Part 5

A quality instructor makes the difference, shifting the guest experience from someone trying a snow sport once to someone with a lifelong passion for the snow. Great instructors provide a unique experience, build trust, catering their teaching to each guest and pace the learning process appropriately, all within a positive and supportive environment. When instructors continue to develop their teaching skills and learn from each other, we improve the quality of our lessons and therefore, the guests’ experience.

The start of the lesson is one of the most notable interactions an instructor and guest can have. Meeting our guest and asking them about themselves, discovering their goals, experience, hesitations, or concerns is an important first step in building the relationship. No matter if it is a group or a private lesson, we connect with the guests, seeing what they might respond well to, what they might be challenged by and how we might tailor the lesson for them. Our focus is to help them reach their goal(s) while having a great experience.

Building a relationship with guests builds trust and helps us cater to their learning styles. Some people prefer to jump straight in while others might sit back and watch first or require more instructor assistance. A versatile instructor can explain, describe, show and assist the guests in a way that best suits their learning style. Explaining and demonstrating in a variety of ways helps us to match our teaching to each individual. An instructor who can read their guests verbal or non-verbal communication (body language, tone of voice, excitement or hesitation) can adapt and assist each guest as much or as little as they need.

By teaching in a clear step by step process, we make each developmental step attainable. Building in small achievable steps, guests learn smaller pieces at a

time, and the process becomes less overwhelming and more enjoyable. We must teach each guest what they need to know when they are ready to learn it, while still recognising that some will need a gentle push while others will need cautionary support.

When instructors respond to an individual’s, or similar level guests, level of progress and provide personal feedback, they can tailor their lesson to match their rate of progress and

advance the guests enjoyment. Managing the level of challenge and matching it to the guests’ development, a group can stay on the same terrain but continue to progress individually. This way, each guest finishes their lesson feeling like the experience has been targeted to them; improvement is enhanced, slower progressors aren’t pressured to keep up, and faster progressors don’t feel held back.

Snowsports are continually developing, and there is always more to learn. A dynamic and effective instructor never stops learning. When we continue to progress, improving our skills and knowledge, we provide better lessons. We have a deeper understanding of teaching concepts and can give more specific feedback. Although we teach our lessons separately, instructors have a strong team dynamic. We motivate each other to improve personally and professionally, sharing knowledge, ideas and experience.