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Reprints From The Professional Skier

Fall 1998 - "Do Your Next-Level Best To Prepare For Certification" by Patti Summers

This article is reprinted from The Professional Skier. All copyrights apply. Please see our copyright and disclaimer notice page.

As another season approaches, we, as professional ski instructors, begin to think about our individual goals and objectives for the coming year. We each have our own reasons for teaching, but most of us come back to it year after year simply because we love to ski and enjoy helping others ski better.

As members of PSIA, we have access to many clinics that can improve our skiing and teaching abilities. Those of us who ultimately want to gauge how successful we have been in our own education process may pursue the three levels of certification. Time-consuming as well as physically and mentally demanding, certification is a quality-control measure used to ensure that PSIA instructors across the country adhere to certain standards of teaching. Some pass, some fail, but all gain greater insight into themselves and their role as instructors.

I attained Level II certification during the 1996-97 season and would now like to share my experience and offer advice for anyone interested in becoming certified this season. The information outlined within this article pertains mostly to Level II certification but is generic enough to be applied to all levels of certification.

Although being certified carries a high level of status and reputation in the ski industry, the commitment to begin the process must be a personal one. Certification must be important to you, the individual, and fit within your goals.

The first step toward becoming certified is to make the commitment to go for it, ideally before the start of the ski season. However; you can make the decision during the year if you are motivated, organized, and disciplined. Commitment will do you no good, however, if you don't follow through.

The next component of the process and the key to success at any certification level is preparation. A useful tip when planning your strategy is to set your goals above the minimum standard for your certification level. This will help you feel more confident in your abilities.

The amount of preparation you'll need will depend, to some extent, on how much experience you have. Those who have a lot of experience with a variety of age and ability levels may require only a month or two to properly refine their teaching and skiing skills. Others may need more time. The 1996-97 season was only my third year teaching, so I allowed myself several months before the exam to do the book work, to study, and to practice skiing and teaching. Because my main objectives in the process were not only to pass the exam but to improve my skiing and teaching, I viewed all preparation time as time well spent.

Another factor that comes into play is how quickly you absorb information. Just as you consider the various learning styles and rates of students, you need to remember to consider your own personal characteristics in this regard when estimating a timeline for certification. If you pick up concepts quickly, you might not need as much time to prepare as another instructor. On the other hand, if you generally need more time to absorb new concepts, you'll want to alter your schedule accordingly.

Because the amount of mental and physical preparation you will need increases with each level of certification, you'll also want to, consider the level of certification for which you'll be preparing. It goes without saying that Level III is more intensive and demanding, with less margin for error, than Levels I or II. Physical conditioning plays an integral part in the certification process, so assess your physical condition and start a workout program if you're not already on one.

In addition, every level has certain criteria that must be met before you qualify to take the exam. It's important that you understand what is required of you and know whether you are ready to move to the next level.

Assemble Study Aids

Once you have made the commitment, the best way to start preparing yourself is to acquire the study materials you will need for your level of certification. You may already have some of the books in your library. If not, consider these purchases an investment in your career as a ski professional; they're always useful for future reference.

For Level II certification, I used the following PSIA core materials:

Once you've compiled your materials, don't get discouraged by the breadth of information before you. Start by reviewing the Alpine Manual (hopefully you've seen this book before) and studying the glossary section; knowledge of the definitions is invaluable. In addition, you'll want to review the current education certification standards, the most recent of which can be found in the winter 1998 issue of The Professional Skier.

You may also wish to contact your division office to determine what division-specific materials may help you prepare for certification. I found PSIA-E's Educational Workbook and Alpine Exam Guide to be great resources. The Exam Guide offers many challenging study questions, which can take a considerable amount of time to research but are worth the effort because the certification exam emphasizes the importance of sound technical knowledge. As you research the questions, you may find you need more information than what appears in your reference materials. I found answers simply by talking with other instructors and borrowing materials. Try to read and study often but in short intervals; you'll absorb and retain the information better than if you try to complete it all in a short time.

Plan Ahead

For those of you who are highly motivated, your bookwork will probably be under way before the snow flies. In addition, another important consideration concerns what eligibility requirements, if any, you must satisfy to take the exam. Prerequisite clinics are often required of exam candidates, but you'll want to check with your division office to be sure. If a clinic is required, it is to your benefit to take it early and then take the exam late in the season, which will give you sufficient time to prepare.

The clinic examiner will assess your skiing and teaching skills, provide feedback, and suggest areas to work on in preparation for the exam. Taking the clinic early in the season may also help you determine whether you're ready to take the exam this season or whether you would be better off to wait until next year. Clinics have registration deadlines, so review your division's schedule of events and send the application in early to reserve your spot.

Prerequisite exam requirements vary by division, but you will probably also need to have your ski school director sign the exam application to attest that

1. you are a member of the ski school,
2. you have prepared and trained for the exam,
3. you meet minimum age requirements, and
4. you have the necessary teaching experience.

Your director will undoubtedly want to evaluate you on snow before signing the application, so be prepared before you ask for his or her signature.

It's Snow Time

By the time your home mountain opens for the season, you will be eager to put some of this knowledge to the practical test. Check with your ski school director to see if your area offers organized exam preparation clinics with instructors who are available specifically for exam training. If not, you may want to form your own training group so you can work with others who are seeking the same objectives that you are since, as a group, you can encourage a real team effort.

It is important to find an enthusiastic and first-rate coach or mentor who is willing to work with the group consistently to supply technical guidance. In my group, we practiced the required demonstrations-providing each other with constructive criticism and movement analysis-and often met after skiing to watch videos and engage in technical discussions. A fairly small group, we meshed well and maintained an easy pace. Even though we worked hard to accomplish our goals, we always had fun. As you set your sights on certification, try not to overdo the training and preparation. If at any time you find you no longer enjoy the experience, ease up.

Don't let all these clinics and personal learning agendas cause you to lose sight of your true motivation for preparing for the certification exam: to become a better ski teacher and to have more fun doing it. Although valuable, clinics should not come between you and your students. Set aside a small part of your ski day for clinics, but devote the rest to your students. If you apply your newfound knowledge wisely, you can optimize the time you spend in clinics and classes by turning your students on to some of the things you're learning in the clinics.

During your lessons, try to diversify your regular teaching patterns. For instance, if you have taught mostly lower-level lessons in the past, try teach a more advanced lesson to get experience you will need for your level of exam. Talk with other instructors to gain insight for teaching types of dents with which you might not be familiar. Consult children's instructors about teaching the younger set, and when teaching senior skiers, get tips from the old-timers in the ski school, especially with regard to classic exercises and drills. Try to experience all types of lessons and levels: groups and privates; beginner, intermediate, and advanced lessons; children, adults, and seniors. Special-interest group teaching should be a part of your teaching repertoire (and is also part of the exam). Having a broad range of experience will help make you a well-rounded, interesting instructor and will aid tremendously in the exam process.

Exam Day

During the exam, you will probably be put into a group of other instructors who are seeking the same level of certification. Although your examiner may vary from day to day, you'll remain with your group throughout the test, so try to get to know each other. Treat the exam like a team effort just as you did your training efforts.

Because you're nervous about the exam and unacquainted with the other candidates in your group, the first day is typically the most difficult. After the first day of the Level II exam, our exam group met to discuss the turn of events. We all felt that the day didn't go as well as we would have liked, but the second day was better: we were full of enthusiasm and energy and were having fun. Seeing us all working together and giving each other feedback and constructive coaching, the next examiner commented on how great our group dynamics were.

When the time came for each of us to lead the group through a progression, we pretended that the examiner was not there. This made it easier for us to picture ourselves teaching another group on atypical day at our home mountains, and easier to be ourselves and enjoy the progression. Take control of the group in a positive, friendly way. Most important, be yourself. The examiner will see through you if you try to impress him or her. Keep it simple and fun, but technically correct.

In Retrospect

I hope this article provides insight into the certification process. If you commit to the process, plan ahead, allow enough time to prepare, and enjoy yourself, exam day should find you feeling well prepared, confident, and relaxed. With this information in mind, it's up to you to decide if this is your year for certification.

The Level II exam for the Eastern Division lasted three days and consisted of combined skiing and teaching. I was successful in attaining my certification goal as were the other four candidates in my group, and my preparation gave me a wider range of knowledge, refined my skiing, and improved my teaching ability. Certification takes a lot of effort and physical conditioning, but the result is a feeling of reward and accomplishment.

Patti Summers is a Certified Level II instructor at Ski Windham in New York.