Experiential Learning, Different Discipline Certs Highlight New First Chair Podcasts

Two new First Chair Podcasts featuring PSIA-AASI Education Development Manager Angelo Ross take a closer look at some educational ideas and opportunities to help you become a better pro and a more well-rounded snowsports teaching professional.

It’s part of a new series in which PSIA-AASI First Chair Host George Thomas and Angelo, a former high school teacher, discuss best practices in teaching – and some of the pitfalls – to provide valuable information for instructors to use.

“George and I see an opportunity to provide quick bits of instruction that are relevant to the job – things you can implement into practice now,” Angelo said. “PSIA-AASI’s goal is to provide our membership with instructional resources to help them grow professionally and benefit their students as well.”

The potential for the series, and number of topics, are as wide as the educational field.

“There’s no shortage of ways to get better at the job; to get better at teaching,” Angelo said. “It’s relevant as long as it provides members with information they can use.”

Check out the first two podcasts below. You can listen to more First Chair Podcasts on SoundCloud and on Spotify.

Experiential Learning and Play

In this first episode, George and Angelo take a deep dive into the “what,” “how,” and “why” of play and experiential learning. Play is a key component of PSIA-AASI’s teaching skills fundamentals and not, as some may believe, exclusive to children’s lessons.

If you’ve ever been stuck in your teaching style, want to grow your skills and adaptability, or are looking to better connect with a wider variety of students, listen to this episode for education, inspiration, and examples!

Getting Certified in Different Disciplines

Have you ever considered certification in another discipline? Listen as George and Angelo discuss why this approach might be beneficial.

As Angelo notes during the episode, “I’ve quit thinking of everything I do as separate disciplines. I’ve reframed them all into trying to figure out how my body works. When I started taking that approach to skateboarding, or telemarking, that was the thing that tied all these disciplines together in my mind.”