[QUOTE=Mr.Grinch]Your ratio of instructor (responsible) to student (reliant) is also very important. Depending on the run, 1:1 is even low. Hard to make that happen, I know, but too many reliants to too few responsibles is a recipie for possible misery at best.
this is behind the secene stuff students dont need to know. UPS is working with volenteer staff and even otter bar doesnt have a 1:1 unless your paying for a private. when we're short an RN in the ER we dont tell patients about how we're short a nurse and its kind of unsafe for a while...this is managment stuff. it's hard to find instructors all the time for free and in a controlled environment with good insrtuctors a 1:1 is just not necessary. students in groups of three with one instructor do better because they get pear feed back and group rescue practice and they can learn alot by watching eachother fail and succeed.
Saftey talks are just getting your students to start thinking about important relitive stuff so when there on there own hopefully you have instilled a good set of safety points they take with them for there kayaking career. As an instructor your already thinking safety for them and are three steps ahead however when there on there own and your not there to remind them hopefully you have set a good example. they don't need to know how to organize the class.... they need to be stress free with positive goals in mind no matter how many instuctors they need to feel everything is happening just the way you planned and your setting them up for success always.
The question is what kind of class it really is ? a weekend intro ? a month long immersion course? if its a weekend intro sure talk about wet exits... but if your teaching a course the wet exit is part of kayaking skill and tought in the corriculum and should stay out of the safety talk... my opinion...
you want the safety talk to be bullet points short and sweet , dont confuse kayaking skills like wet exits with real river safety issues and group dynamics. these are the things your instilling in them for immediate and future safety. you usaully dont have to remind folks that if there out of air to get out of there boat. most beginners are pretty darn good at the wet exit. almost to good sometimes ;) we need to reinforce the things that are not automatic for new kayakers. things there not thinking about. touching more on keeping your grab loop out of your sprayskirt and other ways of getting your sprayskirt off might come in handy? but that should be taught through repetition in your pool sessions. on river days have the group check eachother for grab loops out, helmets buckled... keeps them looking after one another and taking safety into there own hands.
I understand now they have a weekend pool and a weekend river.
keep it like it is except I would do three points
Review as your stretching in a circle-
- remember the pool skills, have them tell you about wet exits and getting out of your boat , key points ect... group discussion, keep them engaged.
- what to do with your gear ? students have this down after a pool and can explain to you in a group discussion for review.
talk about why stretching is so important !!!!
A river syllabus of goals for the weekend including
- edging / balance & bracing drills
- eddy turns peel outs
- ferries
- S- turns
- stern draws, sweeps, application of strokes ect..
Then safety talk
-river signals
-swimming
-ropes
- group dynamics/team work
- river hazards and dealing with them ect..
- scouting and setting safety ?
- my personal fav - good judgment and decision making / risk managment for self and group........
this is just a ruff idea for ya?? kudos Clay for keeping up on the UPS courses !!
Edited by FLUID - 30 Sep 2013 at 4:50am
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