0. Scope and Objectives

· Who this is for: Instructors who plan to teach, or are already teaching, Kids Master (KM) lessons for children aged 1–11.

· Objective: To ensure KM teaching quality and safety are measurable, auditable, and sustainable through a standardized process of eligibility → training → assessment → certification/associate status.

· Safety statement: On-snow safety and operational details follow the KM Safety SOP as the only technical standard. This Guide does not repeat SOP content.

  1. Eligibility (by age band, strictly hour-based)

Age bands
·       Toddler : 1–4 years
·       Little Hero : 5–7 years
·       Big Brave : 8–11 years

Certification is strictly by age band. You are only recognized as KM for the age band where you meet the required hours.

Example: An instructor has their own child, but only started teaching that child to ski from age 8 and has ≥10 hours of verifiable teaching. They may only apply for Big Brave KM, not the younger bands.

  1.1 On-snow teaching experience (Snow Hours)

Minimum verifiable hours teaching children on snow:

· Toddler 1–4: ≥ 50 hours
· Little Hero 5–7: ≥ 50 hours
· Big Brave 8–11: ≥ 30 hours

  1.2 Cross-sport / babysitting alternative pathway (Other sports or childcare experience + snow)

A. Other sports coaching + snow

If the instructor has documented experience teaching children in other sports (for example, swimming, baseball, etc.), then:

· Toddler / Little Hero:
 ≥ 10 hours teaching children on snow, plus
 ≥ 40 hours teaching children in other sports

· Big Brave:
 ≥ 10 hours teaching children on snow, plus
 ≥ 20 hours teaching children in other sports

B. Babysitting / childcare / volunteer + snow

If the instructor has substantial experience looking after or working closely with children in non-sport settings (for example, babysitting, children’s ministry or church volunteering, community programs, kids’ camps / summer camps, etc.), then:

· Toddler / Little Hero:
≥ 10 hours teaching children on snow, plus
≥ 40 hours of babysitting / childcare / child-focused volunteer experience

· Big Brave:
≥ 10 hours teaching children on snow, plus
≥ 20 hours of babysitting / childcare / child-focused volunteer experience

  1.3 Parents option (own children)

If the instructor has their own children, then for each age band they still need ≥10 hours teaching children on snow (their own or relatives’/friends’ children) before applying for KM certification in that band.

1.4 Credentials and compliance

· Hold a valid CSIA / PSIC / CASI (or similar Canadian) certification at Level 1 or above.
· Have signed and agreed to the Instructor Agreement and the KM Safety SOP.

1.5 Experience sources and verification (Reference)

· In the TXSNOW onboarding questionnaire, instructors will provide:
 -  The source of their hours
 -  Supporting evidence/links
 -  Reference contacts (must be reachable)

· For instructors whose hours are not yet sufficient but who have some experience, TXSNOW may grant a KM-Associate (trainee) status.
-  KM-Associates can continue to build hours in the relevant age band via shadowing (lesson observation / co-teaching) or by teaching their own/relatives’ children.
-  Once the required hours are reached, they may apply for full KM certification in that band.

  2. KM Instructor Notes (Educational philosophy – does not replace SOP)

Montessori-inspired approach

The Kids Master Program applies Montessori-inspired educational principles to skiing.
When children are first introduced to skiing, the primary task is to build interest, laying a foundation for both passion and future technical development.
Lesson content is dynamically adjusted based on each child’s state.

In line with fostering children’s autonomy and independence, within a safe and reasonable range, instructors have discretion over what to learn / how to learn / how long to learn in each session.

As stated in the TXSNOW Lesson Purchase & Service Agreement:

If a child shows discomfort, fatigue, emotional distress, abnormal temperature, or any other condition that makes it inappropriate to continue, the instructor may, based on safety and the child’s best interests, immediately convert the lesson into a Snow Buddies Discovery Program (low-intensity companion/Discovery format) without needing prior guardian consent, and should notify the guardian as soon as reasonably possible. If the child insists on not skiing, or the instructor deems it inappropriate to continue, the instructor must not force the child to keep skiing and will confirm with the guardian whether to end the lesson. Any remaining time after such a conversion or early ending will not be made up or refunded.

Key KM principles:
·  No forced skiing
-  If a child clearly does not want to continue due to discomfort, fatigue, or any sudden issue, the instructor must not force them to continue “because the parents already paid.”

·  Conversion to Snow Buddies Discovery Program
-  The instructor may, without prior guardian consent, convert the session on the spot into a Snow Buddies Discovery Program companion lesson.
-  Examples: snow hiking, hide-and-seek, playing in the snow/snowball fights, indoor ski stories, equipment familiarization, indoor breaks, etc. The emphasis is on “play first”.
-  Light technical elements (stance, balance, basic wedge prep, etc.) can be woven in only if the child is willing and enjoying the experience.

· Guardian communication
-   The conversion should be briefly explained to parents in the group chat after the lesson.
-  If the child insists on going home or looking for their parent, the instructor must contact the guardian and confirm whether to end the lesson.
-  In the post-lesson feedback, the instructor should focus on interest and safety, and suggest next-step safety goals and appropriate terrain for future visits.

 3. KM Lesson Product Structure (by age band)

3.1 Overall goal

Within a safe boundary, the priority is to build interest and trust first, then move into more intensive learning.

Where needed, the Snow Buddies Discovery Program can be used as a transition or alternative.

  (1) Toddler 1–4 

· 45-minute KM single lesson
-  Designed for very young children with shorter attention spans and less physical stamina.

· 2-hour KM package
-  75 minutes Snow Buddies Discovery Program + 45 minutes KM lesson
-  Children first warm up and get comfortable through Snow Buddies Discovery, then enter more structured KM learning for higher efficiency.

· Snow Buddies Discovery Program
-  Sold from 1 hour, stackable by the hour up to a full day.
 -  Focused on a mix of “ski + play in the snow”, building interest and a sense of safety.

  (2) Little Hero 5–7 

· 90-minute KM single lesson
-  Tailored to this age group’s stamina and attention span.

· 2-hour KM package
-  30 minutes Snow Buddies Discovery Program + 90 minutes KM lesson
-  A short warm-up/transition window, then a full-strength, more efficient learning block.

· Snow Buddies Discovery Program
-  Sold from 1 hour, stackable by the hour up to a full day.
-  When parents book a 2-hour lesson for themselves, their child can use a corresponding “play + ski” Snow Buddies solution so they don’t end up alone or bored.

  (3) Big Brave 8–11 

· 2-hour standard KM lesson
-  The default configuration for this age band.

· Snow Buddies Discovery Program
-  Sold from 2 hours, with additional time addable in 1-hour increments.
-  Used for interest “top-ups,” post-lesson practice, recovery days, or gentler emotional regulation days.

  3.2 Parent choice to move up/down bands

Within safety and compliance boundaries, parents may choose to move their child up or down one band:
· Example (upgrade): A 4-year-old with significantly advanced stamina and skills may, with parental consent, be upgraded to Little Hero (5–7) and placed in a 90-minute or 2-hour configuration.
· Example (downgrade): An 8-year-old with limited stamina, emotional sensitivity, or difficulty focusing may be downgraded to a Little Hero configuration (e.g. 90-minute lesson + 30-minute Snow Buddies Discovery Program 2-hour package), which can be more effective.

Band changes should be:
· Agreed in advance between instructor or customer service and the parent; 
· Supported by purchasing the corresponding lesson product.

  3.3 Upgrade and downgrade rules

· Upgrade limited to +1 year band:
-  Example: A 4-year-old may be upgraded into the 5–7 Little Hero band.
A 3-year-old may not be upgraded to Little Hero.
-  Example: An 11-year-old may, with parental consent, move to 12+ (no longer KM).
A 10-year-old may not upgrade into 12+.

· Downgrades may cross bands:
-  For reasons such as stamina, emotional state, or attention, a child may be placed in a younger band
(e.g. a 9-year-old placed in Little Hero 5–7).

· All band changes:
-  Must be based on safety thresholds and on-snow assessment.
-  Must be recorded in the system and confirmed in the parent group chat.

 4. Pathway to Becoming a KM Instructor

A combined path of “learn – observe – do – review – log hours”.

KM-Associates can accumulate age-band hours via shadowing and teaching their own/relatives’ children to reach the required standards.

  4.1 Module learning (Learn)

· M1: Communicating with children & recognizing emotions
-  Age-based differences, verbal and non-verbal signals, pacing.

· M2: “Control-first” and immediate speed-control interventions
-  Fully aligned with the KM Safety SOP.

· M3: Chairlift Load Abort (ground-first) procedures and scripts.

· M4: Parent communication and Pickup Code hand-off
-  Including late pickup / delayed hand-off contingency plans.

· M5: Incident reporting and documentation
-  2-hour & 24-hour windows, privacy and consent basics.

4.2 Shadow
· Shadow live KM lessons (age band(s) of interest).

4.3 Co-teach
·  With the consent of a KM-Certified instructor, KM-Associates may take on defined assistant roles in KM lessons.

   
5. Certification Tiers

· KM-Associate (Trainee)
-  Meets basic credential and compliance requirements.
-  Has completed the module learning + shadowing + co-teaching components.
-  Has not yet reached the required hours for a given age band.
-  May teach in a trainee capacity (as assigned), while continuing to accumulate hours for that band.

· KM-Certified (Certified)
-  Has reached the required hours for the relevant age band.
-  May, if willing, host KM-Associate instructors to shadow and co-teach.

Legacy exemption: Instructors who were previously recognized by TXSNOW as fully certified KM instructors for all three age bands in past seasons do not need to re-submit the KM questionnaire.

They must, however, complete the current CSIA/PSIC/CASI season’s safety refresh and standard compliance confirmations.

6. Revocation and Appeals

· Triggers (examples):
-  Violating Pickup Code hand-off procedures
-  Failure to report incidents according to SOP
-  Teaching under the influence of alcohol/drugs
-  Entering closed terrain or ignoring closures

· Process:
-  Investigation → written decision (may include suspension, downgrade, or revocation) → 5-business-day appeal window → 10-business-day review and final decision.
-  Process aligned with the TXSNOW Instructor Agreement.

7. Alignment with Operational Policies

·  Deliverables & Acceptance Matrix
-  Basis for proportional pay (including Gatekeepers, SLAs, and core weighting).

· SLAs
-  Obligations such as arriving 15 minutes early or rescheduling lead-time requirements are service-level commitments (compensation rules) and are not part of the percentage weighting of deliverables.

· Points policy
-  Linked to scheduling priority, internal training slots, and more.
-  Updates are communicated by TXSNOW; the latest published policy always prevails.