Show Notes
Show Notes: Related Resources: AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Page SPI handbook (2024) EP 20 – Everything SPI 01 – Professionalism and Risk Management EP 29 – Everything SPI 02 – Site Selection & Group Management EP 34 – Everything SPI 03 – Current SPI Eval System with Andrew Megas-Russell Episode Intro: Dear listeners of the Female Guides Requested Podcast, happy Wednesday! This is your host, Ting Ting, from Las Vegas, and welcome back to another episode of the Everything SPI series. Today, Spencer and I will be discussing the important topic of Teaching and Curriculum Design. Both Spencer and I are thrilled about this episode. We’ll start by discussing the types of courses that can be taught utilizing single pitch terrain. Then, we’ll dive into our guiding principles, RACK and FIRE. We’ll use a case study to explore the “F” in FIRE, which stands for Formulate, in detail. Both Spencer and I are AMGA certified Rock Guides and SPI Providers. We co-taught an SPI course back in October 2023 and found that our teaching style was quite compatible and complimentary. Therefore, we decided to do this podcast series, Everything SPI, to create supplemental material related to the SPI programs. Spencer and I both have deep roots in climbing education. We have over 20 years of field instructing experience and are confident that we can provide valuable insights. We also recognize that the field of climbing instruction is dynamic and we can’t possibly know everything. So, if you have any questions, feedback, please reach out to help us improve. Now please enjoy! Things We Talked about: What can we teach utilizing single pitch terrain? Guiding principles – RACK (Risk management, Ask questions, Collect information, Keep it simple) FIRE Overview (Formulate, Implement, Reflect, Enhance)Formulate:Who are the students? Define ratio, prerequisites. (Potential trouble here, students’ level are quite different) Course goal, objectives, outcome. Set priority. Structure/visualize the day and write/prepare lesson plansProgression and regression (make sure we have the flexibility to scale up and scale down) Divide and conquer, break the whole course into different sessions and classes. Utilize overlaps, so people practice new skills based on the foundations of learned skills. Many times less is more Hands on practice and mini evaluations – Give students ample opportunities to get hands on. Ask questions to encourage reflection and self-evaluation. Also build in mini evaluation (this will help instructors to know where students are at and when to push to the next phase). Time management (check back with priority list)
Pack/gather gearClient harnesses/helmets/shoes Program ropes (how many??), etc.
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Welcome back to theFemale Guides Requested Podcast. I’m your host, Ting Ting, from Las Vegas. Today, I am absolutely thrilled to welcome Nikki Smith to the show. Nikki is a true powerhouse who wears many hats in the outdoor industry—she is a sponsored climber, an athlete, a remarkable photographer, and a guide. Nikki has been guiding since 1999, but in this episode, we dive deep into how she found her true niche around 2018 by shifting her focus to affinity spaces. We discuss herincredible work co-creating the successful LGBTQ+ Single Pitch Instructor (SPI) course and how she integrates outdoor activities with a group therapy style to better support specific communities. Nikki also generously shares her personal experiences navigating the outdoor industry as a trans person, the financial realities of this often low-paying profession, andher inspiring work with the Open Aperture photography program, which provides scholarships and mentorship for underrepresented storytellers. We even talk about her current journey to get her Master's degree in clinical mental health counseling to merge trauma-informed practices with outdoor instruction. I enjoyed tremendously chatting with Nikki during our interview, and when I was editing this episode I thought "wow I could listen to the conversation over and over." Warm, honest, professional Nikki provided many thought-provokinginsights naturally brought me to reflect on my guiding and life. Without further ado, please enjoy my conversation with Nikki Smith.
Episode Intro: Hello listeners, and welcome back to the Female Guides Requested Podcast. This is your host, Ting Ting, coming to you from Las Vegas. I apologize that it took me a little while to publish this episode; I broke my tib/fib in a climbing accident six weeks ago. However, when I relistened to my interview with today’s guest, Patty Lankhorst—a woman who has faced multiple setbacks and always bounced back stronger through sheer grit—I gained the courage and faith to do the same.
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Show Notes: Resources for Candidates and Providers: Scenario overview video Scoring rubric + guidance Updated SPI Program Handbook New textbook release (May 5): Rock Climbing: The Official AMGA Single Pitch Manual Related Links: AMGA Single Pitch Instructor Page EP 20 – Everything SPI 01 – Professionalism and Risk Management EP 29 – Everything SPI 02 – Site Selection & Group Management EP 34 – Everything SPI 03 – Current SPI Eval System EP 38 – Everything SPI 04 – Teaching & Curriculum Design I Andrew Megas-Russell Instagram https://www.instagram.com/megas_sends/