Lesson planning, progression design, and student goal setting
What the exam tests
This domain tests lesson planning, progression design and goal setting that are specific, safe, observable and matched to the student.
Core rules
- A plan needs objectives, assessment, terrain, equipment, safety, progression, contingency and review. Write the objective as an observable outcome.
- Use SMART goals: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound. Negotiate the goal with the student and record it.
- Progress from simple to complex, known to unknown, static to dynamic, and low speed to higher speed. Use part-to-whole where needed and keep success rates high.
- Lesson cycle: introduction and safety, assessment, plan, teach and practice, review. Build in breaks and weather checks.
- Group management: names, grouping by goal, spacing, signals, clear boundaries and a meeting point.
Worked example
A two-hour intermediate lesson has the goal of linking parallel turns on a blue run. Reasoning: the goal is observable and time-bound. Warm up with traverses and garlands, assess outside-ski pressure, teach one drill for the outside ski, then progress to linked turns on the same pitch. Finish with a two-run review and a next-step goal. The contingency is a crowded slope, so move to a quieter edge.
Traps
No clear objective; setting too many goals; progressing before success; ignoring different abilities in one group; no review; planning without checking the weather or lift status.