A less obvious diff erence is that fi ne motor


control is not fully developed in children, so they are unlikely to be able to make subtle and refi ned movements. Asking 8-year-olds to feather their edges is not going to bring you much success because it requires small, precise adjustments. On the other hand, hockey stops will work just fi ne because it’s a large movement as well as a fun one.


Resist the temptation to give a ripping demo (unless that’s the task!), and be sure to slow down and make the intended movement as clear as possible.


Perhaps you’d like to teach him to carve and use a higher edge angle. But how are the underlying body movements aff ecting the edge angle? Maybe his turn is washed out because he is twisting his body around and eventually the board follows. So the washy turn is a symptom of


ineff ective rotary movements. Trying to change the edge angle won’t get at the root cause, and it will likely be unsuccessful. T is scenario is common for new instructors who haven’t yet learned how multiple movements are related – or unrelated. T at’s why these lunchtime talks are helpful, so that you can learn from your peers about diff erent ways to solve common problems.


Check Alignment Skiing and snowboarding rely on transferring weight


from one foot to another and


balancing on certain parts of the foot instead of the whole foot. T ese specifi c skills can uncover alignment issues that make certain movements a struggle. Have you ever had a ski student who could turn one direction but not the other? Of course you have. T e root cause could be unequal strength from


58 | 32 DEGREES • WINTER 2017


left to right, or it may be alignment, or comfort level in committing weight to one foot. In most cases, this issue resolves itself with continued practice. But it’s important to help the student recognize that the issue is not a deal-breaker, and to have alternate methods to teach this same concept. For instance, instead of trying to pressure one ski during a turn, try the same concept in a static situation. Have the student stand and balance on one foot, then the other. Repeat this a few times and have them fl ex, extend, and bounce up and down on one foot. T is can help isolate the physical movements without the added complexity of doing it in a turn. It can also help you pin down the underlying cause of the issue and give you more insights for how to address it.


Considerations for Children Compared to adults, children are super fl exible, but not too strong. T is has a strong infl uence on the skills and movements that children can pull off . T ese factors are profound enough that most instructors learn to accommodate children’s movement patterns early in their careers.


But I Am Doing It! Expert riders and skiers excel at kinesthetic awareness. T ey know precisely what their body and board are doing at all times. Beginners lack that sensation, and for the most part, so do intermediates. T erefore, many students won’t be able to feel the diff erence between what you are asking them to do and what they are already doing. Here’s where you need to give explicit feedback about what they are doing, and to what degree they are doing it. Suppose you’re encouraging your student to fl ex her ankles upon landing from a jump. She may fl ex her ankles a tiny bit while taking the brunt of the shock in her knees and hips. Yet she feels like she’s doing it correctly. You can clarify by showing her the diff erence between what she is doing and what you want her to do. It also helps to describe specifi c sensations she will feel when she gets it right.


WEATHER, BIOLOGY, AND FAMILY DYNAMICS


Sometimes in our enthusiasm to shower our students with snowsports wisdom, we fail to notice it’s just simply not the right time or place for them to be in a learning mood. T e weather is awful; maybe the student is preoccupied, hungry, or in a bad mood. You probably are already familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, which illustrates all the basic human needs that have to be met before a person can be in a frame of mind to learn. Maslow’s hierarchy spans physical, social,


and psychological factors, from the simplicity of having to pee, to the complexity of being willing to fail in front of your family members. Often these issues have nothing to do with the lesson topic, yet they are still powerful forces that can shape someone’s experience. Your best bet to recognize these factors is to set aside your own plan for the day and be in tune with your students.


KARIN KIRK


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