Last Updated31 May 2022

Structuring Lessons and Sessions explores how to construct lessons, put together activities to build new skills, structure presentations and delivery of information, plus create longer teaching sessions to explore the mountain and continue to develop skills. This chapter also explores some of the differences between instructing and coaching, and how to structure coaching-orientated sessions.

Instructing vs Coaching & Training

Instructing and coaching (or training) are both forms of teaching with subtle differences, yet they have the same purpose: to help someone else get better at something.

The term “instructing” can be defined as supplying or furnishing knowledge to a person through a systematic method for imparting this knowledge. The term “coaching” can be defined as a form of development in which an experienced person supports another in achieving a specific goal.

Instruction is vital to learning, as it is the transfer of information from one person to another. Any time you are given directions or told directly how to do something you are receiving instruction. Coaching is giving responsibility and guidance to the learner to help them come up with their own answers. Any time you have been given a range of options, along with advice as to which of those options may be more suitable in that situation, you are being coached.

Instructing and coaching are not mutually exclusive roles. They can be viewed as two ends of a spectrum, on which every instructor, coach and trainer should move along, according to their situation and the length of time available.

Instructor-Coach Spectrum

When learning how to use this spectrum effectively, those with an instructing background should endeavour to coach their students when possible, and those with a coaching or athlete background must recognise when instructions are necessary to use.

There will be times in every session when it can be more beneficial to use an instructing style. These include:

Moments when the learner needs quick and concise information.

With a larger group where it is harder to establish individual engagement.

When the information being supplied is time-pressing.

In most safety scenarios.

There will be many times in sessions when a coaching style will be more beneficial. These include:

Helping to build understanding of why certain movements are more suitable.

With smaller groups or one-on-one environments.

With repeating sessions over a longer period of time.

Anytime a new skill will take longer to develop.

Example

You have a group of young riders progressing from small park jumps to medium and large park jumps. You spend time coaching them on the speed required for the bigger jumps by having them watch other riders, take laps following your speed over the knuckles of the bigger jumps and building awareness of how to generate speed using a flat base. The time comes to hit one of the bigger jumps but the snow conditions have changed slightly and you know that your group of riders will need to drop from higher up in order to generate enough speed. You must now provide very clear instruction as to where to drop from using only one speed check.

The main principle that underpins coaching is that an engaged student or athlete is likely to achieve a higher level of understanding, and thus maximise their performance, through self-directed solutions. Encouraging self-reflection skills will help in achieving this.

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