Sea Kayak Level-2 Instructor

Mandate of the Sea Kayak Level-2 Instructor

The Level-2 Instructor is certified to:

• conduct Paddle Canada Waterfront Kayak, Rolling, Basic Kayak, Level-1 Skills and Level-2 Skills courses and certify paddlers at those levels, and
• assist a Level-3 Instructor on a Level-3 Skills course.

Course Details

Prerequisites

Age

At least 18 years of age.

Membership

Current Paddle Canada membership and Provincial/Territorial membership (where required).

Skills Certification

Paddle Canada Level-3 Skills (this is a strictly enforced prerequisite).

Instructor Certification

Paddle Canada Level-1 Instructor.

Teaching Experience

A minimum of two, Level-1 Skills courses within the past three years, being the lead instructor on both courses.

Significant teaching experience as a Level-1 Instructor in a wide variety of conditions and locations including a minimum of 15 days of logged instruction of Level-1 curriculum (either courses or clinics).

Other Certification

Restricted Operator Certificate (Maritime). While not required for course registration, the candidate must be able to provide proof of certification within one year after Level-2 Instructor certification is complete.

Paddling Experience

Significant paddling experience in a wide variety of conditions and locations.

Minimum Course Length

40 hours of instruction (5 days) with a minimum of 30 hours instruction on the water.

Class Ratio

One Level-2 Instructor Trainer : 5 candidates

One Level-2 Instructor Trainer + one assistant : 7 candidates

Minimum Staff and Certification

Level-2 Instructor is taught by a minimum of one Level-2 instructor trainer.

A maximum of 2 assistants are allowed. Assistants must be at least a Level-1 Instructor Trainer.

Minimum Number of Registered Candidates

This instructor course must have a minimum of 3 registered candidates to qualify. This is to ensure the candidate experiences an appropriate level of group dynamics and can demonstrate competence in managing those dynamics. This policy will be strictly enforced.

If there are less than three registered candidates, the instructor trainer can certify them via the instructor mentorship process.

Due to the difference in course goals and presentation, Level-1 Instructor and Level-2 Instructor cannot be offered as one course at the same time.

Course Location

Appropriate to a Level-2 Skills course.

Environmental Conditions and Sea State

Environmental conditions must match those outlined in the Level-2 Skills course syllabus.

It is the instructor’s responsibility to ensure that environmental and sea state conditions for Level-2 are met. Certification cannot be considered complete if skills were not demonstrated and assessed in class 2 conditions.

Instructor Candidate Assessment

The Level-2 Instructor candidate will be assessed by the following methods:

1. Continuous assessment (by observation) of skills throughout the course.
2. A minimum of three demonstrations of teaching ability by each candidate, at least two of which shall be “on water” sessions in which the candidate teaches a Level-2 Kayak skill.
3. Written and/or oral presentations demonstrating ability to communicate course content.
4. Ongoing assessment (by observation) of the candidate’s performance in the areas of safety, self-care, care of equipment, group dynamics and leadership.
5. Successful completion of a written test of approximately one hour in length (developed by the course director).

The Instructor Candidate will demonstrate all skills at a high level of proficiency with Level-3 Skills suitable for instructional demonstration purposes. Re-entry and general paddling skills will exceed minimum skills and be suitable to the instructional environment.

The instructor is a leader in the paddling community and must demonstrate above-average judgment in all matters relating to safety, group management and the health and welfare of all participants. The demands of the paddling environment make demonstration of good judgment an important skill for the completion of this course.

For each category of paddling skills, theory and teaching, candidates will be graded Pass, Weak, or Fail. To achieve this certification, a pass is required in all categories, but one weak may be accepted at the discretion of the instructor. Up to two weak evaluation items may be eligible for a conditional pass at the discretion of the instructor. A fail in any one category will result in a fail in the overall course. The head instructor will outline as clearly as possible the criteria, which determines a pass, weak or fail grading of each test to the candidates prior to assessment.

Reassessment or retesting may be conducted by the course instructor or a designated instructor at the appropriate level, according to the guidelines.

Course Outcomes

Across the broad expanse of Canadian waterways, consistency of course content and assessment are important considerations. However, variations in regional geography and environmental conditions require instructor trainers to be flexible in their delivery of course content and the assessment of skills and knowledge.

Knowledge and Paddling Skills Review

The candidate will:

• explain all knowledge and theory topics as outlined in the Level-2 Skills course, and
• perform “demonstration quality” of all paddling skills as outlined in the Level-2 Skills course.

Teaching Notes

It is expected that the instructor candidate is able to demonstrate the required skills with ease and confidence, clearly showing the key components of each stroke or skill at a level appropriate to the Level-2 syllabus.

Instructor Ethics

The candidate will:

• describe what it means to be a Paddle Canada instructor and how the responsibilities may have changed at this level,
• explain tactics for working with difficult participants, dealing with conflicting personalities, co-instructor conflict, etc., and
• demonstrate a strong ethic in line with the Paddle Canada code of conduct.

Teaching Theory

Coaching and Working with Long-term Participants

The candidate will:

• compare and contrast the role of the instructor to that of the coach and discuss where each role fits in the skills progression,
• work with each participant to create an individualized plan for future learning and development as a paddler, coach and instructor,
• explain participants’ cognitive development over the full skills progression (for example, me/we/the sea and levels of conscious competence),
• give examples of stress as a positive learning tool and demonstrate skill in managing participant stress appropriately, and
• break down the anatomy and biomechanics of paddling and apply this knowledge to help participants learn and paddle safely.

Teaching Styles

The candidate will demonstrate a variety of teaching strategies and be able to explain where each one is relevant to the particular skill or knowledge component being taught.

Program Design and Delivery

The candidate will:

• demonstrate a consistent, logical approach to the scope and sequence of teaching Level-2 material,
• explain the level and assessment benchmarks of skill, knowledge and judgment required forLevel-2 Skills,
• outline the characteristics of specific Level-2 Skills populations (for example, age, culture, degree of existing knowledge) and how to alter delivery to meet specific needs,
• demonstrate proficiency at prioritizing Level-2 objectives to make best use of program time,
• demonstrate an ability to teach complex skill sets including strong risk management and incident response skills, intermediate strokes and rescues, rolling, navigation, safety in moving water, navigating in low visibility, and multi-day weather forecasting, and
• demonstrate a strong ability to lead and co-teach effectively with fellow instructors and assistants.

Adaptive Paddling and Inclusive Instruction

The candidate will:

• explain the importance of empathy when working with all participants, and
• provide examples of methods to adapt programs for different abilities, including learning types and disabilities, hearing impairments, vision impairments, and physical limitations.

Teaching Notes

While the Level-2 Instructor course is aimed at teaching Level-2 Skills, a discussion around adaptive paddling will involve discussing lower-level skills.

The aim is an approximately one-hour conversation to increase the breadth of knowledge for the candidate.

Leadership and Group Management Skills

The candidate will:

• maintain an effective learning environment in challenging paddling conditions such as deteriorating weather, increased sea-state and current and reduced landing/launching options,
• demonstrate strong leadership skills and effective group management in a variety of situations during incident scenarios, group travel in class 2 conditions, and the daily routine of running a Level-2 Skills program,
• demonstrate excellent communication skills by speaking clearly and effectively with participants using a variety of verbal and nonverbal communication tools,
• explain, implement, and teach a comprehensive risk management protocol that provides the participants with a logical framework for making decisions. This framework should include group reflection to inform future decisions,
• manage inter-group conflict, honouring the need for privacy and empathy, while working toward the stated goals of the group,
• model appropriate behaviour in social, verbal, psycho-motor, and ethical actions, and
• choose appropriate locations and routes for the skill level and expectations of a Level-2 Skills course. Route plans should take into consideration such factors as tides and currents, weather, obvious hazards, speed of the group, and points of interest.

Safety Skills

The candidate will:

• respond effectively and quickly to a participant unable to exit from their capsized kayak, and
• outline safety procedures, effective hazard recognition, and use of safety equipment.

Evaluation and Assessment Skills

The candidate will:

• design a rubric for Level-2 skills for quick, on-water assessment of strokes with a variety of possible solutions for common problems,
• demonstrate accurate assessment of participants typical stroke problems,
• provide timely, accurate and appropriate feedback to participants, and
• describe the use of video for participant assessment and feedback.

Course Administration and Paddle Canada Knowledge

The candidate will:

• explain Paddle Canada policies, programs, and procedures,
• explain how courses are sanctioned, the requirements for reporting, and what is required to maintain certification,
• explain the legal and liability issues affecting the instructor,
• explain the benefits and limits of the Paddle Canada instructor insurance program, and
• outline the volunteer opportunities with Paddle Canada (for example, committees, Board of Directors, etc.).

Assignments and Tasks

Course Plan Development

Candidates will individually develop a detailed course plan for a complete Paddle Canada Level-2 Skills course. This assignment may be completed after the instructor course; however, certification will not be issued until the assignment and all other criteria have been satisfied.

The course plan will include:

• a list of course objectives,
• a clear and logical progression of skills and theory topics taught,
• a detailed lesson plan of 4 strokes and 2 theory topics (must be different than any formal teaching topics that were assigned),
• a list of 3-6 benchmarks for each stroke and re-entry skill,
• estimated timelines,
• possible teaching locations for each skill or activity, and
• a simple risk assessment and emergency response plan for a hypothetical Level-2 Skills course in the near future. The plan could be built around 2-3 likely incidents on a Level-2 Skills course.

Teaching Skills Demonstration

The candidate will:

• develop and present a minimum of three formal demonstrations of their teaching ability by teaching both paddling skills (on-water) and knowledge topics (on-land) based on the Level-2 Skills syllabus,
• develop and demonstrate an appropriate teaching progression for the skills taught and a learning strategy that meets the participant’s needs,
• demonstrate an ability to move beyond using simple teaching frameworks (for example, IDEAS, Whole-Part-Whole) to more complex teaching strategies (for example, guided discovery or discovery learning),
• provide a detailed teaching outline or lesson plan for each topic assigned,
• foster a rewarding learning environment by using positive language,
• use a range of appropriate teaching aids and techniques including on-water activities and games,
• model ethics and values consistent with the Paddle Canada community of sea kayak instructors,
• offer relevant, constructive feedback to participants during debriefing sessions, phrased in a non-threatening manner,
• select a teaching location appropriate to the skill being taught and to the skill level of the participants as well as clearly communicate all boundaries for practice sessions, and
• articulate and demonstrate how to maximize learning by assessing the teaching environment and making use of natural or artificial features present. For example, can articulate why moving the class to a specific location will make learning a specific stroke more effective.

Teaching Notes

Presentations should be at least 45 minutes in length depending on the assigned topic.

Each presentation should be organized with:

• a clear introduction,
• a middle that provides opportunity for feedback to participants,
• guides to identifying and fixing common errors, and
• a defined end.

All strokes will be of demonstration quality and demonstrated in a manner consistent with any explanation.

Candidates should be given at least 24 hours notice of their formal teaching topics. Other practice teaching session topics throughout the course may be assigned at short notice from a previously issued list.

Level-2 Instructor Certification through Mentorship

As an alternative to an instructor course, Instructor Candidates can earn certification through mentorship. The mentorship process entails working as an apprentice instructor under direct supervision of a mentor who is a qualified instructor trainer on a minimum of two appropriate courses.

Refer to the section, Instructor Certification through Mentorship for specific information on the mentorship process.

Level-2 Instructor Mentorship Specific Policies and Guidelines

Prerequisites

Instructor Candidates must complete all prerequisite skills, instructor certification(s) and required teaching experience before commencing a mentorship.

The Instructor Candidate must have both Level-3 Skills certification and Level-1 Instructor certification before starting the mentorship. This prerequisite is strictly enforced.

Refer to the course syllabus for other prerequisites.

Assessment Process

The Instructor Candidate must mentor on a minimum of two Level-2 Skills courses as part of the assessment process though he/she may be required to mentor on more at the discretion of the Mentor.

Minimum Staff and Certification Levels

Two different assessing mentors are required for this certification by mentorship, one for each course.

Both assessing instructor trainers must be a Level-2 Instructor Trainer.

A maximum of two Instructor Candidates may be assessed on a course.

Both the Instructor Candidate and Mentor must be present throughout the entire course.

General Policies

To ensure that the Instructor Candidate experiences an appropriate level of group dynamics, and shows competence in managing those dynamics, a minimum of 3 participants, each with required prerequisites completed, must be enrolled in all skills courses where a mentorship is taking place.

Mentors may require the instructor candidate to teach additional courses between mentorships at their discretion.The instructor candidate must complete all assessment tasks as outlined in the Level-2 Instructor course syllabus, including requirements for written examinations and submission of lesson plans.