How Instructors use the FUNdamentals
Fundamentals in its most simple form promotes better and safer skiing and riding with the goal of keeping children engaged in snow sports. The aim is for instructors to teach the children with a consistent progression and skill base. In doing this the children can easily move from one instructor to the next at any participating snow sports school around New Zealand and receive similar information. Referencing the Fundamentals cards that the children receive, instructors will be able to easily identify what stage they are at in their development and continue that development further.
Safety
Think SAFETY first. Always put a big focus on the safety and wellbeing of the children. Consider how and why specific tasks and skills make skiing and riding safer. Developing awareness of some of the hazards of the environment they are in is a great starting point. Encouraging good decision making to keep themselves and their mates safe will help to reinforce safe skiing and riding habits. Let them know about the NZ Snow Safety Code.
Fun
If the children are having FUN, they will be more likely to engage in learning a new skill.
Achievement
Recognise the individual achievement of each child regularly. A lot of children are keen to get to the next stage or tick off skills. It is important to keep this as a motivation. It is also very important take your time to develop ownership of the different skills before the skill is ticked off. If necessary, let them know that “it is not a race to get the skills ticked off” and that it is more important to have fun and challenge the new skills so that they own them. Take them on an adventure and explore new places and terrain to develop the skills.
Tips to help use FUNdamentals
- Build skills through movement and performance of equipment. Develop the children’s ability and understanding of both the movement and how it effects the equipment.
- Try to only tick off a skill when a child has some ownership of it. It does not need to be perfect, but it needs to be achieved and present with some consistency. This is about thinking of the next instructor that might be teaching the child. If you tick off a skill you are saying to the parent/teacher and next instructor that the child has some competence with that skill.
- Have a good understanding of the Fundamental skills, movements and performance that are required for each task. This will help in your decisions to mark the skill as achieved on each card.
- Most importantly, do what you always do and be a great teacher/role model and have fun with the kids and keep them STOKED on the mountains!