CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE
PSIA-AASI HELPS YOU TAKE VARIOUS CHALLENGES IN STRIDE
By Ed Younglove, PSIA-AASI Chair B
eing a snowsports instructor presents a variety of challenges and obstacles that can be frightening if you’re not prepared for them. Luckily, the resources and training you can get as a member of PSIA-AASI puts you in the driver’s seat for any and all tests, tasks, and obstacles that come your way.
One of my favorite quotes is by Henry James: “Obstacles are those frightening things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.” Or as a backcountry skier might say, “See the tree, hit the tree.” For instructors, professional development helps show the way past the various challenges we face.
READ STUDENT NEEDS
You frequently work with a guest, or several guests, you know nothing about at the start of the lesson. Given every individual’s physical abilities, psychological makeup, and personality traits, getting to know and understand your student can be a challenge. Nevertheless, it's a key component of our student-centered approach to teaching. Every day, well-trained instructors, particularly those familiar with PSIA- AASI’s Core Concepts manual, embrace this challenge and develop lesson plans that appeal to diff erent learning preferences and student needs. A student’s trust in his or her coach must be earned and this, too, presents a test for instructors. According to famed Duke University basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K) “Trust is developed through open and honest communication and, once established, creates a shared vision for a common goal.” While some students are at ease on the mountain, others might fi nd it a source of anxiety and even fear. You and your PSIA-AASI colleagues learn and hone invaluable people and communication skills to establish a trusting relationship that helps create an unparalleled learning environment for all students.
4 | 32 DEGREES • SPRING 2017 HAVE FUN WITH MOTHER NATURE
In addition to the limitless variations in student profi les, mountain weather and snow conditions change frequently… sometimes dramatically during the course of a lesson. You can quickly turn into a mountain guide when a whiteout eliminates any sense of direction. Particularly for beginner and intermediate students, your choice of appropriate terrain is one of the surest ways to engender trust in the instructor/student relationship. And then there are the curveballs
pitched by Mother Nature. Too much or too little snow can challenge you to fi nd appropriate terrain for learning to take place. A slope that’s usually well within your students’ wheelhouse might turn tricky when covered in deep powder or when the lack of coverage leaves rocks, logs, and other obstacles exposed. A slope that might be “just the place” for a lesson after a fresh groom, might best be avoided several days later when covered in moguls. T en again, after assessing your student’s capabilities, you could deem it perfect for working on your students’ next big breakthrough.
SAY GOODBYE TO OBSTACLES
T e National Ski Areas Association’s Model for Growth relies on instructors to convert beginners into snowsports enthusiasts. Instructors working with beginner students are challenged to overcome external obstacles (such as cost, competing interests, and distance) by fueling a passion to return again and again to experience snowsports and all the mountain environment has to off er.
VIEW VIDEO
tiny.cc/ijemiy
Being a ski or snowboard instructor adds EDODQFH WR \RXU OLIH OLWHUDOO\ DQG fi JXUDWLYHO\ This video shows how you can get even more out of your snow pro pursuits.
I suppose you could also say that PSIA- AASI instructor certifi cation presents a challenge that many instructors overcome as part of their professional development. For most of us, the eff ort and training required is greater and more rigorous with each of the three certifi cation levels. Instructors aspire to take on these milestones as part of their dedication to their professional development. Ski and ride schools rely on instructor competence as refl ected in these certifi cations, and respect the skill and eff ort required to attain them. T is is also true of instructor accreditations.
T e time and eff ort to complete these lateral learning accreditations, such as qualifying as a Children’s Specialist or a Freestyle Specialist, also present challenges for instructors. T e industry is increasingly aware of the benefi t of instructors possessing these accreditations, since they refl ect competence in specialty areas of teaching that drive the overall vibrance of the skiing and riding community. If you’re like most instructors I know, you might not even think of these day-to-day challenges as out of the ordinary. You take them in stride, almost as if you’re staring down a narrow chute or tricky pitch, plotting the perfect line. Just know that PSIA-AASI will keep giving you the tools to negotiate whatever challenges you face. T at’s the challenge your association takes on with pride.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84
