This level is the first certification for new instructors and teaches you the basics of teaching using the beginner skills syllabus.

The course consists of two components; a skating skills workshop held several weeks prior to the weekend course, and the weekend course itself. This lasts 2.5 days (Friday evening to Sunday evening).

The next weekend course in London will be on 20th – 22nd April 2012. There will be a preparation session held for this course at Albert Memorial.
Please contact asha@skatefresh.com if you wish to attend this class.

Preparation session: Sunday 1st April, 11.00am – 1.30pm at the Boathouse
The preparation session  is not compulsory but is highly recommended so that candidates have a thorough understanding of the difference between the teachable skills and the additional skills and what standards are expected in order to pass the skating aspect of the course. The focus of the Level 1 instructor course is to teach you how to teach (not teach you how to skate). However, as consequence of the course, your skating skills will and and improve.

Theory session: 20th April
Location: TBA

Weekend Session: 21st & 22nd April
The Saturday session will cover skating skills and teaching practice. This is a long intensive session so make sure you come prepared for staying outside for the entire day. The written theory exam will follow in the evening. Day starts at 8.30am – 8.30pm (approx)

During the Sunday session, your skating skills will be assessed and you will also undergo your teaching exam. Afterwards, it’s time for results and feedback.

COST & PAYMENT

Preparation session: £25 (payable to Skatefresh. Cheque or bank transfer)
Weekend course: €250 (payable to ICP by PayPal)

When you pay the full course fee, you will receive the written theory booklet for you to look at before attending the course.

Your course fee includes your membership fee to ICP-International for the year in which you qualified (ending December). After that year, you will be responsible for renewing your membership with ICP.

Skating skills

Teachable skills: These are the beginner level skills which you will be taught how to teach, and must be able to skate perfectly, on both sides where applicable. The teachable skills are:
Stage 1, Heel Brake Stop, A frame turn, Swizzle, Stage 2, Spin Stop, Grass Stop and Parallel Turn. An ability to skate backwards comfortably and stop a forwards moving beginner is also needed. You will also be expected to skate at moderate speed non-stop for at least 10 minutes.
Additional skills: These skills are harder intermediate level skills, designed to show that the candidate is an intermediate level skater. They must be performed on both legs, or in both directions, where applicable. In the future, these additional skills would become the teachable skills for a Level 2 certification course. These additional skills are:
Backward movement, Backward swizzle, Stage 3, Slalom, T-Stop, Forward Crossovers, Forwards/backwards, backwards/forwards transitions, and Backward powerslide.

Equipment
You must wear recreational inline skates with a heel brake attached, and full protective gear (knee, wrist, elbow pads and helmet).

The ICP Course – reasons to do it, by Kingsley Guise, Edinburgh.

Firstly, the course is an instructor’s course and leads to a recognised instructor’s qualification, and it is therefore primarily about teaching; but of course a prerequisite to teach skating is to be able to skate!

There are 8 teaching skills that you need to be able skate perfectly or, so I’m told, you’ll fail the course, although when I did the course all 6 of the “student’s” passed. There are some more advanced skills that you need to be able to demonstrate, though not to a teaching standard. How do you know if you’re good enough to pass? Well, I’d suggest that if you’re interested in the course and you aren’t sure about you’re abilities, get in touch with Asha. Also, there’s a preliminary skills session that takes place several weeks before the course proper, which will tell you which skills you need to work on before the course starts. This is particularly useful. For example, although I had been skating for many years, I’d never done a spin stop in my life, and I discovered at the prelim session that I needed to work on my spin stops.

So, assuming your skating skills are up to the task, what about the teaching? The ICP method of teaching is structured. Not only does it break down the skating skills that you will have to teach, it also breaks down the teaching side of things, and you will learn how to manage groups of students, from first time gumbies, including children, right up to people who are ready to progress onto more advanced skills than those covered by ICP level 1.

There’s a written examination at the end, but it’s mostly multiple choice and one word answers, and I doubt anyone would fail it.

If you are daunted by any of this, don’t be. Asha is a very experienced instructor, and that includes teaching the teachers!

I thoroughly enjoyed the course, and I have no hesitation in recommending it.

Happy skating,
Kingsley