Basic Information

Full Name: Cameron Cofskey

UC Email: cofskecb@mail.uc.edu
College: Carl H. Lindner College of Business
Major: Finance
Title of Project: Leadership in Ski Instruction
Thematic Area (choose only one): Leadership
Expected Project Start Date: December 2014
Expected Project End Date: March 2015
Abstract:
Project Description
For almost 15 years consecutively, my family and I have skied at Perfect North Slopes. I genuinely love
the sport and I have progressed from a beginner to an advanced skier thanks to the efforts of Perfect
Norths Ski School Staff. Through their lesson programs, my love for the sport and technical ability has
increased, and now I too am an instructor. I have the privilege of introducing many people to the sport
and sharing my passion with them. For a couple of years, I have taught young children, typically ages
three to six, in group lessons. This past year, however, I decided to earn my Level One certification with
the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) to continue my education in the sport.
This year, I would like to continue that education by examining the different styles of leadership used in
teaching. When I was taking my certification classes last year, I realized that there was so much more
involved in the teaching process than I had anticipated. Each student arrives at an hour-long lesson with
different physical abilities, previous knowledge and learning styles, and it is vital that the instructor
assesses each student individually and creates learning objectives that will help the group improve as a
whole. If the leader of the group fails to properly understand his or her students, the lesson will become
unproductive and frustrating for everyone involved.
This winter, I plan to spend a considerable amount of time examining the different methods of leadership
in ski instruction and determining which are most effective. I will be reading several books and articles on
the subject of ski instructing as well as leadership theory. I will base my experience on these theories and
use them to experiment with different techniques while on the slopes with a class. By recording my
experiences in a lesson log, I will be able to quantitatively measure my progress by the time the project is
over. I plan to share the results from my experience from this upcoming season with others who would
like to become more effective leaders in this field as well. I hope this work will help others like myself be
able to understand how to lead a class of students through effective instruction to achieve their goals.
Time Commitment
12/15/14 (est.*) -1/10/15 12 days over break with a minimum of 3 lessons per day (36 hours)
1/11/15-2/28/15 (est.*) 7 weeks with a minimum of 4 lessons per week (28 hours)
12/15/14-2/28/15 11 weeks with a minimum of 1 hour of reflection per week (11 hours)
After 2/28/15 Dissemination/Learning portfolio (5-10 hours)
Throughout the experience Academic readings (5-10 hours)
Total Time: 85-95 hours
*Time is estimated due to the inexact nature of the ski season. The weather plays a large role in
determining how long the season lasts.

Connection to Learning Outcomes within an Honors Thematic Area:

Possesses knowledge of various leadership theories and identifies with the characteristics of
leadership
I would like to explore specifically student-oriented leadership in my experience. This is because I
believe that leaders who are the most effective are those who best understand those they are aiming
to lead. Through teaching and being taught, I have learned that instructors who can best relate to
their students and communicate through their learning style are those who can achieve the greatest
results in the time spent instructing. In order to be this kind of leader, a person must have humility
and be willing to listen to others and accommodate their needs. I would like to further understand
how to be this kind of leader.

Has the ability to relate, communicate and work effectively with peers
In any kind of leadership, communication is key. In teaching however, communication is even more
vital, because the whole purpose of teaching is to be able to communicate a message to an audience
and encourage learning. I will explore how to communicate effectively and adjust my methods of
communication to achieve goals in each lesson that I teach.

Connection to Goals and Academic Theories:

A. Personal Development
My passion for skiing is the motivation behind this learning experience. Because skiing has
meant so much to me personally, I want others to be able to enjoy it as much as I have. The
first step in learning to enjoy the sport is taking a lesson to learn how to stay in control and
stay safe. I want to understand how to be the best leader I can be in the advancement of my
sport.
After I graduate, I hope to pursue a path in the business world, which will almost certainly
involve leadership in groups and teaching others. If I can understand how to communicate as
a leader and and demonstrate qualities through teaching skiing, I will be able to take these
skills and transfer them to my career.
B. Academic Readings and Theories related to your Experiential Learning Outcomes
Collins, Jim. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leapand Others Dont.
HarperCollins Publishers, 2001. Print.
Lockerbie, Andrew, and Derek Tate. Teaching Tools and Techniques. Parallel Dreams Inc.
2010.
I have chosen to include these two resources in my readings in order to enhance my project.
The first book is a book that describes the journey of companies on the road to success and
their leaders. Analyzing this work will allow me to more fully understand what it means to be
a leader. The second is a manual describing teaching techniques in ski instruction. I will use
this as a resource as I decide which methods of instruction are best.
Initiative, Independence, and/or Creativity:

I know that personally I have a passion and energy that makes me want others to succeed.
Since I have just completed my Level One certification and am relatively new to the PSIA organization, I
have a fresh perspective when it comes to learning how to be a leader in this role. A majority of the
certified instructors at my workplace have years of experience in leadership, but I have only just scratched
the surface of what it is really all about. However, my inexperience could prove to be a benefit as I can
examine all types of leadership without bias. By carefully recording my experiences, I can determine, as
impartially as possible, what leadership methods work best.
Reflection:
I believe the best way to record my observations and discoveries as I pursue the goals of my project will
be through a lesson log or journal. Each time I teach a lesson, I plan to take a small notebook with me
onto the slopes in order to record basic information such as the number of students and their ages as well
as their skill levels at the beginning and end of the session. After the whole day, I will spend time
reviewing these brief notes and writing a more detailed description of that days experiences and what I
have learned in the process. By recording the behavior of my students and their reactions to different
methods of instruction, I can learn how to adjust my future lessons to best suit their needs. This will help
me be a more efficient instructor and, in turn, will make my students better skiers in the long run.
During my reflection, I will focus on three key aspects of my students that will affect the learning style
and environment for each student and thus my approach to leading the lesson:
1) Age/development How developed are they physically? Mentally?
2) Background/previous exposure Have they ever skied before? Do they know a friend or family
member who has introduced them to the sport on some level?
3) Personality How do they relate to others?
In addition, I think it would be beneficial to write a summary of my teaching abilities, perceptions of
different types of teachers and students before the project and after I finish. This will ensure that I am able
to fully grasp the broader picture of the learning that I anticipate will occur as a result of my project.
Dissemination:
One of the primary goals of my project is to share my results with others so they too can understand the
fundamentals of ski instruction. As a recently certified instructor, I can remember exactly what it was like
to try to prepare for the certification test with just a few resources to help me connect the theories of
skiing with practical applications in the lesson. My mentors in this process led several clinics before the
actual test to help me and others improve our skills as skiers and instructors. I plan to create a pamphlet
that summarizes how leaders can adjust their tactics to effectively lead students of different levels of
development, background, and personality. Since I work primarily with beginner-level skiers, I will direct
this pamphlet towards those who are trying to pass their PSIA Level One exam.
Project Advisors:
Danny Carmichael
PSIA Certified Instructor/Trainer
dannyskis@att.net
Budget: (N/A)