Don't get all tied up and confused with knots.

Knots got you all tied up? This video will sort you out

Does trying to learning about knots get you all tied up? (Sorry about that.) Dave Wooldridge from Ridge Wilderness Adventures recently released a short clip demonstrating the three key knots you will end up using 80% of the time. They are the Bowline, Truckers Hitch and the Half Hitch. Finally, if you are looking for a fantastic […]

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Greg teaching in Georgian Bay

Teaching Adults: Dealing with Challenging Students

A couple of years ago I got sent on a training course for work on how to manage information technology. The only thing that made the day interesting was watching the course instructor try to control his class and deal with a very dominating student. Within the first 10 minutes of the course starting, the […]

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A grumpy old teacher.

Keep Things Interesting to Prevent Instructor Burnout

Remember that grumpy old teacher in high school you wished had retired 2 years before you started class? For me it was my geography teacher. She should have quit decades earlier and ended up being a terrible, ineffective teacher that sadly turned me off to geography for a long time. That sweet little walk down […]

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Pre lesson prep talk at the Gales Storm Gathering.

Seven Principles of Effective Teaching

Arthur W. Gamson developed seven principles to effective teaching which have been among the most influential ideas of the past twenty years in relation to teaching theory. It seems pretty straight forward but if we remembered to embrace them, we would be much more effective teachers. Encourage instructor/student contact Encourage cooperation among students Encourage active […]

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New kayak stroke, The Heghighi

Brand New Kayaking Stoke: The Haghighi

New kayaking strokes (let alone one that you can actually use) come along once in a blue moon but I think we might have a possible winner here with The Haghighi. Taught to us by Leon Sommé from Body Boat Blade, The Haghighi is intended as a very powerful stroke when you need to turn your […]

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Name tag

How to Remember Your Students Names

If you are like me, you are terrible with trying to remember your student’s names. I’m so bad that I once forgot my kids’ names during a job interview and had to make hem up. It took me 2 weeks to tell the story to my wife. Yeah, it was bad… Knowing the names of […]

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Paddling in some of the smaller waves of Georgian Bay

Determining Wave Height in Rough Water

He said, “I was out there and the waves must have been 6 feet.” Funny, I was out there at the same time and didn’t see anything bigger than 18 inches. What is going on? Estimating wave height is very difficult. Sitting down in a kayak, low to the water, waves look pretty big. It […]

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Dympna giving feedback to a student

Making Your Student Feedback More Effective

Learning how to give positive and constructive criticism to a student is one of the more difficult teaching skills for new instructors to master. Tim Dyer from White Squall provides some tips and tricks that he has picked up over the years. The art of providing corrective feedback to students is a fine dance. You want to […]

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Working on the wet exit at Ontario Sea Kayak Centre

The Wet Exit: Make it Successful the First Time

Over my years of talking to people who gave up kayaking, many of them have some sort of story along the following lines, “I tried kayaking once but it flipped over and I got trapped inside of it. I thought I was going to die!” Taking the time to teach the wet exit properly and […]

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Teaching at Snug Haven to some almost beginners

Kayak Instructor? No, You’re a Kayak Salesperson

As kayaking instructors, we take on the roll of “salesperson” as much as or even more than we do the roll of “instructor”. I like using the metaphor of sales, because we are in a unique position in which students pay money for you to introduce them to the sport. If you don’t do a […]

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Erik Teaching Navigation

New Directions In Teaching

The past 15 years have seen a very significant growth in the popularity of kayaking in North America. Kayakers are now seeking more and better training opportunities. Instructors are meeting these demands with more sophisticated programs and teaching resources, providing both new and experienced paddlers opportunities to develop skills in safe and challenging learning environments. […]

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