Lesson Structure

One of the first things that instructors need to develop is the ability to structure a lesson and tailor it towards the specific needs of the students. Every lesson will differ in some way—whether it’s the students being taught, their abilities, their motivations, or external factors such as weather and snow conditions.

Every successful lesson will consist of three main areas:

Lesson Setup

The lesson setup is a crucial phase where instructors get to know the students and their previous experience, begin creating a positive learning environment, and establish a safe and supportive space. During this time, the instructor and student also collaboratively set a direction for the lesson.

Key Elements of the Lesson Setup

The steps involved in the lesson setup often overlap or happen simultaneously. This phase typically occurs at the meeting point, during a warm-up, or when students are revisiting what they have already learned or can do.

It’s always a good idea to guide students from the known to the unknown, helping them build on what they already understand before introducing new concepts. This approach helps create a smoother, more engaging learning process.

Introduction

The introduction sets the tone for the lesson. This initial meeting between the student(s) and the instructor is an opportunity to create a positive and lasting impression and begin establishing a strong student/instructor relationship.

Practical Tasks to Establish Rapport

To Facilitate a Positive Learning Environment

Lesson Setup

The lesson setup is where instructors get to know the students and their previous experience. This is where you create a positive, safe, and supportive environment, setting the direction for the lesson. The setup often overlaps with other lesson phases and usually occurs at the meeting point, during a warm-up, or while students revisit what they already know.

Skier Profile

To create a great learning experience, instructors need to understand:

The two basic ways to assess a student are to watch them ski and ask questions.

What:

In addition to the technical aspects, it’s important to consider the student’s past experiences, fears, previous injuries, and general background. This helps form a clearer picture of the student’s needs and guides decision-making during the lesson.

Why:

This assessment is ongoing, as the student’s needs and wants may change over the course of the lesson. Keeping the “why” in focus ensures that the lesson remains student-centered.

Negotiating Goals & Managing Expectations

For a lesson to be successful, an initial goal or direction for the lesson should be agreed upon. Goals provide clarity and direction for both the student and instructor.

Goals must be negotiated, not prescribed, to ensure they align with the student’s motivations and needs. Goals can be adapted throughout the lesson based on various factors such as progress, fatigue, or changing conditions.

Learning & Experiences

The teaching cycle helps guide the instructor in building a positive learning environment based on the unique student(s) in any given lesson. It facilitates communication, feedback, practice, and decision-making throughout the lesson.

Activity: Understanding & Doing

Activity is whatever the student is doing or attempting. This could range from a first-timer putting skis on to a more complex activity like a dynamic medium radius parallel turn.

For students to successfully perform an activity, they must first have a clear idea of success. This can be achieved through effective communication from the instructor and feedback on previous attempts.

Instructor’s Role – Activity

Reflection & Feedback

After an activity, the instructor should help the student analyze their performance. This analysis can be broken into three areas:

Initially, the instructor will be the primary source of feedback, but the goal is to help the student develop self-awareness and eventually self-analyse their performance.

Instructor’s Role – Analysis

Adapt – Decision Making

After analysis, decisions need to be made about what to do next. Consider factors such as:

Successful Students

Students Not Successful Yet

Lesson Summary

The lesson summary typically happens near the end of the lesson and provides an opportunity to:

Review

Preview