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Info and updates will be posted here to help focus our training and prep for Certification Candidates.
March 1 Update
New schedule is below and also on the Training page. Feel free to call/text/email me with questions. I put some new names on the list without thoroughly checking with them, so there may be a few adaptations.
Please help spread the word about the non-weekend/early load clinics. As clinicians we’re up to speed with the schedule and can communicate it to everyone. I’ll try to get the Sups to mention it more frequently too, but it’s easy for them to get buried with trying to survive the immediate day in front of them.
PSIA AASI Continuing Ed clinics are happening at Schweitzer. Info is in the locker room about a variety of options including, Nordic, Childrens, Snowboard, and possibly others. You need to register through the PSIA office, but there may be discounts… talk to Sups about it.
I left some of the info up from last year as it might be good material for this year too, although portions might be out of date.
Terry Mc.
| Update from Feb. 28 starts below | |||
| Date | Time | Leader | Topic |
| Wednesday, March 2, 2022 | 1.30 or 2pm, after SG’s | Chris T | Prioritizing “stuff” |
| Thursday, March 3, 2022 | 1.30 or 2pm, after SG’s | Chris T | Ski Improvement, conditions of the day |
| Saturday, March 5, 2022 | 8:00 AM | Snbd | Snbd Cert Training, L2+ |
| Saturday, March 5, 2022 | 8:00 AM | Shawna | Continuing Ed. For newer instructors, games |
| Saturday, March 5, 2022 | 8:00 AM | Kim | L2-3, Building/Adaption progressions |
| Sunday, March 6, 2022 | 8:00 AM | Snbd | Snbd Cert Training, L2+ |
| Sunday, March 6, 2022 | 8:00 AM | Debra | Continuing Ed. for newer instructors |
| Sunday, March 6, 2022 | 8:00 AM | Terry Mc | Changing movements |
| Wednesday, March 9, 2022 | 1.30 or 2pm, after SG’s | Chris T | Ski Improvement, conditions of the day |
| Thursday, March 10, 2022 | 1.30 or 2pm, after SG’s | Chris T | Drills and tasks for skill building |
| Friday, March 11, 2022 | 1.30 or 2pm, after SG’s | Daniel L | Ski Improvement, Off-groomed conditions of the day |
| Saturday, March 12, 2022 | 8:00 AM | Snbd | Snbd Cert Training, L2+ |
| Saturday, March 12, 2022 | 8:00 AM | MJ Knowles | Continuing Ed. For newer instructors, bag of tricks |
| Saturday, March 12, 2022 | 8:00 AM | Elle | Ski Improvement, Turn shaping |
| Sunday, March 13, 2022 | 8:00 AM | Snbd | Snbd Cert Training, L2+ |
| Sunday, March 13, 2022 | 8:00 AM | Debra | Continuing Ed. For newer instructors |
| Sunday, March 13, 2022 | 8:00 AM | Terry Mc | Movement Analysis, see first, then prioritize |
| Thursday, March 17, 2022 | 1.30 or 2pm, after SG’s | Kurt | Skiing and seeing cause/effect in advanced skiing |
| Friday, March 18, 2022 | 1.30 or 2pm, after SG’s | Daniel L | Drills and tasks for skill building |
| Saturday, March 19, 2022 | 8:00 AM | Snbd | Snbd Cert Training, L2+ |
| Saturday, March 19, 2022 | 8:00 AM | Kim | Continuing Ed. For newer instructors, progressions |
| Saturday, March 19, 2022 | 8:00 AM | JP | L2-3, Carving different size turns |
| Sunday, March 20, 2022 | 8:00 AM | Snbd | Snbd Cert Training, L2+ |
| Sunday, March 20, 2022 | 8:00 AM | Debra | Continuing Ed. for newer instructors |
| Sunday, March 20, 2022 | 8:00 AM | Terry Mc | L2-3, Focused teaching practice |
| Wednesday, March 23, 2022 | 1.30 or 2pm, after SG’s | Chris T | Teaching Skills and tactics |
| Thursday, March 24, 2022 | 1.30 or 2pm, after SG’s | Chris T | Skiing versatility |
| Friday, March 25, 2022 | 1.30 or 2pm, after SG’s | Pat Mc | All Mountain Ski Improvement |
| Saturday, March 26, 2022 | ALL DAY | Snowboard and Alpine Level 2-3 Exams | |
| Sunday, March 27, 2022 | ALL DAY | Snowboard and Alpine Level 2-3 Exams | |
December 28, Update
Here’s a list of topics that we’ll work through. The 8 a.m. clinics will mostly focus on #3,4,5,6, and on bad weather days # 8 & 9. The other topics we’ll try to work on at other times, which may include impromptu sessions based on who’s available at the time. Chris T will be doing a fair number of Wed/Thu afternoon clinics which will focus a lot on # 1-2 & 11-12.
Any/all clinics will adapt to the conditions of the day. Whenever you lead a clinic, please use this verbiage/titles in the clinic book so that I can keep track of what has/hasn’t been covered.
Skiing:
- Medium and short radius versatility skiing
- Off groomed, bumps and crud versatility skiing
- Task variations (1 ski, leapers/hop turns, pivot slips, skating, 1 ski hops, wedge christies)
Teaching:
- Giving feedback and verbalizing MA
- Drills and tasks for skill building
- Formulating Skill & Fundamental priorities, how to verbalize at an exam
- Sample teaching segments
Technical/Professional Knowledge:
- Indoor Tech Talks
- Indoor video MA
- Formulating Skill & Fundamental priorities
- Outdoor on the spot MA
- Sample exam scenarios
December 20, Update
I’ve spoken with roughly half of you about this, but wanted to get it posted for everyone. The bullets below are the topics/areas that I’d like each of you to focus on. Naturally there will be some overlap, but this should narrow it a bit.
I’m still waiting to collect more info from potential candidates so that I can put together a worthwhile schedule. Currently we don’t have a large contingent of candidates, so I may mix in some “certification training” with the “normal training”. Early loads won’t start until after the holidays… most likely.
I’ll be on the mountain quite a bit through the next two holiday weeks so feel free to grab me, and/or we may be able to do an impromptu training late in the day sometime.
These bullets are loosely grouped by category: Skiing, Technical, Teaching, Snowboard
- Chris T, build skills specific to preparing for the exam process, and packaging delivery for exams, ski improvement
- JP, coach people on ski improvement, versatility
- Pat Mc, Ski improvement with clear direction on underlying reasons (Skills/Fundamentals)
- Kurt, lead video clinics, tech talks, and MA sessions
- Kim, coach people on clear MA, how to give feedback, solid technical understanding
- Nikol, coach MA, cause/effect, technical understanding, giving effective feedback
- Jessica, talk with people and lead clinics on organization, logistics, clear lesson planning focus, kids specific tricks
- Cindy, leading clinics on building progressions & lesson planning
- Mary Jo, leading sessions on lesson planning, progressions, how to make changes in skiing
- Shawna, lead sessions on understanding and connecting to students, tailoring info to meet them where they’re at, responding to people and adapting your plan, kids specific tricks
- Debra, mentor Carol on Level 1 process, on snow formula, aim people at resources and explain logistics
- Carol, talk with Debra, lead sessions on the L1 teaching process, kids specific tricks
- Matt, coordinate directly with snbd people, give info on exam process and AASI specific packaging
- Dan St, lead sessions on riding improvement, clear progressions to build skills, park skills
December 14, Update
2nd session recap Making changes to skiing/riding
Recognize or define a need
-What kind of questions can be best for getting good info from people. More creative than simply, “What are you working on?”
-Identify either a deficiency or propose a different blend/application
How to make the change
-Speak in terms of Skills, Fundamentals, c/e
-Provide exercises, tasks, games
-Give feedback
-Be specific, HOW to do something, c/e
-Diplomacy, wording, artistry of communication
December 11, Update
I emailed a form to Nikol that we can use to have people sign and indicate what their Cert training plans are. Please proactively talk with folks and encourage them to put their names on it. It includes a scale where they can indicate how serious they are, so it’s not a commitment to taking an exam for sure.
Our next clinic is Sunday the 13th at 1 p.m. Hope to see you there. I also invited Daniel and Caleb Lynch who are prospective Level 3 candidates.
December 1, Update
Here’s a link to the National Standards being used this season. Please go through the process of finding it “from scratch”, separate from this link, so that you can tell staff how to get to it. Unfortunately it’s not as easy as it could be.
JP asked a question around the idea of a syllabus for cert training. This pdf link Cert Priorities is a very basic version of that. It is clips from the current National Standards, focusing on the parts that often either expose gaps in candidates, or show ownership and understanding. These are things that we want/need our staff to know after they go through our clinics.
Here’s an example of how you can use this. If you get assigned to lead a topic that falls into the realm of “Teaching”, scroll to that section of the document and make sure that your outline covers some of those items.
November 30, 2020 update
Feel free to start asking staff if they’re possibly planning for an exam this year. In the next 1-2 weeks we’ll figure out what the interest is and be better able to plan clinics that work for people’s schedules. Until then, brush up on the web resources so that you can refer people to them well.
I’ll keep in touch by email/text.
November 30, 2020
Certification training has a lot to do with helping staff package their skills and presentation to best fit the exam environment. This could likely be different than how we package and present info to our clients.
Technical: Reference The 5 Fundamentals, The 3 Skills, and cause/effect relationships.
Teaching: Have a clear, developing line of progression. Adjust to shorter time frames.
Skiing: Have versatility, show an appropriate amount of carving with consistent turn shape, ski/ride with enough energy/dynamics, always be parallel (barring specific tasks).
If you’re going to an exam, make sure you’ve prepared with THE material. This is not the time/place to debate whether or not the industry association does everything the best way.
Cert training will make you a better teacher, give you more breadth and depth of skills, and fill your brain with what you need to do behind the scenes to create a great learning experience for students.
Level 2 and 3 exams are College level courses. They take college level type of preparation to be successful. Don’t underestimate what’s involved, and don’t simply rely on experience to get you through.