Hello! Thank you for reading my post and taking the time to look at my blog.
I have been a ski instructor over at McIntyre Ski Area for about five years now, and each time I go out for a lesson I learn something new. Today I will be talking about some of such lessons and knowledge that I have gained through my experiences.
As a ski instructor, even the slightest failure can have enormous repercussions and pretty much a bad time for all involved. At any point during your lesson a child or a student could get seriously injured, so that's stressful enough. Another thing to keep in mind is that their parents/guardians are paying large sums of money for this student to learn, and if I as a teacher fail the student I have wasted all that time and money. Therefore through my experiences, I have learned how to cope with pressure and still work well and effectively under such.
Also, most of the time you are teaching someone an entirely foreign skill and that requires a great deal of patience and creative thinking to allow students the proper opportunity to learn how to ski. Much like in the classroom while teaching a new lesson, ski teaching requires practice, repetition, and creativity with games and explanations- I've found that kids learn best while having fun. Also, sometimes (more often then not) I will have to explain the same thing a hundred different ways and a thousand different times in order for anything to stick, and this goes for both kids and adults, therefore a great deal of patience is required.
All in all, I have learned more about education, working with people, and teaching through ski instructing than I have in my college career as of yet, and I am happy and proud to say this. Ski instructing, even at such a small hill, is what made me want to be a teacher in the first place and I can't wait until I can one day work with students in a whole different light, while sticking to the same practices.
MW
