 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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easiski, In reality I don't teach nothing but kids, but I actually like it, and it serves the purpose of increasing my ranking so I get a bigger bonus at the end of the season! (I'm a trained nanny in my other life so kids aren't a burden). The way our ski school is set up means that generally new hires do beginner groups, and more experienced instructors do intermediate and advanced groups or privates. Since many mothers request female instructors for their kids most women get private lessons relatively easy, and the more request privates you have, then the higher ranked you are which means you get more privates. And the more privates you get then the higher ranked you are, etc, etc, etc, plus private clients usally tip, and groups don't.  Oh, and I couldn't do kids groups day after day, which is why I don't work in the kids ski school, but I don't mind playing around all day with a 5 year old, pretending we're being chased by the Zorb, especially when a nice lunch and a decent tip are included!  (and I've just come back from 3 weeks in Hawaii with that 5 year old and his family!)
But, I can also imagine the dread some women instructors must feel when they are requested because they are female. "Requested female instructor" usually means it's a kid, or a more timid woman. Although once I was requested as the school's prettiest instructor - I turned that lesson over to one of my male collegues! 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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easiski,
Not sre about that (sorry), lot of school groups ask us to "take em to the shops" during class time as they don't get time during the evening as the teachers alway have stuff planned. SEL (E?)
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| easiski wrote: |
| What could be more important on a skiing holiday that teaching them to ski properly??? |
Fun - may not be your/my idea of fun; going to the shops, but .....S.E.L.
| easiski wrote: |
| Would you ask your lawyer or accountant to babysit? I think not. Why is it OK for a ski teacher? |
No, but if they offered me a coffee, to make my visit more enjoyable, I wouldn't assume their title of barrister meant they were employed to make coffee.
Lets face it, people come on "holiday" for different reasons, some want to learn to ski and have holiday, most want a holiday during which they can learn to ski, there is a big difference. I think your clients may be different from ours at the local ski school
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GreyCat, I'd have thought that most instructors with significant private business do end up doing a bit of general holiday troubleshooting for their clients. I've been in cable cars where instructors have been booking tables for lunch, ringing shops to arrange a tune and even making appointments for bootfitting for their customers. I'd have thought shopping for ski related items particularly skis is where instructors could provide valuable assistance.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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fatbob, Shopping for skis and boot fitting is part of ski teaching - shopping for souveniers isn't. However I wouldn't dream of taking my students to the bootfitters during their lesson time - that's after hours and free. Of course one might help with resto choice, but unless Im invited I wouldn't make a reservation for them.
GreyCat, As a self-employed ski teacher (10 years as Easiski), the majority of my students are returns or word of mouth. However the point If my students don't want to ski and it's foul then I often waive their lesson payment - so the lunch is also a freebie. I don't feel right charging people to do other things.
Wayne, Why I went independent was in part to get away from spending most of the time trying to teach people who didn't actually want to learn. However IMO learning to ski is the very best fun to be had on a skiing holiday, and if it isn't then the instructor is surely letting their students down? However you say you do a lot of school groups, which I studiously avoid!
Maybe the male of the species is under less pressure to live up to the image? Returning to the point of this thread. 
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easiski, Although I do understand your point about teaching people to ski all day rather than playing with kids (if you take the statement at face value) I believe that kids learn through play - ie the Montessouri approach - so during a day of play the children generally learn alot about skiing. And I have no problem with acting as the nanny, since in my professional life I am a fully qualified nanny, who just happens to also be a ski instructor - it's one of my selling points, and if it gets me work I'll take it (Hawaii was work, not play). But, that said, I know that children are not attactive to everyone - teaching or otherwise - and it takes a completely different mindset to teach an upper level adult lesson.
I suspect that I wouldn't want your clients, and you wouldn't want mine - which is good for two reasons, if we were all the same life would be boring, and with an individual approach we are both happy! (I hope this is coming across in a very gentle, good humoured manner, because that's how I mean it - I feel I need to use lots of smilies!). "Family friendly" is a huge catch phrase in the US resorts, the thinking being that if you keep the kids happy then the parents will be happy, thus gaining more return visits. The majority of our clients are weekenders, rather than holidaymakers, so the better experience you can give, then the more likely you will see them again next week or month and if that means going shopping or carrying equipment, or decorating the christmas tree, then that's what it takes - and the effort taken is to keep them coming back to the resort even if they never take another lesson, since there is alot of competition in the area.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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easiski,
I think due to your client base you may not understand the recent (IMO) daft regulations that have come into skiing with school groups. Basically they can only ski with an instructor. This leads to the situation of children with 4 hours a day of lesson (2 am and 2 pm) literally just sitting around wait for their lesson so they can actually do some skiing. I tend to make the AM a lesson, lets see if we can improve and the PM and free ski under supervision. I think this has a lot to do with certain parents suing schools if their kid hurts themselves on a ski holiday which I'm not going to get into. In our resort all the school groups end up in what the brochures call upper Folgarida. This is a scam by the TO's as it's actually a bunch of hotels in the middle of no where on the road to Madonna, in an area know as Belvedere (but the hotels are dead cheap due to location). So in the lesson with me (in Folgarida itself) if they end up near a shop then they will sometime ask to visit. We only visit for 10 mins or so and it really does make them cheer up. I make sure they don't buy booze and only sweets and stuff. But it increases their holiday (and ski time/lesson) so I can't see the problem with it.
I think you may have people who book you to benefit from your skill as a teacher, I work for the local AMSI ski school, so we do get the keen learners and we also get groups. It's always with us (as I think it will be with you) S.E.L. it just that the E. will be slightly different for each client and group.
| easiski wrote: |
| Maybe the male of the species is under less pressure to live up to the image? |
Hmmmmmm saying nowt
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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pollittcl, "I have no problem with acting as the nanny, since in my professional life I am a fully qualified nanny, who just happens to also be a ski instructor" But that's the point - I am a professional ski teacher/coach - that's all I do - that's what has to pay for everything, but it took many years and lots of hard work and even more money to get to the top level, so I'm not amused if anyone (no-one would dare) treats me like a child-minder. I do see where you're coming from, but I wonder how much this has to do with the lack of insistence on proper qualifications in US resorts, and consequent lack of respect for the profession. One of the great advantages of living and working in France is that everyone knows you have to be 'Diplome d' Etat' to do the work and it's well understood that this is hard and worthwhile - there's a sort of automatic respect here. BTW this also applies to waiters and loo cleaners - whatever your profession it's respected.
Wayne, OK - your geographical situation is not good , so I can understand what you're saying WRT popping into a shop. This is not the same as the event V8 was describing when he went shopping for the day with a client ... rich husband, wife didn't like to ski..... I'm well aware of the rules about school groups, and actually (having seen some dreadful things with teachers in charge) think it's a good thing, however they really should (for the money) work their holidays out better!!!
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| Quote: |
One of the great advantages of living and working in France is that everyone knows you have to be 'Diplome d' Etat' to do the work and it's well understood that this is hard and worthwhile - there's a sort of automatic respect here. BTW this also applies to waiters and loo cleaners - whatever your profession it's respected.
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Being an immigrant to the US, I found the contrast interesting.
Canada, for example, are more "into" certificate of everything compared to the US. That's part of the reason many forign-educated professionals choose to work in the US. Because in a country that REQUIRES certification, that's one extra hurdle to get employment.
Is it a good thing? To maintain standard, I'm sure it has merit. But too often, that also eliminated many of good and otherwise qualified professionals who are not good at the particular exam materials. The US is notorously lax in that regard. So the result is a lot of gambling in the quality of many professionals. You can get some really good one that are un-conventional and otherwise would not pass the standard "exam" of their own field. You can also get some who really shouldn't be working in that field. In the long run, the good ones will be around and the bad ones got weeded out. But it takes time and the clients got shafted in the course of such weeding out...
The US generally don't respect any profession, certificate or not. That's part of the culture.
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You know it makes sense.
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This thread is very interesting.
Firstly, I have had male and female instructors, and the best one? The female. She pushed us hard but cared about our progression. Some of the male teachers have also been good, but a few have been a little too focused on their ego and cared less about helping us progress. I am not saying that female instructors are best, just that those instructors that are female may be in that position because of their love of teaching, passion for the job, rather than just a passion for skiing well? Obviously this observation is limited to my experiences which are not vast.
Moving on to holiday skiers. If I assess my friends, I would say all my female friends bar one ski less agressively than my male friends, focussing more on technical issues and controlled, well shaped turns, rather than being first and fastest down the mountain. The one female friend who is an aggressive skier learned the same time as me, so has had the same instruction, visited the same resorts, skied the same slopes as I have. However, she is completely fearless, a daredevil, and relishes the challenge of pointing her skis down a scary piece of mountain and winning! On a technical level, I would say that my carving skills are better, but I do not ski as fast or as steep, so she is considered the better skier. Some might also call me a control freak, I do like to be in control on the mountain and only push the envelope a small amount. Looking to my male friends, most ski aggressively, although again there is one exception. His skiing is controlled and has superior technical skills, but is unwilling to throw himself down 'anything'. An interesting aside, those on my last ski holiday who injured themselves - ranging from a broken leg to missing teeth - was my female aggressive skier, and one of the male aggressive skiers. Both were attempting jumps or terrain above their ability. Funny that.
I think this is seen in other sports too. I trampoline, and although more women belong to the club than men (it is hardly the most 'macho' sport), the men usually progress quicker through the levels. This is mostly due to their fearlessness. I am making a generalisation, but most men are happy to risk their neck trying out new somersaults at the earliest opportunity (sometimes before they can bounce in control on the spot!), while most women progress when they feel ready, once they have mastered the lesser skills. I think physical differences do play a part too, men are able to perform greater rotations, since they have more power so can gain more height, but I think mental attitude is the key driver.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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carettam, Welcome to
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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easiski, do you think AlexChapman would be willing to post details on here for those of us who don't know her on FB?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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beanie1, I hope so, I'll try to see her to suggest it.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Hello everyone, Yes I am very willing to post details for those of you not friends with me on facebook!!! (those on facebook i'd really appreciate it if you became fans of Snow Angel Nannies!!)
I did a BASI organised training week followed by the ISTD technical course. The training week was fantastic and Giles from TDC was my trainer and comes very highly recomended!
there where 4 groups running each with 7 or 8 people in them and 4 girls in total, we were placed 2 and 2!
I'm happy to answer any questions you would like if you post them on here!!!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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alexchapman, Hi Alex, going back to the start of this thread, we were discussing why fewer women than men progress through the BASI system (the percentage drops at each level I understand). I guess one of the main questions we're discussing is if women are put off by the nature of the courses themselves, or if the factors are more external - ie ski teaching doesn't fit in with having kids etc. What are your thoughts?
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alexchapman, My view was that there is a requirement at ISTD to ski very agressively which is not natural to most women. I was not suggesting that women should be less technically better, but that to be able to ski like a man instantly restricts the female pass rate!
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Nothing really to do with your thread, but when at Cairngorm yesterday i came to the conclusion there are more better intermediate women skiiers than men, they seem to do technique better....
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preparing a long responce.....................watch this space! Sorry I'm currently doing the EMS assesment so have to go and practice tying knots in ropes and learning about metamorphism tonight, I'll post a better reply at the weekend!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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out the hole....round the tree...back down the hole 
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easiski, sorry, I didn't get your point about my point from the summer? I've got a feeling that the US and Europe are just too far apart on their philosophy of teaching kids and teaching in general.....a couple of european qualified instructors here teach stuff which is just wrong from the PSIA point of view but which does work.......hmmm.
However, I've just had three great days "playing" with a 7 year old - we both had fun and he did improve his skiing.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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alexchapman, I like your Snow Angels Nannies - we could do with something like that here. Do you recruit your nannies from the UK?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Hi skinanny, Thank you. Yes I recruit my nannies from the UK! Where are you based?
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alexchapman - I'm based in Tahoe, California and I get lots of requests for day time babysitting. There's a couple of nanny agencies here but they don't require much in the way of qualifications and I'm Norland qualified so I find it frustrating!
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You know it makes sense.
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Ok, as promised my responce to this thread.
I think there are many reasons that there arn't many girls in the higher levels of BASI, most akin to the reasons that there are less girls in higher levels of any sports!
I infact did my dissertation at university on a similar topic, in relation to Womens Rugby and sterotypes!
My personal opinion on the matter is that girls loose interest in the physical aspect of the sport and don't wish to put in the training time physically to reach the highest levels! And you do need to be physically strong enough and athletic enough to preform..............its not only skill that is required. For example if you manage to use your ski very well in a long turn (GS style) there will be a certain amount of pressure to manage.......this does require strengh to deal with/manage and athletesism!!
I think that BASI don't look for the same in boys and girls, this is shown by the recomendation on ski radius, 15m for girls and 17m for boys although I do think they require girls to be as fit (in relation to the differing physics of boys and girls) as the lads are and this require training and perhaps more training if your not used to participating in sports at a high level!
I am saying all this having just passed the EMS but failed the ISTD Tech. I failed my tech in the bumps and am happy to go away and train to acheive the required level for April.......................I'm in the bumps every day now. I beleive that with comitment you can reach the required level!!!
Most people struggle to reach the final ISTD level in BASI as work commitments take over due to the financial implications of training and not working as well as paying out for exams. this results in lots of snow ploughing, basic parrelling and not skiing at a high level..........this impacts on both fitness and obviously technical ability!! or at the very least increasing technical ability!
Well these are my initial thoughts on the topic but i'd be happy to expand or answer any further questions when I'm not in the bumps!!!
Happy skiing!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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skinanny, Generally I ask for NNEB or CACHE level 3 or equivelent childcare qualifications, there are obviously exceptions for the right person but relevent chidcare qualifications are essential for me to consider an applicant! There are plenty of other agencies/companies asking for less though!!! and charging the same or more!!! It is frustrating but I believe in what I do and that I take all the approprate steps to ensure Snow Angel Nannies is a great sucess for each and every family who use us!
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Poster: A snowHead
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| imull wrote: |
| out the hole....round the tree...back down the hole |
A bowline!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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alexchapman, That's very interesting, especially as you've just been to do it. thanks. So do they allow you to be less aggressive in the bumps than the guys these days? You will at least get some really good training in the real thing at the moment. The bumps on Fioc look huge + Belle Etoile + Sapins .... plenty to choose from and all steep!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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alexchapman, great report, thanks. Have you passed the Eurotest yet? How are you finding training for that?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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beanie1, I have passed the eurotest last season. I really enjoyed the training for that and in a lot of ways miss the GS!!! (I know I'm mad!!) Really I've only got the ISTD tech to do and then I'll be badged up!!!
easiski, No problem........Yes I do think their is a difference in the speed/aggression that is required from Lads and Girls in relation to their physic not skill level! you do need to go for it and ski well but when you acheive the skill level this becomes easier..........................I feal a big difference at the top of any other strand (confidence etc.) then the bumps (my week strand) and this shows in my preformance!............NOT FOR LONG THOUGH!! I'm booked on the tech again at the end of the season!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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alexchapman, I'm sure you'll do it! And thanks for contributing such a good response on this thread.
I don't think there was any allowance for difference in agression when I got my Grade 1 (clearly there was never a skill allowance). Bumps were always the big problem for most peeps though. Clearly they still are! 
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