This past weekend marked the first real sign that the season is about to begin. At least for those of us who will be conducting lessons this year. With very little fanfare the local resort instructors gathered to plot out schedules, coordinate clinic days, and general put everything in motion.
Typically this is an event for the Technical Director only, but this year my school opened it up to many of us lesser instructors. It's basically an effort to help push some new thinking into our way of doing things. I'm joining the festivities as part of my training for the next level of PSIA certification. Not sure if it will help, but it at least gets me face time with many of the clinicians local to the area.
On the other hand, it's been fun realizing how much I've forgotten since last year. Quick, what are the four types of learning? Can you recite Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and how it applies to the world of snowsports? How many CLOVERS and what do they stand for? The difference between a wedge turn and wedge christie is? Which muscles best initiate a turn?
Am I the only one that tends to loose all this information over the course of the summer? Is there some secret to retaining it (outside of reading the books again)? In any case, the books are my new best friend for reading material in the morning.... even if it's a bright, sunny, clear day with no snow expected as we've had for weeks now.
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5 comments:
I was going to suggest MySnowPro, but in hindsite I think I found them through your blog!
I have lots of friends who go back-to-back. Northern and Southern seasons that is. I tried it once. Passed my level 3 upon returning to the States. Huge head start. But not so good on the knees. I think the body needs a summer to recover!
MSP has some great tips, but even JL takes the summer off to enjoy cycling, golf, the family, and it seems some stock trading.
I should clarify that I don't forget the ideals learned each season, but rather the specific names. Even if I don't remember the term "active learner", while teaching I can see what actively works better for the student. Which as I understand it, is the purpose of all the reading. Now, how to keep the terminology fresh is another question...
In hindsight the Australian terms were all different, so I had some un-learning to do. But having gone through their system kinda added to my overall knowledge. Maybe PSIA should encourage American instructors to buy an overseas manual and read it over the summer.
Actually I'd be really interested to know some of the differences from the Australian teaching methods. One of the interesting twists to the PSIA is that they only occasionally give a view into how the rest of the world teaches. Terms are probably one of the first things that should be shared.
Thanks for the quick quiz. I too forget the terms, but remember the ideals. I think blogging is helping me a lot to get back into the whole teaching thing. I'm feeling much more prepared this year than in years past. On the physical side though, I remember in years past feeling that first slide of the season and thinking that it feels like just yesterday since I've been on skis.
I'm also one that would love to to do the back-to-back seasons in the Northern and Southern hemispheres. I imagine that the experience raises you up to a much higher level of professionalism, that is as sharpm said, your knees can handle it.
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