shaping the paddle strokes of a new generation…
Many people come to an exam with lots of personal kayak experience… maybe some guiding experience for a recreational club or even a professional outfitter… but just being able to make the moves, doesn’t mean someone can teach those moves effectively. Taking on the roll of Instructor requires a lot of practice and dedication in both personal skills and teaching skills.
At Liquid Sky, we offer options to help someone toward their Instructor goals including: skills courses, assessments, development workshops, and certification courses. We use the American Canoe & Kayak Association as the guideline for our courses.
Skills courses
Skills Courses are just as they sound: focused, personalized instruction and practice sessions. They can be private or semi-private, and can include any number of things limited only by what the students want to cover. Some have an overall focus (rescues, for example) while others are much more general (paddle stroke improvement). In general, the Instructor will touch base with each student regarding what they want to cover, and go from there.
Assessments
Assessments can either be ongoing, or a one-time thing. If an instructor is able to work with a student regularly, they can make ongoing assessments as to their progress. If someone wants an official Assessment, it’s exactly that: a check-and-challenge of all skills required for a specific outcome. At Level 1, official Assessments are rarely done; at Level 2 and above, they are mandatory before taking any Instructor-level courses; this is less for the flow of the courses, and more for the safety of the candidates. Liquid Sky offers Assessments up to Level 3.
Instructor Development Workshops
Instructor Development Workshops (IDWs) are a great way to test your personal and teaching skills without going through the stress of an actual exam. Workshops are not pass/fail; rather, they encourage the development of skills in a supportive atmosphere. Each student will come away from a workshop with a personalized “action plan” to help them toward their Instructor goals. At Level 1 it is unusual to find workshops; at Level 2 and above, they are common. Liquid Sky offers Workshops up to Level 2.
Instructor certification exams
Instructor Certification Exams (ICEs) are the culmination of all of a candidate’s hard work; it’s here that their personal and teaching skills are tested. Exams are “pass/fail/continued”; pass and fail are obvious, while “continued” means that the candidate almost has what it takes to Instruct at a given level. They’re given a personalized action plan to improve their area(s) of weakness; once they have proven that they have accomplished those tasks, they become certified at that level. Liquid Sky offers Exams up to Level 2.
Instructor certification workshops
Instructor Certification Workshops (ICWs) are a way to reduce the amount of time and money spent on the combination of the Development Workshop and the Certification Exam – by doing them at the same time, at the cost of lots of stress. Between the IDW, ICE, and ICW… these are the most common. Liquid Sky offers ICWs up to Level 2.
Liquid Sky Kayaking 