Class Management §
- Learn everyone’s name as fast as possible.
- Teach to all students. If the stronger students get bored, you will lose your group dynamic and have a hard time managing your class.
- Increase difficulty in either the task or the terrain, but not both.
- Select activities and terrain with your weakest skier in mind. Challenge stronger students with harder tasks on the easier terrain.
- Be kind, but in charge. Being an effective instructor is a constant balance between being their friend but also respected.
- Have fun: Make jokes, hang out together, play a game. Building a snowman mid-lesson is a perfectly fine diversion to refresh your students’ interest, but it shouldn’t be the main event. When you make skiing fun, your kids will be excited to learn.
- Make a deal: Find out what makes your students tick, and use that as a motivator. A shared goal helps reduce conflicting desires in your class. Spiderwebbing
- DO NOT lose any students on the mountain. Inform your students what to do if they get lost.
- Divide to conquer: Separate students who are being distracting, fighting, or goofing off. Be strategic with how you run your lesson.
- Make it work with the lesson you’re assigned, but if the ability gap is too large tell the director. We are constantly shifting lessons around to give each student the best possible experience.
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