Question: Tell me everything I need to know about becoming a ski instructor!

[echo_VT]

Exactly as it sounds.

I took the ITC (instructor training course) at my local hill. I want to continue the learning I’ve done in seasonal group and I think the community and education dept at my local hill is a really fine one. So I’m looking to join to further my own skiing and learning but also feel that I’m giving back. I know it is a job and can be a slog especially when they hand you 8-12 kids ages 6-8 or ages 8-12. Regardless that’s a lotta kids! They’re desperate for instructors and I’m hoping I will like it.

Can you tell me the good? The bad? The ugly?

I will be teaching both snowboarding and skiing as I’m advanced in both now (uh not expert, but trying to get there).

I was told I might make $1.50 more bc I’m flex and can work both if needed. I’m guessing they’ll need more snowboard instructors bc they are always short on snowboard instructors.

I am also looking to do my level 1 and child specialist within my first winter season for both snowboarding and skiing. Any recommendations as to how to prepare, or advice you have about logistics, I’d appreciate!

Lay it on me, and please don’t shy away from how it is, plain and simple -

 

[Peaheartsmama]

Oooh. Following! I was asked to take the training course next winter too! Too much time hanging around ski school I guess.

 

[echo_VT]

I think you should do it! If you don’t think it’s for you, you can drop out and quit. The training will help! We were asked to give tips on certain turns and breaking down what tips work for people, and what doesn’t. It was really eye opening. We also observed the instructor doing a turn like a beginner would and he asked us to tell him what he did and what he could work on. He gave us a few things to remember with respect to turns: timing, shape/size, over or under doing a motion to effect the turn, momentum. Just things to look out for and to assess. Then having drills at the ready to help correct what we’re observing. It was like applying the Socratic method to skiing/snowboarding. Super interesting!

 

[echo_VT]

Of course I have no idea how it would be with a real client on hill. My husband is warning me it may not be for me...

 

[TeleChica]

I have never worked as an instructor for a resort, but I have taught telemark and backcountry skiing for many years through some local groups. I also got my level 1 PSIA Nordic downhill certification (which has since expired). I have also never taught kids. So this is just my experience; there are other much more experienced instructors.

I LOVE teaching and have considered taking the instructor course at Wachusett (which would not be for tele, but I do a lot less tele these days). However, I am hard-pressed to commit to teaching so many weekends when that is the only time I ski. It would take away from my own skiing, hence why I've never pursued it. So that is a big downside for me until I retire.

In terms of managing an adult class, it can be challenging when you get people at different levels, but you will learn how to adjust--offering different tips for different student. I enjoy that part of the challenge. I also love breaking down what someone is doing and showing them specific drills to help them overcome a bad habit or start to build new muscle memory. One thing I have learned over the years is to talk less, and also don't overwhelm people with drills and tips.

A challenge for me has been the PSIA piece. It's expensive, and courses are often taught during the week, so you have to take time off work. It can also be completely brutal on your confidence; IMO it's a very male-centric organization. I've been skiing for years, and ski steeps and trees, but because my technique was not PSIA-perfect, they kept referring to me as an intermediate skier during my last recert. (This was after being given major kudos for my skiing at an MRG tele clinic that same season.) I am sure it really all depends on who you get. But I'm pretty much done with PSIA.

 

[echo_VT]

That is incredibly annoying! Didn't realize how bad PSIA was with regard to the problematic org. I know there are issues, an instructor I had was taking his level 3 and they had the group do GS turns one after the other. well one guy lost control and hit the guy in front of him and one of them ended up getting killed. After that he said no I'm not going to get a level 3, this is too dangerous to do large GS turns one right after the other. So I'm familiar with that drama, but I didn't know about the sexist drama. Oy vey.

I knew that about the expense as well as the week commitment (3 or 4 days?). I wonder if there's another organization that's better, such as an international one.

I've heard that - speaking less to not overwhelm students.

Thanks, glad to have your thoughts and experience!

 

[Peaheartsmama]

Yeah I agree about worrying about the time commitment and having time to just ski with the kids. Also - what do you do with the kids while you are at training or teaching? If I have to pay for on mountain daycare, that will cost more that anything I make teaching, that’s for sure. but I have heard that it really helps you develop your own skills so that would be great.

 

[Jilly]

I have the Canadian certification L2 and have taken the L3 courses, but not tired the exam. You can't teach in Canada without a CSIA certification, as the CSIA holds the insurance for an instructor, not the club, hill or resort. So we differ from the States in that regard. CSIA has recognized that people can't take time off work to do clinics and course. So courses have been changed to a couple of days now. the L1 course is 3 days, Friday-Sunday with an on-line portion. When I took the L3 is was 5 days. Now it divided into teach portion and ski portion of 3 days each. Not even given in the same week.

In Canada I would need the L3 to become an international instructor. Not sure about the States if you were looking that route.

A L1 instructor teaches the kids as that is what the course specializes in. L2 you get the parallel teaching portion. So lower levels teach exactly lower levels.

Paging @Skisailor , @nopoleskier , @MaineSkiLady , @KatyPerrey , and any other instructors out there that are PSIA certified.

 

[liquidfeet]

@echo_NY you sound enthusiastic so go for it!

Do you want to teach groups of kids all day long? (I don't, but some instructors do.) There are other things you can do as an instructor... Don't let them profile you as a kids' instructor because you're a woman if you don't want to do kids. Some ski school directors think this way; others don't.

You can do line-up, which means you have to show up for line-up but don't know ahead of time what you're going to get. People buy a lesson and the line-up boss assigns them to one of the instructors standing at line-up. You may be assigned adult line-up or group line-up or whatever way your mountain divides things up. If your mountain is always busy when you teach, line-up can end up giving you the same number of work hours as the kids' program, but you have to deal with the herky-jerky nature of a different client every hour or so. On busy days you may have difficulty getting a bathroom break. On slow days you may not even teach.

Or you can do a seasonal group of kids; you'll get the same kids every time you teach, get to know them, and get to ski all over the mountain with them as they improve over the season.

Have you asked your ski school director if you could teach any of these other ways, not just in the kids program? It also sounds like you are interested in the on-mountain training. If you get assigned to the kids' program, will you have time to do the training? At one of my mountains, the kids' teachers never got to stay for morning training; they had to get the kids booted up. Every mountain is different. I've worked at three.

Give it a try. I bet you'll like it. I'm a Level II PSIA instructor in the Eastern Region, which will be your region. I did not hear about a candidate getting killed during a LIII skiing exam. When and where did this happen? I'd like to know.

 

[echo_VT]

Ah @Peaheartsmama, my husband is an instructor b/c he wanted our little one to have the instruction - so she is off in ski school (well the race program now) and we have the days to ourselves. I hadn't joined as I could learn how to ski in the seasonal programs. Now that I've done so, the reality is that skiing on the hill is pretty boring. I like learning and improving, working on stuff - and I was persuaded to try it by the instructors that do love it.

@Jilly that is interesting. Thanks for the tips on what you know or guess to be the situation - and thank you for paging instructors here!

@liquidfeet yes I have heard that they do that with women instructors - immediately put us up with the kids! but really I think it's unavoidable as most lessons at our local hill are said to be with kids. i think in the first year, we can't sign up to do seasonal groups b/c they want us to have experience with all types of people. so line up as you call it - at our local hill it's called "deck" meaning the instructors are "on deck" to receive and then teach whatever lessons do get bought. Deck folks usually have clinic as they may have group lessons starting at 10 am, so from 8:30-10 there's clinic I believe. I don't know exactly, but I think this is at least somewhat accurate based on what I remember my husband telling me he has. teaching kids for the day does bump up the rate in pay if an instructor obtains a "children's specialist" from PSIA I think. Also, the person who assigns lessons tries to balance out adults/kids so that everyone gets a chance to take a break from teaching lots and lots of kids.

I don't know. My husband thinks this may not be for me, but I'm willing to try it out...! we'll see.

 

[Peaheartsmama]

That makes sense. The instuctor that asked me to apply next year also said the kids are ready for the dev team skills-wise. I’m just not sure if they will be ok with a full day of skiing. Most of the time we are done after a few hours and they are not often up for a second round after a long lunch break unless we have friends with us. Perhaps if they make friends on race team then they will be game.

For those that teach part-time/ on weekends but don’t live near the mountain, do you make weekend hotel or apartment arrangements then? Or maybe a seasonal arrangement?

 

[liquidfeet]

There are ski clubs where I teach, which are crazy inexpensive. There's also the possibility, much more $$, of a seasonal rental of a condo somewhere. That's not so bad money-wise if you split the rent.

 

[echo_VT]

@Peaheartsmama - we have a winter seasonal rental that is at the base of the mtn. It’s an apartment in the basement of a house - the owner rents out the apartment to us, and there’s a locked outdoor shed for all our gear... since we have AT skis, downhill skis, snowboards (for me) and all our XC skis, this is great for us...!

We went thru a realtor who had some rentals. We looked at them and came to a decision.

 

[TeleChica]

I was re-reading my comments, and I feel I should probably back it off a bit on dissing PSIA. I will say you can learn A LOT taking PSIA courses. And it really all comes down to the instructor. I just had a bad experience and probably should just get over myself.

 

[Skier31]

I was re-reading my comments, and I feel I should probably back it off a bit on dissing PSIA. I will say you can learn A LOT taking PSIA courses. And it really all comes down to the instructor. I just had a bad experience and probably should just get over myself.

PSIA is a mixed bag. Most resorts use PSIA certification for pay issues and as criteria for what lessons you teach. There are some great clinicians and some not so great.

 

[liquidfeet]

Yes, a mixed bag. What @Skier31 said. PSIA is people being people, and the quality control from on high is missing.

 

[newboots]

My sister-in-law just left teaching after many years. She is PSIA L3, and she was pretty tired of PSIA, as well. IIRC, she felt that they standardized her skiing and frowned on some of her creativity and flair - but perhaps that’s just at her mountain. Reminds me of your concern, @TeleChica - the attempts to make everyone’s skiing the same.

She is so excited to have her weekends back! But she did this for many years. We all think she deserved a break.

 

[nopoleskier]

Nothing ventured, nothing gained! Go for it!
Perhaps you can teach without joining PSIA? Our Mt does pay a tad more w/PSIA credentials. But it is not mandatory to join.
There are so many clinics PSIA hosts every year there is always something interesting or just taking a class for CE and camaraderie. Yes there are always going to be clinicians that don't mesh with us. I have some interesting stories; showing up with no poles and freaking out the Examiners who would not ski without their poles. Being told at an XC clinic my kick was too strong- the L3 was training for a race and I pushed him too hard kept right on his tails.. lol, Girls can ski harder. Having been in PSIA 25+yrs over all it's a great Organization helping people learn to ski. I agree while PSIA Standardizes skiing I think it does help when people take a lesson at one Mt then go to the next if everyone is explaining the basics in similar/same fashion. IMO the tecno goobled gook is over board to teach so I am another that goes off PSIA script to get a student to 'feel' skiing. Having a BIG bag of tricks to teach is really what good instructors have- there are many ways to describe how to do something, people learn in different fashion. For instance, I like to teach Fall line tactics, something that PSIA doesn't do at least in CE I've taken, I've been told not to teach this- I say Bah Humbug- if it makes a student more comfortable I'm telling them tips to have more fun, be more confident and enjoy skiing more. I will say I've always come away from a PSIA clinic with at least 1 new tip *usually more) that I can use teaching others. It is SO rewarding to have a student 'hook up".

As for teaching kids, I usually get the kids that need to learn to 'slow down'. My old knees can't take picking up the littlest ones (we teach 3-4yr olds) so those lessons go to our young instructors. No one wants an instructor to get hurt teaching and to teach higher level students you need to have that bag of tricks and be a higher level skier too. Speak up if you are only getting magic carpet lessons, ask why, ask to train w/higher level instructors- most MTs. encourage shadowing seasoned teachers.

Don't let PSIA stop you from teaching!! We need fun, energetic instructors to get people hooked on skiing, without instructors we'll have no skiers or have crappy skiers that could take us out!

 

[Jilly]

Have to agree with everything that @nopoleskier states. The biggest is the "bag of tricks". The standard explanation may not jibe with a student. You need to think and dig into that bag of tricks. I agree with standardized teaching across the country. That way it doesn't matter where you are taking a lesson it's the same technique, from small NY hill to Big Sky.....Or for us in Canada. Little 190' Batawa to Whistler Blackcomb.

With the professional certification you should be able to teach at any school in your country.

As for @newboots SIL - eventually you need a break. My mentor took hers a few years ago. She was tired of people following her and tired of not skiing with her friends. She a took a year off and came back better.

 

[novium]

I've been interested in maybe signing up for one of the clinics because I've heard it is a good way to iron out your technique, even if you don't want to teach. But in looking at their website, I got a bit lost. Generally, how do they work, and how do you sign up?