The Perfect Student (They do exist)

I know we are all unique, but some of us are unique in the same way other people are unique. What I mean is that students tend to fall into certain groups. As a seasoned instructor you have a tendency to try to get the type with whom you work best. That student is not always the Black Diamond big tipper with the anatomical form that suits you orientation. (Man, being politically correct is cumbersome.)  Although we would all be glad to have a few more of those types of students, they aren't the only types you can have a good lesson with.

            These groups include the reluctant toddler. This poor kid has dealt with the travel vacation, which has screwed up his schedule so bad he is now more sleep deprived then a college caffeine addict during finals week. His parents are now going to abandon him for a whole hour in this strange place with this strange guy, after teaching him since he was old enough to have ears not to even talk to strangers, and there is nothing stranger then a ski instructor. The moment the parents have separated themselves for their child (sometimes this is actually a physical process, with clinging and crying and screaming, sometimes from the kid) they are off to cram as much skiing as they can into that precious hour of freedom. Don't be surprised if they are "a little bit late" coming back to pick up their little bundle of joy, who will by that time either be begging to go to the top of the mountain or making the most god awful sounds that can be heard well into the next realm. These sounds are in theory some sort of language, but I don't think even the NSA could decode them. I have actually had a kid so upset by being left by his parents that he picked up his ski like a baseball bat and begin hitting me with it, but by the end of the lesson he was happy as a clam. Mostly because he learned to ski well enough to ride on the big swing, also know as the Chairlift. You never know what you can use to motivate people. Having success with this type of student can be rewarding, monetarily as well as intrinsically, but it isn't something you want to do all day long. (At least not at my age).

            Another grouping is the reluctant teenage boy. He is not upset by being left by his parents, as with most teenagers he sends a substantial amount of his waking hours thinking of ways he can extricate himself from the parental grasp. He is just embarrassed by having to follow an instructor around the mountain while the rest of the guys are trying to hit the rails in the park. He is too old to have to have a lesson especially with this gray haired guy. He is just to cool for school. The first thing you do with a kid like this, after a quick evaluation of his skills, is to take him to the steepest trail you think he can handle and show him just what you can do. That is if he isn't a Bodie Miller clone. Once you have established yourself as something other then a decrepit candidate for the glue factory, you will have his attention long enough to get through a lesson.

            Moving along to the adult grouping, these students come in all shapes, sizes and skill levels. Shapes and sizes is one thing, but skill levels is quite another. If an instructor establishes the skill level it's somewhat reliable, but if it's a situation were the student does it themselves it's quite another matter. I can speak to this as both an instructor and a former student. Students have no idea what their level is, and there seems to be common perception among students to rate yourself at least one grade above your actual skills. So not only do they not know their own abilities, they are rating themselves one grade higher then they actual can't ski. So now you have a high Green Circle claming to be a Black Diamond. It's easy to evaluate their real skill during the first warm up run, but there are several clues you can look for even before you start. If their coat has any neon on it, they are wearing jeans that are stuffed into their boots and knit mittens, they are not Black Diamonds. They may not even be Green Circles, so an assessment is essential no matter what they say.  You don't want to end up half way down Dead Mans Drop with a terrified wedge turner. You'll never get a tip that way.

            There are several more groups that students tend to fall into. There's the Night Adult and his buddies, which always go to the bar before their lesson because they think it makes them better skiers... nope. The former jock, which at one time in his life could pick any sport it a matter of minutes, or at least he thought he could. If he had any such skills they faded away a lone time ago, just like his hair and trim waste line. The fashion plate, she only wants to ski well enough to justify spending $700.00 a year on a new outfit. The urbanite that has taken the whole family on an adventure to the wilds of western Massachusetts and now needs to demonstrate to everyone how much fun they should be having based on the amount of money he is spending. 

We could go on and on here talking about the various groups that students seem to fall into, but what I really wanted to do is talk about the perfect student. They don't have to be an expert, they can even be beginners. There are attributes other then their skiing knowledge and skill that are more important. Attitude goes along way. If they have a smattering of athletic ability it is helpful, but it's more about their willingness to learn as well as their ability to translate instructions into actions. If they actually listen to you and are willing to try what you suggest, your time with them will be pleasant and rewarding. They may not end up an Olympic hopeful at the end of the lesson, but they probably learned something and more importantly, had some fun.