Do you need actual teaching time for Level I Cert?

[avgDude]

Recently retired

I'm interested in becoming a ski instructor at my local hill here in Iowa this winter. So naturally I've been online with PSIA central division. I actually joined and I am starting to go through the introduction e-courses.

Also I was looking over the Level I certification requirements. Perhaps I missed something, I didn't see anything that mentioned about having X number of hours or days actually teaching as a requirement for the certification level. Is that correct? or have I misunderstood?

Can someone explain to me the typical path most follow to get to Level I certification? Do you teach awhile then get the certification (do ski areas even consider you if you don't have certification?), or do you get the certification first?

In Today's world, I can't imagine they want just some random person with 50 years of skiing and a couple of e-courses training as their instructor, maybe I'm overthinking this.

Thanks

 

[Henry]

Expect the ski resort's ski school to train & evaluate the new instructors before they hire them. Certification prep will take place during the winter while you're teaching what the resort trained you to do. Pizza, french fries (wedge, straight). Green light, red light (go, stop).

 

[Blue Streak]

All you need is a pulse.

 

[Steve]

"First one's free kid, after that you have to pay."

 

[Steve]

Non sarcastic answer is that as Henry said, it is the school that's responsible for training you and yes, many schools will hire almost anyone who seems personable and have a little skiing skill.

The Level 1 is worth very little, both in what it tests you on, and in how it's perceived by the Industry.

 

[karlo]

In the East, to sign up for the assessment, we need the signature of our ski school director on the application. It’d be hard to be a instructor at a ski school and not get any instruction in. Would a director sign the application?

Also, PSIA exam staff do notice how candidates from the various ski schools do. So, directors do want to know the candidate is qualified. Level 1 is easy. But, to send candidates that fail it miserably, that doesn’t look good.

 

[Mike King]

It depends on your division. I did my Level 1 6 years ago in Rocky Mountain with no job and no experience, although I had a great deal of coaching both by national team members and former examiners. In Aspen, getting your Level 1 at the time gave you an immediate $5/hour raise. I waited 4 months and then applied for and started teaching at Spring Break at Breckenridge. Still, the requirements, expectations, and reality depend on the division you are in and the places you might work.

do you have a school that you’d like to teach in? Know anyone, particularly anyone in ski school management, there? Talk with them.

 

[David Chaus]

Let’s just assume that you should in fact have some experience teaching, if only for a season, before taking the L1.

Getting hired by a ski school does not require you to already have Level 1, that does make it easier for a ski school to hire you if you haven’t worked with them before.

 

[LiquidFeet]

All you need is a pulse.

Here in the northeast this is the case. Ski schools are understaffed and pretty desperate for warm bodies. They do not want to turn away customers.

Out west is different. I doubt this is the case at Aspen.

 

[Blue Streak]

All you need is a pulse.

Please excuse the hyperbole.
While the bar is relatively low, it is based upon standards nonetheless.
The PSIA-RM does an enviable job of educating and assessing instructors based upon those standards.
I can’t speak for the other regions.

 

[markojp]

In Today's world, I can't imagine they want just some random person with 50 years of skiing and a couple of e-courses training as their instructor, maybe I'm overthinking this.

Thanks

That's pretty much how I started in both nat'l associations I've been involved with, just showing up on the proverbial doorstep. The first was because someone said 'you can't', and the second, coming on the ninth season now, because I wanted to pay things forward. Got fully certified in both, the first telemark, and the second, alpine. Made great friends in both and have had a blast. Show up, be willing and able to learn new tricks for the toolbox, and apply/refine those previous 50 years of skills.

 

[T-Square]

The National PSIA standards are here: PSIA Alpine National Certification Standards

A few years ago PSIA-E revised the Level I exam to be more welcoming and more like a learning clinic than an exam. That doesn’t mean you aren’t being evaluated, it means the examiner does a lot more teaching and guiding to help those in the exam to succeed.

in talking to examiners over the years you need to be comfortable on skis and have a good open stance parallel skiing ability, no bumps. You need to understand the basics of teaching skiing. I recommend you get the latest Alpine Technical Manual and the Core Concepts for Snowsports Instructors book. These will give you the basics. While the exam is an introduction to PSIA, I know several people that have failed them. The biggest killers, not being able to ski, and bad attitude.

If you take the exam you will find it is a great learning experience and you should make some new friends.

Here’s the requirements for Level I Certification for several Divisions. Standards vary a bit from Division to Division so check to see what your Division requires. You can find those on the Division’s website under education.

PSIA Eastern Division

Alpine Level I Certification Path:

• Be 16 years of age, or older
  • Be a current employee of a snowsports school
• Completed a minimum of 50 hours of teaching/training
• Be a current Registered Member of PSIA-AASI, in good standing
• Complete the Alpine Level I E-Learning Course prior to exam
• The Level I Workbook is recommended prior to exam
• Successfully pass an on snow exam

50 hours of teaching and training is required and you need the ski school director’s signature to take the exam.

PSIA Rocky Mountain Division.

Alpine Level 1 Certification

• Minimum 16 years of Age
• Complete online E-Learning Module prior to assessment
• If you are affiliated with a ski school and have completed in-house training, you may go directly to the Level 1 assessment, if not you must first attend the 2-day Level 1 prep clinic before attending the Level 1 on-snow assessment
• Attend 3-Day Alpine Level 1 Assessment

PSIA Central Division

Alpine Level 1 Certification

Requirements:

1. Pay Central Division and National Dues
2. Have read and understood the National Standards for Level 1 Certification
3. Have practiced and are able to execute with proficiency, the Alpine Certification Skiing Tasks
4. Complete and pass the Alpine Level 1 E-Learning Course prior to registering for the On-Snow Portion of the exam. (The Level 1 Alpine E-Learning Course must be taken online.)
5. Attend and pass the 2-Day on-snow Alpine Level 1 Certification Event

 

[HDSkiing]

@avgDude I Can’t speak to what goes on in Central or especially at your local hill but I imagine it’s the same in most places.

I’m one of the guys who does hiring and clinics New Hire Instructors so let me give you my perspective FWIW.

Every Fall (starting this next week in fact) we get into contact with our staff to find out who’s coming back etc. Typically we will have a 75-80% return rate, most that do have been here for years, some decades. Like all ski areas, especially in the Rockies we really have to staff up for Thanksgiving, Christmas, MLK, Presidents Day, then the Spring Break period not to mention most weekends. All of those times we are packed to capacity.

So we need a new influx of Instructors every season. If you have looked at PSIA then you should already be aware of their People skills/Teaching Skills/Technical Skills concepts.

I can tell you the thing that is most important to me is the people skills. We will absolutely improve someone’s technical skills during our 4-5 day hiring clinic and also give them the basic skills to lead Never-ever classes and classes entering the green zone (novices).

But the thing I can’t help you with (as much) are the people skills. Ok so you can shred awesome lines, but can you relate to the students? Are you able to make a connection with them so they like and trust you? Are you able to identify motivations and then create a lesson and more importantly an experience that is relevant to them?

If you like people, have a passion for skiing and are open to training then you are the type of person we would be looking for. Skiing wise we want someone that can make basic parallel turns on a groomed blue, or at least be able to get you to that level during our clinic. While that bar might sound “low” the reality is that to a NE student you will be a Ski God.

How does that get you on the path to a Level I cert? The PSIA & many ski areas offer a prep course for a fee (mandatory if you are not affiliated with a ski school and want to take the level I exam in RM). Ski areas like mine do it for free then reimburse you for your time if we hire you. Either way you get a great prep experience that mixed with the teaching experience you will get put most people in a position to do well on the exam.

In the RM Division the pass rate for Level I is 90%, so people do fail. Level I is a supportive process where you will get extensive coaching, but there is still a standard that you have to ski to, teach to and perform MA to (in RM) over 3 days. It gets considerably more serious after that.

Level I means you are at least aware of the skills and fundamentals, teaching and MA for level 1-4 skiers. You get paid more and are more likely to get Private’s, ($10 more an hour plus tips) & Green slope students as opposed to always getting NE’s. We are also more likely to put you into special multi-day programs where you will move up the mountain as your group progress ‘s.

Teaching Skiing is sort of like an apprenticeship, and can be hard to break into in terms of making better money, getting higher level classes and private’s, particularly in your first season or two. But to use Warren Millers famous line, “If you don’t do it this year, you’ll be a year older when you do.”

Teaching Skiing is my second career and one that is just great fun. I mean I get paid to spend my time in the blue sky’s and light powder of the high Rockies with people who are paying to ski with me! Does it get any better than That?

 

[Blue Streak]

https://www.psia-rm.org/training-academy/

 

[Chris V.]

While the exam is an introduction to PSIA, I know several people that have failed them. The biggest killers, not being able to ski, and bad attitude.

Another killer is lacking an understanding of how to create a short progression to teach a skill. In-house training programs are generally geared toward instilling this, but some people don't quite get it.

Also, come up with a structure to organize your movement analysis. Practice it with friends, and get feedback. It's enjoyable!

 

[Blue Streak]

Find static - simple - complex progressions here.
It's only a start.
Steal the rest from trainers, peers, and old timers - anyone with a good idea!

 

[LiquidFeet]

Oh yes, the spiral-bound adult teaching handbook just linked is excellent. It's the best teaching material put out by PSIA. Detailed progressions, pretty clearly described.

 

[Blue Streak]

That one was adapted from the Vail/BC Ski School handbook. But PSIA has produced lots of new education materials in the last couple of years.
Both the headquarters and the warehouse are located here in Lakewood, just off 6th Avenue.
PSIA and NSP members can stop by the warehouse and check out the goods anytime during normal business hours.

 

[karlo]

Eastern:

50 hours of teaching and training is required and you need the ski school director’s signature to take the exam.

vs more laid back Rocky MTN:

if not (a ski school employee) you must first attend the 2-day Level 1 prep clinic before attending the Level 1 on-snow assessment

Eastern:

Be a current Registered Member of PSIA-AASI, in good standing

vs. more-to-the-point Central

Pay Central Division and National Dues

 

[T-Square]

Here’s a great resource:

http://www.psia-c.org/download/certification-forms/alpine-certification/level1_studyGuide.pdf

If you know and understand what’s in that manual, you will easily pass Level I and get more out of the process. I try to give a copy to all new instructors.