When I first meet a new student I introduce myself and start asking questions to better understand why they are taking a lesson. Questions like, "when was the last time you skied?", "what trails do you normally ski on?" or "do you play any sports?". This may seem obvious but it's important to know your student's needs. Ask as many questions as you can think of, the lesson is about the student and not about you.
1. Warm up/observation run - It's important to give your student time to warm up as it might be their first run of the day, or even the season. They may feel nervous about taking a lesson and/or performing in front of you. If you've ever taken an exam then you know the feeling! Select a trail that's appropriate for their skill level - this will be obvious if you asked the right questions at the start. I usually tell my students to ski ahead of me as if I'm not there (if they are capable). This can relax the student and gives me chance to observe their skiing.
When I watch them ski I'm looking for a skill deficiency. For me, this is based around the PSIA's five fundamentals of skiing. Chances are they have more than one skill deficiency. Pick the one that stands out most to you, and this is your focus for the lesson.
2. Setting a goal with your student - The next ride up the chairlift I'll tell the student what I saw in their skiing and set a goal for the lesson. It's important to set clear, attainable goals so the student knows where we're headed.
3. Pick ONE drill - Pick a drill that focuses on the skill deficiency you're working on. If you asked the right questions at the start, you will be able to appeal to their learning preference and/or relate the movement pattern to something they are familiar with in their day-to-day lives.
4. Progress the drill - Start small and break the drill down if you have to. This allows you to build on a foundation and go through your progressions. Try not to jump around between drills.
5. GO SKIING! - The student paid for a ski lesson so don't forget to ski! Try to work what they were practicing back into their skiing. Ski the same terrain as the first run to see if the student improved, or try the drill you were doing on more difficult terrain. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither were World Cup racers, so allow some time to practice. The student will need to replicate the movement many times on different terrain before they own it.
6. Summary - Just before you say goodbye, give the student a recap of the lesson; what you saw in their skiing, what you did to improve their skiing, and whether you saw results by the end. Offer some advice for what they should do next (hint: mileage) and some appropriate terrain. Also give them some cues for when it's time to take another lesson and give them your card.
Sometimes when I'm teaching, I'll try to develop my student's understanding of why we do things. If they better understand it, they're more likely to take ownership of it and feel like they got more out of the lesson. This depends on the student though, so I'll leave that one up to you.
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