Make it Memorable

By Sherrie Nevill, Red Lodge Eagle Mount

The human mind is incredible. Basically starting as a blank sheet upon birth and ever so quickly we learn that just by making an uphappy sound (crying), we can get the attention of others who satisfy our needs. Expanding our knowledge requires that we make connections between the new information and that which we already know. Our brain seeks to make links between what is familiar and the new event or information. The way we interpret a concept has entirely to do with our previous experiences and our interpretations of those events.

While learning greater detail or difficult information, we learn little rhymes and sayings. Do you use the little rhyme, "I before E except after .?" With a more advanced memory aid, mnemonics, often new instructors memorize the skiing skills by using "BERP." After some experience instructors begin to understand how to apply those skills to help their students refine their physical movements. The more we involve all the senses in our learning process the greater our understanding and longer we retain the information.

Making it memorable is the trick. Start early in the lesson to check for understanding. There are many ways to actively involve a student; making the connections necessary to achieve some level of understanding, whether it is a student's first turn or linking turns of various sizes. Only asking someone to mimic a physical movement or to follow the teacher is only one aspect of teaching a skier to ski and one level of understanding.

If a child always has a parent put on their skis, a child will understand the skis are on or off, but not know how to physically put their boot in the binding. Help build a greater understanding by asking questions, teaching phrases, prompting with signals, mnemonics, etc. Students reach a higher level of understanding if they understand the reasons why we put our toe into the binding before the heel. Encourage students to become active learners. Take what they know and show them the link to new skills. For you to learn what they know, you have to carry on a conversation with them and gain a greater student profile.

As the lesson progresses, ask students what they know. What happened when ___; what would you do if ___; how can change the ___ movement; where do you feel the ___; review how you are going to ____; what does ____ mean. Before entering critical safety areas (lifts, merge trails, etc) review safety procedures. Check repeatedly that young students are focusing on the tasks at hand, like a person should when riding a bike or crossing a street.

Good instructors becoming active learners. We have the perfect palette to work from, our students. Watch and mimic their movements; analyze what skills blend it took to make those movements; and then determine what will help the students more effectively blend the skills. After sharing with your student, ask them what kind of change they noticed or what they are going to do when "X" happens. Give them tricks (tactics) to use when they leave the lesson. Then take all you learned and store it in your own bag of tricks.