The Role of Coaching in Dissertation Success with Dr. Jayne Lammers

In this episode, Jethro Jones talks with Dr. Jayne Lammers, a dissertation coach, about the importance of having systems and support to complete a dissertation. They discuss Dr. Lammers' experience, the role of a dissertation coach, and various strategies such as weekly accountability check-ins, peer exchanges, and 'shut up and write' sessions to help doctoral students succeed.

• Join DAGGER 🗡️ Doc Student Support
• Jayne’s interview on TP Episode 592 
• Kept her doctoral students after leaving the university. 
• Successful because of systems. 
• Signing up for systems that have come into 
• How having a coach helps the chair and the student
• Pseudo-outside the university
• Place of support where they can be real. 
• Seems like professors don’t care. 
• Guides transition from student to scholar
• Emotional aspect to writing and investing in this project.
• Coach can help you navigate all those different factors. 
• Weekly Accountability Group Meetings: the momentum generated by showing up
• Shut Up and Write Sessions: the power of social writing sessions (or isolated writing)
• Setting Goals: making them attainable and humane, not just SMART (and why that matters for doc students, especially)
• Peer Exchanges: why it’s worth your time to read your peers’ work, even when you feel you have limited time for your own

About Jayne Lammers

Dr. Jayne C. Lammers is a former tenured professor and Fulbright U.S. Scholar who has been supporting doctoral students since 2010. She now works as the Director of Learning Design for Edmentum, a K-12 digital learning and assessment provider, but remains connected to academia as a dissertation coach for the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. Through Dr. Jayne Consulting Services, she helps researchers thrive by creating systems of accountability that turn the overwhelm into steady progress, and even joy! She’s been developing these systems through her work with academic writers at top U.S. institutions and in Indonesia. 

Whether someone is a doctoral student navigating the dissertation process or a faculty member stretched too thin, Jayne is there to help. Her approach, affectionately called “lovin’ and shovin’” by a recent student participant, blends compassionate accountability with a no-shame attitude. She meets people where they are and then encourages them to make meaningful progress on their writing, research, goals, and future.

At the heart of everything she does is a commitment to making academia a more humane and rewarding experience for everyone involved.

Those curious about her scholarship can check it out on ORCiD or Google Scholar.

Those interested in what she’s up to professionally can follow her on LinkedIn. Her Curriculum Vitae, current as of May 2025, is also available.

Learn more about today's sponsors, Playworks, IXL, and Renaissance Learning:

As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.

We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.

If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. 

These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation.

We’re also thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. 

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

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