementary teacher, discovering that working with younger children was not a good fit for me. My 38 years at Ferris State University were for the majority of the time a great professional life. I had several different positions, both as a teacher and program coordinator, that I found stimulating and challenging. I was fortunate to be at the beginning of the movement on campuses to add faculty development centers. My work as the senior instructor for faculty development led to my writing and consulting career, which has taken me around the world. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I have been an educator for 51 years. I have taught students from 3rd grade to graduate school. My initial work in education was with students that had reading difficulties. I have an MA in Reading and Learning Disabilities from the University of Detroit. For the past 25 years, I have been fortunate to have traveled across the U.S. and to many countries around the world, sharing with teachers and students how learning happens in the brain and how to use that information to develop a learner-centered approach to teaching and learning. I have visited over 200 schools and colleges and have also given over 100 keynote addresses at state, regional, national, and internal conferences. I have written many articles on the teaching and learning process and authored or co-authored seven book dealing with how to apply research from the science of learning to the teaching and learning process and how to help students to learn in harmony with their brain. My book, The New Science of Learning, coauthored with Dr. Todd Zakrajsek, was the best-selling book in Stylus Publishing history. MY newest book, co-authored with Dr. Michael Doyle, is titled The New Science of Teaching: Rethinking a Teacher’s Role in the Age of Data and was published in 2023. 

After my retirement from Ferris State University, I started Learner-Centered Teaching Consultants, where I continue to work with teachers on becoming more learner-centered in their teaching practices. I have also started Learner Centered Tutoring, a company that focuses not only on helping students master their subject matter but teaches them how to become lifelong learners. 

What does success mean to you?
Success in teaching is very difficult to measure. Teachers may never see the results of their efforts as they may not appear until years later when a student realizes that what the teacher was sharing suddenly makes sense and has value to them. Teachers have to believe that their efforts are never in vain. They just might not be around to see the impact. I know I have succeeded when I have done everything I can to meet the learning needs of my students regardless of the measured outcomes. 

Pricing:

• My new book is available on Amazon for 21 dollars. The e-version is 15.00 dollars
• You can find my other books on Amazon as well

Contact Info:

• Website: learnercenteredteaching.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terrence.doyle.775
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terry-doyle-58058414/
• Twitter: @braindude23