Prevent and Predict
BY KRIS KINGSLAND SCHWEITZER MTN
PSIA/AASI-NW ACE CLINICIAN, DCL

As an Ace Clinician I am often asked “How do I get kids to listen to me?” or “How do I get control of my group?” and other discipline related questions. These are great questions and tough situations! I have some tactics for restoring order, but the best advice I can give is “Predict & Prevent” these problems.

By setting up the ground rules right away, you can avoid the unintentional infractions. I have a few simple things I use like: “Stick together, Stay where you can see and hear me” and “NEVER load the lift until I am there and give the OK” or “Do not pass the leader”. You get the idea; a FEW common sense, safety oriented rules.

Kids in the 3 to 6 range are generally happy to have the coach make the rules, but older kids will enjoy helping to set the “team rules” the more input they have the more likely they are to follow the rules!

We are at work, but they are at play. KEEP IT FUN! If there is too much waiting around and not enough action the order will break down. Instead of asking the whole group to wait while you work one on one, give them something active to do while you have to give one student more time. It can be any thing: make snow angels, skate in a big circle, ski backwards, make hop turns and count them….be creative, but be safe! Direct the action, don’t try to stop it.

When a rule has been clearly violated, I prefer to confront the offender in a direct but questioning manner. “Betty, did you not know that Billy was the leader and we were all stopping where he stopped?” or “Jimmy do you remember the rule about getting on the carpet?”. By making sure they know the rule and know that you will enforce the rules, they have tested the water and rarely choose to jump in the deep end. Let your students know you only make rules to keep them safe because you care! You will have hard days and challenging situations, but learn from them.

After ten years of teaching, I still feel like I learn more from every lesson than my students do! If you can take a moment at the end of each day to reflect on what went right and what could have been better, you will develop the ability to “Predict and Prevent” most discipline problems. Good Luck and Have Fun!