Say,I was just wondering what Level(s) of Learn to Skate all our Learn to Skate coaches and skaters who teach it here teach?

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FSWer

I teach through FS 4, on the USFS LTS program.

I teach whatever class I'm assigned to. So far that's been Snowplow through Basic 4 and Adults, although I've subbed for other levels.

I've taught snowplow to adults, with an emphasis on the adults. I haven't taught in a while, except to sub, since numbers are down everywhere.

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Champagne in 2005, 2008, 2009 - who's next out of the pre-bronze club...?

Wang chung!

Hi, all levels. This session I have snowplow, basic 1 and basic 4. Lots of fun, but canceled for today.

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Recycle Love - Adopt a homeless pet

I teach anywhere from tots to Freestyle. Currently I have a FS3, B2 (moving on to B3 soon), and B4, and a snowplow sam show group I am choreographing to "Itsy Bitsy Spider." At another rink I have B5 and B1.

I am hoping that I get to keep my FS3 class when they move up to FS4, they are good kids and many of them have asked if they can have me again.

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Skating Dreams

"All your life you are told the things you cannot do. All your life they will say you're not good enough or strong enough or talented enough; they will say you're the wrong height or the wrong weight or the wrong type to play this or be this or achieve this. THEY WILL TELL YOU NO, a thousand times no, until all the no's become meaningless. All your life they will tell you no, quite firmly and very quickly. AND YOU WILL TELL THEM YES." --Nike

I teach all ages, all levels of USFSA Basic Skills. I can also teach ISI, but none of the rinks down here have that program's learn-to-skate program.

Currently, I teach a Parent & Me class (which I love teaching), a Basic 5 group, and a combined Basic 6 and Basic 8 class each week. Last session, I had Freeskate and Basic 3 classes plus a huge show group for the Nutcracker show. At one point last year, I taught every one of our Basic 8 classes and I was tough on them! (They all did well in Freeskate, so I guess I did something right. )

One rink where I used to work would assign you to a certain class in September, say Basic 2, and then as your students progressed throughout the season, you would "be promoted" to teach the next level with them. It was great because it kept your teaching skills for each level sharp and the students received consistent teaching in the same style.

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Say,before we go on. This question came to me.Would I be right in saying that Level BASIC 4 is just the 4th Level of learning BASIC Skating...and Freestyle 4 is the 4th Level of actually BECOMING a competitive FREESTYLER? Am I right in the difference between the 2?

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FSWer

I guess you could say that, although the Free Skate level 1 - 6 are still considered part of the Basic Skills program. First comes Basic 1 - 8, then Free Skate 1 - 6. After that come the USFS test levels: Pre-Preliminary, Preliminary, Pre-Juvenile, Juvenile, Intermediate, Novice, Junior, and Senior. There are competitions at all these levels.

So after Level 6 are the TRUE Levels to start becoming a Freestyler,right?

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FSWer

Yes, I guess you could say that, too. The big difference is that in the Basic Skills program, both for Basic 1 - 8 and Free Skate 1 - 6, the coach tests the skater and decides whether they can move up to the next level. Starting with the Pre-Preliminary test, the skater has to skate for official judges who decide whether they pass or not. There's some overlap - for instance, the Pre-Preliminary Free Skating Test has a waltz jump on it, which is first taught in Basic 8. But a Pre-Preliminary skater is expected to be able to do it better than a Basic 8 skater.

So,you don't really PASS to COMPETE in Basic. You just pass for fun and move up? Freestyle you pass with the coach to see if your ready for the REAL thing,right?

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FSWer

Basic 1 - 8 and Free Skate 1 - 6 are usually taught in group lessons. At the end of the session the coach tests the class and decides which skaters can move up to the next class for the next session.

I have a private student who is not in group lessons. I teach her the same things, and when she can do everything on the list for a particular level well enough, I tell her she just moved up to the next level. If she decides she wants to compete beyond the Basic Skills levels, she'll need to start taking tests for real judges. As her coach, I'll decide when I think she's ready to take the test. Coaches don't let their students take tests unless they think the student has a pretty good chance of passing.