10 Early Season Teaching Tips from National Team Coach Jeb Boyd

It may be the New Year, but all across the country ski areas are seeing a myriad of different weather patterns. From deep powder to rain crust and frozen hardpack to sunny groomers, January just might offer the widest variety of winter conditions.

Here, PSIA-AASI National Team Coach Jeb Boyd offers a few timely tips for how you can teach safe, successful lessons no matter what kind of snow is on your local mountain.

  1. Read the mountain. “Know the conditions on your hill, and how that might affect how you plan your lessons,” Jeb said. “Understanding how the snow will impact the lesson you want to teach is key to setting up a successful scenario before you even start skiing.”
  2. Stay on the side of the trail, not in the middle, whenever you can. “Traffic from behind is the biggest thing I worry about this time of year,” Jeb said. “Especially if your area has limited terrain. If you have to ski or ride in high traffic areas, make sure you can always see what’s coming.”
  3. Know Your Responsibility Code. “This is good information for everyone – including instructors and students,” Jeb said. “No matter how many times you’ve read it, it’s worth reading again.”
  4. Check in with your students early and often. “All instructors check in with their students at the beginning of a lesson,” Jeb said. “But it’s important to check in with them throughout the lesson to see how they’re doing at any time.”
  5. Try to see each lesson – and experience – through your student’s mind. “Are they cold? Are they hungry? Imagine what it’s like to be in their boots, and what factors need to be adjusted for them.”
  6. Meet people where they are. “This is something that the National Team is going to be emphasizing all season. The more you understand how your student is feeling, and thinking at any given time, the better you can teach them.”
  7. Want to stop and talk? Get out of the wind. “It’s cold out there,” Jeb said. “Find a sheltered spot to go into more detail or wrap up a lesson.”
  8. Teach to a pace that works for everyone. “You don’t know if it’s a student’s first day of the season or their fifth. Try to ski or ride at a level that’s comfortable for everyone you’re teaching.”
  9. Check in with your students, again.
  10. Have fun! “Always. Make sure it’s fun.”