Sea Kayak Level-4 Instructor

Instructor Candidate Description

The Level-4 instructor candidate is a highly experienced Paddle Canada sea kayak instructor and as such, the requirements for knowledge, personal experience and leadership is significant.

The instructor candidate will show confidence with the material and be effective in the overall management of this challenging course. The ability to quickly assess participant’s needs, be flexible with changing environmental conditions and the ability to set-up and effectively debrief challenging and extended teaching scenarios on the water are key attributes of the Level-4 Instructor.

Mandate of the Sea Kayak Level-4 Instructor

The Level-4 Instructor is certified to; conduct Paddle Canada Waterfront Kayak, Basic Kayak, Rolling, Level-1 Skills, Level- 2 Skills, Level-3 Skills, and 4-skills courses and to certify paddlers at those levels.

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-4 Skills.

Instructor Certification

Paddle Canada Level-3 Instructor.

Teaching Experience

The candidate will have a significant teaching experience as a Level-3 Instructor in a wide variety of conditions and locations including a minimum of 20 days of logged instruction of Level-3 curriculum (either courses or clinics).

A minimum of two Level-3 Skills courses within the past three years, being the lead instructor on at least one of those courses. These two courses count toward the 20 logged days.

Other Certifications

Restricted Operator Certificate (Maritime).

Paddling Experience

Significant experience on extended kayak trips in class 4 conditions. A minimum of 5 extended trips totalling 20 or more nights. The prospective candidate must show evidence (for example, weather/sea state logs, photography, or video) that they spent a minimum of 5 days during any two trips in class 4 conditions.

Minimum Course Length

Level-4 Instructor is achieved only through the mentorship process of which the candidate must participate in two.

Class Ratio

1 Instructor Trainer:1 candidate

Minimum Staff and Certification

Assessment must be conducted by at least one Level-3 Instructor Trainer and one Level-2 Instructor Trainer over the course of the minimum, two mentorships.

The instructor candidate must be assessed by a different Instructor Trainer for each mentorship they participate in.

Minimum Number of Registered Candidates

Any skills course where a Level-4 Instructor mentorship is taking place must have a minimum of three registered participants, each with the required prerequisites completed, 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.

Other Policies

All prerequisites must be completed before the mentorship and assessment process can start.

A maximum of two candidates are permitted to apprentice on any course.

The maximum number of candidates permitted to apprentice on any course depends on the total number of participants registered. If less than four participants are registered, then a maximum of one candidate is allowed. If there are four or more participants registered, two candidates are allowed.

Only one candidate can count any particular Level-4 skills course as their final apprenticeship since a candidate must teach at least 80% of the overall course as a part of their final assessment.

Instructor trainers must, upon certification at each level, teach a minimum of one course prior to accepting apprentice instructors.

To maintain the integrity of Paddle Canada course syllabus and the instructor development process, apprenticeship is prohibited where certification from an outside organization is offered simultaneously to Paddle Canada certification (for example, a Paddle Canada course that also offers BCU, SKGABC, or similar certification).

Mentors may require the instructor candidate to participate in additional apprenticeship courses at their discretion.

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

Course Location

Appropriate to a Level-4 Skills course.

Environmental Conditions and Sea State

Environmental conditions must match those outlined in the Level-4 Skills course.

It is the instructor’s responsibility to ensure that environmental and sea state conditions for Level-4 are met. Certification cannot be considered complete if skills were not demonstrated in class 4 conditions.

Level-4 Instructor Mentorship Overview Process

Once all the required prerequisites are complete the instructor candidate will apprentice on at least two Level-4 Skills courses under the guidance of the mentor. It’s expected that the candidate act as a helpful assistant on the first course then take a significant leadership role by organizing and running all aspects of the second course.

Given the flexibility and personal nature of a mentorship, it is essential that all apprenticeships are clearly described and well understood by the mentor and the Instructor Candidate. The success of the mentor-candidate relationship is beneficial to both parties and the quality of training relies on mutual respect, cooperation and commitment to the overall process. Frequently the candidate will work with more than one instructor trainer and in more than one region of Canada. Good communication and record-keeping are essential. Both the candidate and the mentor should keep a written record of all aspects of their participation in an apprenticeship.

Instructor Candidate Assessment

The Level-4 Instructor candidate will be evaluated by:

1. Observation and discussion before, throughout and after the apprenticeship(s).
2. Written and oral presentations demonstrating ability to communicate course content.
3. Ongoing evaluation (by observation) of the participant’s performance in the areas of safety, care of equipment, group dynamics, participant assessment and feedback, self-care, and leadership.
4. Continuous assessment (by observation) of skills throughout the courses.

The Instructor Candidate will demonstrate all skills at a high level of proficiency with Level-4 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:

• perform a “demonstration quality” review of all paddling skills as outlined in the Level-4 Skills course, and
• demonstrate understanding of all knowledge and theory topics as outlined in the Level-4 Skills course.

Teaching Notes

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

Instructor Ethics

The candidate will:

• demonstrate strong ethics in line with the Paddle Canada instructor code of conduct, and
• be a constructive and contributing member of the paddling community.

Program Design and Delivery

The candidate will:

• demonstrate a consistent, logical approach to the scope and sequence of teaching Level-4 material,
• be familiar with the characteristics of specific Level-4 Skills populations (for example, age, culture, degree of existing knowledge) and how to deliver material to meet the needs of these participants,
• demonstrate proficiency at prioritizing Level-4 Skills objectives to make the 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.

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 3 and 4 conditions, and the daily routine of running a Level-4 Skills program, and
• demonstrate excellent communication skills by speaking clearly and effectively with participants using a variety of verbal and nonverbal communication tools, and
• manage inter-group conflict, honouring the need for privacy and empathy, while working toward the stated goals of the group, and
• 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-4 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 and Incident Management

The candidate will:

• respond effectively and quickly to a participant unable to exit from their capsized kayak,
• perform a “demonstration quality” review of all safety skills as outlined in the Level-4 Skills course,
• develop and execute effective individual and group extended scenarios for participants,
• demonstrate effective individual and group debriefing skills after an incident or scenario to maximize learning,
• state the importance and emotional benefits of debriefing the incident as well as the potential for emotional damage if done incorrectly, and
• give examples of various potential strategies for debriefing and dealing with an incident after the fact.

Teaching Notes

Please see Risk Assessment and Mitigation Frameworks for suggested resources and further learning.

Evaluation and Assessment Skills

The candidate will:

• demonstrate effective individual and group debriefing skills to maximize learning after scenarios,
• develop a rubric for Level-4 skills for quick, on-water assessment of strokes with a variety of possible solutions for common problems,
• demonstrate accurate assessment of participant’s typical stroke problems, and
• provide timely, accurate and appropriate feedback to participants.

Assignments and Tasks

Teaching Skills Demonstration

The candidate will:

• teach a significant number of both on-land and on-water topics based on the Level-4 Skills syllabus,
• develop and demonstrate an appropriate teaching progression for the skills taught,
• model ethics and values consistent with the Paddle Canada with the Paddle Canada code of conduct, and
• offer relevant, constructive feedback to participants.

Teaching Notes

It is expected that over the course of the two mentorships, the candidate will have taught almost every major topic and skill in the Level-4 Skills syllabus.

During the first mentorship the candidate will teach part of course at the mentor’s discretion. During the second mentorship the candidate should teach approximately 80%+ of the overall course.