Teaching new skaters to stand back up?

[Skittl1321]

Tonight I start teaching snowplow sam/ basic 1 for the first time. I'm supposed to be a "helper" since I haven't taught before, but was warned that I'm also going to be "subbing" when the main teacher isn't there, and that since school is not yet back in session, many of the instructors are still on break.

I think I have everything down, and have been studying games to play, but whats the best way to teach a child to stand back up. When I was in Basic 1 in the 1990s it was curl your hands into fists (so fingers aren't exposed to be skated over), get on your knees and push yourself up. Is this still expected?

Also- what's the best way to explain falling to a kid? When I worked with adults we told them to grab their knees so they wouldn't hit their head- is there a nicer way to put it for kids?

I'm very nervous, but very excited. thanks for the help.

[Isk8NYC]

Ski pants are the most wonderful invention for keeping them warm while they learn these important things. Cutie jeans (or worse, pretty skating dresses) result in cold tushies and crying children. Make sure everyone has gloves or mittens; score a pair or two from the lost-and-found just in case. Helmets are mandatory for beginners in our rink, but you should encourage them if the parents are resistant. (I'm going to start wearing one myself for beginner lessons, to take the peer pressure down a notch.)

I always teach "sit down" and "get up" off-ice first; it's much less scary for them. It does usually get their clothes dirty, though.

Emphasize that everyone falls once in a while and that you're going to teach them how to fall properly. I stand behind them and hold their hands over their heads and tell them to "sit down." Guide them onto their tushies as they fall. Teach them that that's the spot they should try to fall on, not their knees. Also instruct them to sit up afterward and pick up their hands so no one steps on their fingers. No Lounging is a good rule, too!

At the beginning of the lesson, arrange the sitters into a circle so you're all facing each other. Do the warmly-dressed ones first if possible, or the teetering ones that are "goin' down" fast. This gives you time to get everyone there in the same circle and continue the group lesson.

Getting up is done in stages; first we get on our hands and knees. Then, we bark like doggies (which lets the slower ones catch up). Then, we put one knee up (foot on the ice) and put our chins over that knee. Put one hand on that knee, then the other, then PUSH up onto the other foot. Most can't do this for a couple of sessions. Others will push up with both hands on the ice, which sometimes results in a face plant.

DO NOT LET THEM TRY TO GET UP BACKWARDS -- THEY WILL FALL AND WHACK THEIR HEADS!

BTW, if you're covering a class and there's a lot of non-moving skaters, YOU need an assistant, too. Otherwise, the parents will complain about your teaching, not realizing the class student:teacher ratio changed from the last class.

[Skittl1321]

thanks for the good advice.
I know the basic 1/ first snowplow classes usually start off ice for about 5 minutes, but parents complain if they are off too long... and we'll definetly do that there.

Then when they are on the ice we sit down in a circle, and spin on our bottoms to see that the ice doesn't "bite"- and then get up. The barking is a great idea!

Thanks for the great explanation of getting up and falling. I remember being taught to grab my knees, but didn't remember how to explain not to fall on them!

I guess I'll report back how it goes :)

[cathrl]

When my little one first joined the toddlers class, she couldn't seem to stand up by herself at all. It turned out I'd dressed her in so many layers (because I was afraid of her getting cold) that she couldn't bend in the middle :D Removing the outdoor coat did the trick.

[Skittl1321]

Thanks so much for the advice! Thankfully, I was not on my own- and the gals teaching were awesome, so I was able to fulfill my helper duties (mostly marching with the kids who took 10 times as much time as the others). We had a couple kids who weren't able to get up on their own, so I had to help them up, which I always feel is a disservice because they aren't practicing, but I figured I'd let them try twice, then support them as they push the ice to stand up- but I didn't pick any kids up.

We had a few kids who were extremely worn out by the end of the 30 minutes, so I had to hold them while they skated then, but no one needed to be held the entire time- which was excellent for snowplow 1. We had one girl crying immediatly when she was on the ice, wanting to get off. I asked her why and she told me she was scared, so I asked her, if I showed her it was safe would she try more. She said yes. So we did 10 marches, and I asked her if she felt safe, yes, so then we sat on the ice, and got up, and she said yes again. Then she noticed shaved ice looked like snow and asked if she could touch it- so we marched to that. She managed 25 minutes of the lesson before she remembered she was upset and wanted to get off the ice. At that point, we let her go to her mother. Luckily in this class the other kids all had a good amount of control, so I was able to just work with her. In the first class, I needed to help more with more than 1 kid. Hopefully next week, she can join the class.

The only mishap we had was a tiny tiny girl who decided to dive off the rink instead of taking the step (a big step for her)- which of course resulted in a fall and knocking her knees on the side of the rink. Luckily her mom saw her do it, and saw us respond, so she wasn't upset. I just hope this little girl comes back with a happy attitude next week, because she was wonderful on the ice. Didn't move much, but great balance and didn't fall, she's only 3. I'd hate for this fall to scare her from the rink.