 Poster: A snowHead
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Indeed, and as I said above, they should do all that, and bumps and jumps and 360s etc etc. I also emphasized the need for the kids to have a lot of fun, and enjoyment being the key criterion of a "good lesson". I'm not suggesting that they should do gates - just that if the OP is looking for some kind of objective yardstick of how "well" her kids are skiing, time through gates would be a much better one than some of the others suggested (such as how tidy they look).
I suspect that most of those kids who ski gates well are, actually, rather good in the bumps and trees.
Most kids will, off their own bat, reckon that getting better at skiing means being able to go faster and faster in and around and over all kinds of obstacles, backwards and/or in the air whenever possible. that sounds perfectly logical to me, and much more important than what they are doing with their arms. Good instructors won't allow them to go faster than they can control - and it sounds as though they are pretty good already.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Megamum - in another thread wrote: |
skimottaret, It seems there is no interest in teaching kids either  |
Teaching kids to ski seems to have become, in some circles, the (current) raison d'être for the post stage-school mummy/daddy generation. Following along from “I must try and give my kids the opportunities I never had”, stage-school mummies and daddies would expend vast amounts of time and effort on dragging their little darlings along to music / tap / ballet / drama / etc classes and, if they didn’t get the result they were paying for, to a bewildering (for the kids) succession of teachers in a desperate attempt to progress their kids ever onwards towards a level that the parents would be happy with (and that they had paid for).
Of course there was a dual purpose to this, not only would it “give my kids the opportunities I never had”, but also gave mummy and daddy a warm glow – not to mention something to chat about with other stage school mummies and daddies. So, now it’s the turn of skiing. Of course it’ just so that “I can give my kids the opportunities I never had”.
Come on guys (and gals) it’s meant to be a holiday. Do you remember them; holidays? They are a time when you (and your kids) relax and have fun as a family.
There is no secret to teaching kids – unless you want to pretend there is so you can charge extra for the “specialist” training methods you use. Hey result ! ski mummies and daddies will love that (and pay extra).
I have taught zillions of kids to ski. There’s no secret, it’s easy.
“In this strict order”, you must;
Keep them safe
Make the lessons fun
Aim the class at the maturity level of the kids.
Try and improve their technique.
We all understand that parents will want to get the best they can for their kids, it’s perfectly natural, but come on, relax – they will be able to ski that run or ski with you (or whatever), maybe not this year but maybe next. It doesn’t matter, kids have lots of time.
Maybe this should be moved by Admin to the Piste as it’s not really a BZN’s problem. Experienced instructors know how to teach your kids, we do it all the time, it’s really an aspirational parenting problem.
Oh yeah – personal request.
If you have been told the class finishes at a certain time, please be there to collect your kids on time.
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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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| Quote: |
If you have been told the class finishes at a certain time, please be there to collect your kids on time.
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because I probably have another class starting exactly the same time as this one finishes, so I can't stand around for half an hour giving you feedback on Waynette's inner tip lead. Taking them away quickly at the end is just as important as boogering off quickly at the beginning.
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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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pam w,
Not really. Our classes are spaced to finish and start around 10mins apart.
BUT
Like all resorts and schools we have systems in place for lots of eventualities.
The system for un-collected kids is really simple (for us).
The instructor waits with the kids for up to 10 mins.
The instructor takes the kid to the ski school on slope office
The kid waits with the girls in the office until the parent calls to collect them
The parents MUST have the passport of the kid and their own passport before the kid can be handed over. Any stroppy parents (it’s never their fault they were late) are directed to the local cops (next door to our office).
Parents go down to the hotel to collect passports
Parents collect their kids
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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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My son was captured by a ski school in Austria. The instructor had asked him to escort a much littler lad back to the office (No doubt he wanted to bog off to lunch himself). Nick was 8 but in beginners class and the others were about 5. He normally came back to our apartment for lunch, which was near where they finished. Then they wouldn't let him go 'cos no parent - and they spoke no English so didn't understand his explanation. I rushed round frantically and eventually we got re-united. He was very upset, not least because he was starving for his lunch. Your system sounds much more careful.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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There are plenty of kids who can land a sick double cork, pull a switch 1080, ride into the quaterpipe and hit huge rotations with a great grab etc etc but put them in the gates and they are all over the place.
There are too many facets to skiing to simplify it into a 'time though the gates' grading of ability,
A great deal of skiing performance is like great art, its about style and flow, and like all great artists a good performance has got to be based on solid technique, but its more than just that.
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| Quote: |
put them in the gates and they are all over the place.
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I bet they wouldn't be for long - give 'em a couple of lessons on how to do gates and they'd be good.
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| pam w wrote: |
| Quote: |
If you have been told the class finishes at a certain time, please be there to collect your kids on time.
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because I probably have another class starting exactly the same time as this one finishes, so I can't stand around for half an hour giving you feedback on Waynette's inner tip lead. Taking them away quickly at the end is just as important as boogering off quickly at the beginning. |
Exactly!
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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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Wayne, I'm glad you get to teach kids who are only holiday - most of my students aren't on holiday and have ski lessons just like they have any other out of school sports lesson. And do you really teach kids in the same way that you teach adults? Most of the methods of instruction taught to instructors seem to be based on an adult lesson - can you really take a standard beginner lesson for a group of 30 something never-evers and teach exactly the same thing and in exactly the same way to a group of 6 year old never-evers?
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skinanny,
I only teach tourists and some locals in the ski club - not kids who are in an educational type school class (although when speaking to some parents you’d think that’s what they’d prefer)
I have never said you should teach kids the same way as you'd teach adults. In the same way I wouldn’t teach a group of 70 year old ladies in the same way as I'd teach a class of 18 years olds. I think (may be wrong here) that you take the class with the SEL of the group in your mind.
Mind you (with kids) I wouldn’t really say that I "teach" 4 year olds to ski. We have fun and they learn - if the fun times are done in the right way then they shouldn't (at 4 years old) even know it's a lesson.
I know there will be other people who are much more experienced than me at this teaching kids stuff but for me it works. Lots of skiable games and they seem to get it and go back to mum and dad with a smile on their faces and they can ski better too.
I don’t think BASI needs to add (yet) another module to the L1.2.3.or 4. Teaching kids is no different from teaching anyone else – appraise the groups’ needs and abilities and off you go.
The problems come with the ski mummies and daddies who seem to think they can pay for sporting results. They can’t.
PS – I don’t think I’ve ever play hunt the shadows with an adult class – ski down a gentle run and whizz over and squash any shadows you see with the bottom of your skis. Mind you I’ve not (yet) taken any 1st week beginners into the moguls.
Appraisal of the class’s needs and abilities is where it’s at.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Megamum, ah, well you never know what other hidden talents i have 
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You know it makes sense.
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Wayne,
Here Here
Can't agree more. If they're in ski school they will be better at the end of the holiday than when they started.
leave it at that. If they're enjoying it they will be progressing becuase they want to.
If you want more join a club rather than just instruction on Holidays
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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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Teaching kids depends on the kids!
I've had 8 year olds who want to understand the technical issues as to how it works and 15 year olds who do not
4 year olds who want to ski gates and 12 year olds who have no desire
My view is, as stated by many others above that it needs to be fun and tailord to the children involved. Young kids learn with fun and with "copy me" or with very simple instructions
Older kids may want to know more about why it works...
I have used the mantra "you can only explain something using the same number of words as the childs age". And all kids like Cake, Pizza and Chips!
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