Education Staff Train to the New Certification Standards

PSIA-AASI has launched the new certification standards – and education staff across the country are training to the new standards so they can help you achieve your certification goals this season.

“Years in the making, every region is now using unified assessment tools,” said PSIA-AASI Director of Education Dave Schuiling. “The impact is consistency like we’ve never seen before.”

The new outcome-based system is built around the fundamental skills of great snowsports instructors. As defined in the Learning Connection Model, instructors will now train and develop skillsets in three areas: people skills, teaching skills and technical skills.

“The assessment process now captures what instructors do, day in and day out, on the snow with guests and fellow colleagues,” said Dave. “The assessment is designed to simply validate your skills in the three areas and provide you with feedback for your growth and development.”

Trainings Underway Across the Country

Task force members are traveling the country to support education staff trainings. AASI Snowboard Team Coach Eric Rolls, who led a round robin conference focusing on people skills last week, said, “The energy level is high – everyone is fully engaged!”

Eric shared educational leaders are enjoying the opportunity to apply the updated process with real teaching and riding examples to ensure scoring is aligned. He said, “All examiners are genuinely focused on giving members a fair and consistent experience in their assessment process.”

How You Can Apply the Standards to Your Lessons

“Whether you’re working with guests or your peers, remember to exhibit the real, personable behaviors described in the standards to create meaningful, trusting relationships with your students,” said Dave. “People skills set the stage for learning.”

Dave shared, “The big picture questions you ask yourself in your quest to be a better instructor should be as simple as, ‘Did I establish trust?’ and, ‘did real learning happen?’”

Listen to this new PSIA-AASI First Chair podcast to hear Dave and PSIA-AASI National Team Coach Jeb Boyd talk about how the team is rolling of the new standards.

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