Description:
Alpine Toboggan Instructor (ATI) Candidates (now called Outdoor Emergency Transportation INSTRUCTOR Trainees) who are mentoring during the 2018 ski season are required to attend a teaching event called the "IT Final Observation." At this event Instructor Trainers (IT) lead the group through the various lesson snippets taught during a typical "Toboggan Enhancement" course. Each future ATI gets to teach two lessons to satisfy their requirement for appointment as a full NSP Instructor.
The first lesson category begins with Patroller Skills. The Observing IT's start off with a demonstration of a Six-Pack inspired lesson snippet that lasts about 10 minutes. This is meant to break the ice and set the level of expectation. Following the demo, each candidate gets to progressively teach their topic until everyone gets a chance to show their stuff, employing ADAPT and positive immediate feedback techniques. After lunch, there will be a second progressive string of teaching, related to Toboggan Handling.
Final Observations are always a fun day out on the snow. The Observing IT's are there to help by guiding the ATI Candidates through the process of teaching and promise that their final observation will be a fun and nurturing experience as they become full NSP Instructors in "OUTDOOR EMERGENCY TRANSPORTATION."
For anyone who wants to become an Alpine Toboggan Instructor at your local ski patrol, contact the Region's OET (formerly known as S&T) Administrator by following this email link.
Becoming an ATI requires teaching under the direction of a mentoring ATI. Contacting the Region S&T Administrator will get you a list of available mentors. It takes an entire ski season of teaching lessons to hone your skills as an ATI. Final Observation before an NH Region IT is the last step. As you train under mentors, an important element for all future ATI's is to observe and model the teaching styles of other Region S&T Staff Members. A great way to discover if you want to become an ATI is to register for one of the Eastern Division "Patroller School" weekend events. These are two-day get-away's held annually at Sunday River, ME and Killington, VT (check the region's Calendar for both events).
Once you are setup with an assigned Mentor, prepare to travel to ski patrol Toboggan Enhancement events around the Region. Attending these event will not only expose you to the teaching styles of other ATI's and the necessary lesson material but will also give you an opportunity to teach a few snippets in front of clinic attendee's.
Prerequisite to becoming an ATI Candidate, or a candidate for any of NSP's instructor-ships, is attending the Instructor Development Course. NH Region now teaches this online year-around. Watch the Calendar for availability and visit the ID Courses page to sign up for the prerequisite.
The IT Final Observation requires that the ATI Candidate and their Mentors maintain the following two forms as the process of teaching lessons during the season progresses:
- NSP Instructor Application
- NSP Instructor Mentoring Progress Sign-off Form
Both forms can be found on the Region's Downloads webpage under Instructor Records.
