Safety
Students must feel physically and emotionally safe in the mountain environment with both you, the instructor, and the other participants in the lesson. These feelings of safety are the most important thing in skiing. The mountain environment will be new to many students, and as the instructor it is important that you model, highlight and promote safe behaviours.
Special attention must be paid to:
Temperature
Dressing appropriately to avoid hypothermia on cold days; look out for people shivering and going very quiet. Overheating on hot days; look out for people staggering and wanting to sit down a lot.
Sun
With increased UV rays at higher altitudes, even on cloudy days, it is important to wear eye protection and sunscreen.
Hydration
It’s easy to forget on a cold day, or maybe students sweated a lot with all their gear on, but people need to drink enough water, not eat the snow!
Make sure you know the Snow Code for the country/resort that you are in. All instructors must know and adhere to the rules within that resort and, more importantly, be positive role models for other slope users to follow.
In addition, each individual snowsports school typically has its own safety policies, covering topics such as lift loading and lost children. As a working instructor, it is imperative that you learn these policies thoroughly and adhere to them.
Good class handling, terrain selection and use of appropriate tasks are ways in which instructors can set students up for success, minimise the chance of injury and help to retain those students as future guests. These factors will be covered in more detail throughout the manual.
Ako
In Te Reo Māori, the concept of ako encompasses both teaching and learning. It recognises the experience that both teachers and learners bring, and it acknowledges the way that in-depth understanding can grow out of shared learning experiences.