Skiing Literacy
When
I find myself with some free time on my hands, one of my favorite things to do
is to ski. I started skiing when I was eight years old. My parents are both
skiers and they wanted their children to be able to enjoy the same sport they
loved. My first day skiing was at White Face Mountain in Lake Placid, New York.
I remember my parents dropping off me, my six year old brother and my four year
old sister to ski school, while they headed up the mountain to ski the harder
trails. I still recall trying to ski for the first time. I remember in the
first hour skiing I spent more time on the ground then on the skis from
constantly falling. Like anything else, I learned to ski one step at a time.
The instructor first took my siblings and me to the small magic carpet area,
where you stand on a platform that sends you up to a small hill on the bottom
of the mountain. Once we got to the top, the instructor helped us to learn the
basic skills of skiing, including how to brake, steer and turn. We did this
same small run a few times until we were ready to take the ski lift to the
bunny trails. These trails are for beginners, but are still much more advanced
than the magic carpet trail we started on. Once again I can recall spending
plenty of time fallings, and at some points I was exhausted and felt ready to
give up. However, my instructor pushed us to keep going, and by the end of the
day I was able to run a full bunny hill trail without falling. The next day we
went back to the mountain and were put in ski school once again so my parents
could ski the more advanced trails. The second day was easier than the first,
and by the end I was able to ski all three trails on the bunny hill with ease.
On our third day at White Face Mountain, I was even able to take an additional
ski lift up the mountain and ski my first green trail.
Since
this vacation that I had as an eight year old third grade student, I am now
able to ski well without any instruction. I would say that I am literate when
it comes to skiing. I have skied at least once a year since my initial time
skiing. Since skiing is an expensive hobby, I usually only go once or twice a
year. However, I am still able to ski well even though I do not regularly practice
skiing. At this point in my life, it is something that just comes natural to
me. I know how to shift my weight in order to turn, how to turn my toes inward
in order to slow down, how to use my poles in order to change directions quickly,
how to position my feet parallel to each other in order to go faster, how to
get off the ski lift without falling, how to read the mountain map to
distinguish the difficulty level of each trial, how to rent skis that are the
perfect size for my body, how to quickly pop my skis on and off when needed,
etc. I have learned all these things and more from the times I have spent
skiing at numerous mountains in New England. My parents have influenced me to
ski initially, and also continue to influence and support my love of skiing. Just
next week I will be joining my parents, siblings, and cousins to ski up in New Hampshire
for the day. On this trip I will also be teaching my cousin’s wife how to ski,
since it will be here first time. This sport has positively influenced my life
because it is one of the few hobbies I have that I share with my entire family.
Every year I look forward to our family day of skiing and it brings us closer
together as a family. For spring break this semester I plan on going skiing
with my mother, just as we did last spring break. I plan on skiing for the rest
of my life, just as my parents have.
I
think my experiences skiing have influenced my point of view as a future
teacher. When I first started skiing I found it very difficult. If it was not
for my ski instructor pushing me to keep going, then I probably would have
given up. The hatred and stress I had for skiing on my first day is present for
other people in different fields of study. My first bad experiences of falling
shaped the way I thought of skiing as a whole until I was pushed and eventually
able to improve. I believe some people hold this same negative outlook on
school, or specific subjects that they may have had bad experiences with in the
past. As a teacher, I want to be able to push these students and show them the
beauty in English, or writing, or school, or whatever they are having a difficult
time enjoying. I want to be there for them to help them and push them to be successful
just as my ski instructor did for me. If I had giving up skiing after that
first day I would not have a passionate hobby today and I would not have all
the great memories of skiing with my family and friends. I want to be that
teacher who can show students that working and learning in school does not always
have to be a bad experience. I hope I can help my students to have positive experiences
in my classroom, which will stick with them for years to come just as skiing
has for me.
