Hello Amazing MLC Instructors!
Welcome to the final weekend of night operations and a beautiful snowy forecast! It’s the second weekend of the Snowboard Outreach Society (SOS) – they get their rentals from the Program Room, but teach their own lessons with their own volunteer instructors on Saturday. Then on Sunday it’s the second weekend of SnoBlasters with over 100 lessons! Most students should know where they’re going, but do you? Be sure to give our guests the right information and if you’re not sure, please find out before sending them on their way.
https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-121.6688576341901&lat=45.34194381514135#.Yip3MujMIwx
It’s looking like a steady weekend of lessons and some new snow in the forecast. Just because lesson volume is slowing a bit from January and February doesn’t mean we don’t need you. There are many people taking time off, traveling to off-site exams, or on injured reserve (but getting better), so don’t just think, “Ahh, it’s slow, they don’t need me if I don’t show up.”
This might be the case for 1 person but not if 10 instructors are thinking the same thing. If you know you’re going to miss a shift please call out as far in advance as possible. This is the kind and courteous thing to do for your instructor team mates – if you don’t show up for a shift, it’s they who suffer your absence.
In this update ….
Oregon Spring Break – March 21-25
While at Lineup – Be Helpful!
Schedule Commitment Information
Giving Props to your Peers
Job Satisfaction Survey Reminder
Special Thanks from the Chill Foundation
Oregon Spring Break – March 21-25
We are a little over 1 week away from the start of Oregon Spring Break which is the week of March 21-25 when all of Oregon schools are out, and everyone comes to the mountain! This means we will be busy that week, so if you can rearrange your schedule to work those days we’d appreciate it. That goes for full time instructors who are wanting to get as many teaching hours as possible and part time instructors who are seeking the high achiever status or have shifts they need to make up to meet their schedule commitment.
Oregon Spring Break Camp – Mon-Wed, March 21-23 – If you can work all three days, we’d love to schedule you for the Adult, Freeride or Youth Camp. Already signed up we have over 125 kids for the Youth Camp, 40 for the Adult Camp (which includes some teens) and 12 for the Freeride Camp which is in addition to those kids on the Freeride team who were already signed up as part of their program …. So we’re going to be busy!
If you can work any or all of these dates please reply all to this email with the specific days you’d like to rearrange or add to your schedule – thank you!
While at Lineup – Be helpful!
Lineup time is lesson preparation time – not social time! What should you do during line up to make your life and your lesson guests’ life better? Take responsibility for the things that are in your control and remember, many students are new to snow sports, so they don’t know to be “checking” things themselves, because they just don’t have the experience yet. This is where you come in. Be a teacher, be helpful, share your knowledge with others. Here are some “must do” reminders:
– Check Lift Tickets
o Do they have one?
o Right side, not in wallet, not with cell phone – all by itself – or in Youth Lesson Vests
o If they are upper level classes ask if they have an all mountain ticket or progression ticket (maybe they know – maybe they don’t)
o If they have a progression ticket only, and want to ride other lifts during the lesson, we can add 2 hours of access for the lesson;
§ Supervisor will need to radio access control to get access added;
§ Don’t assume that lift ops will let you through the gates
§ Take the time to correct this during lesson lineup time
– Check Boots
o Are they are buckled / laced up correctly?
o Gaters are to go over the top of the boots – not inside
o Do boots fit bindings for either skis or snowboard?
§ If not, correct now!
§ You’re close enough to make a quick fix than when you’re at the lift!
– Check Skis/Boards
o Are they the right length?
o If the bases look or feel dry, rub on some wax;
§ Especially this time of year when snow conditions change rapidly
o Don’t have rub on “pocket wax”? Or don’t know what this is?
§ Ask your supervisor for some
– Check Poles
o Adjust poles to the proper lengths
o What if my student doesn’t have poles but wants them?
§ Go get the poles for them – don’t send guests away to get poles;
§ They’ll get lost and not make it back on time for the lesson;
§ You go get them or have someone do this for you!
– Check Your Students
o Are they in the right class?
o When did they ski/snowboard last?
§ Last season? Last week?
o Are they a hard charger or cautiously optimistic?
§ Consider how pacing might affect your class makeup BEFORE you leave the corral
§ If we have resources, maybe the “hard chargers” should be in one group and the cautiously optimistic should be in another group?
– Check with Supervisor
o Don’t leave without saying “Am I good to go?”
o Tell the supervisor where you are headed (even if they don’t ask)
o Why? In case we have a late comer who can join your class we’ll know where to find you
– Don’t have a lesson assignment yet? Be helpful!
o Check with Supervisor – how can I help?
o Does Rental Center need help boot fitting inside?
o Does Rental Center need help at Equipment hand out with poles?
o Does an instructor need help rubbing on some wax or adjusting poles?
o Does Buttercup need a maze control person?
o Can I be a rover and “save the day” for a lesson that needs help?
Schedule Commitment Information
If you think you have met your schedule and teaching hour commitment – you can confirm this by running a report here: https://mhm.snowproportal.com/training/day-force-help/teaching-hour-report – then you have some options. You may keep teaching and picking up shifts to earn Work a Day Vouchers or attain the High Achiever status and continue to have all team member privileges or … you can be laid off.
Remember, Part Time 18 Shift Commitments are actually 21 days of availability, 18 actual shifts AND 45 teaching hours. Part Time 24 Shift Commitments are 27 days of availability, 24 actual shifts AND 60 teaching hours. Full Time commitments are 4 or 5 shifts per week (through WA Spring Break) and a minimum of 150 teaching hours per season.
If you are not interested in picking up any more teaching shifts we will officially lay you off. Your employee pass would remain active if you have met your scheduled shifts and teaching hour commitment(s) and you may continue to use your locker, however we ask that you turn in your uniform. Also, the meal and retail discounts would no longer be available for team members who are no longer working.
If you want to continue to be available to work and pick up additional shifts from time to time, then we’d keep your team member privileges active, but this would require you to actually teach between now and the end of the season.
Giving Props to your Peers
The MLC Team is about 350 total instructors and it’s hard for supervisors and managers to catch everyone doing something amazing, so that’s where you come in. If you witness someone doing something awesome, you can share this with everyone using the Instructor Props Form on the Instructor Portal here: https://mhm.snowproportal.com/instructor-props
Brian Beardsley shared these recently about …
Alena Lewis with exceptionalism in … going above and beyond the call of duty. Share the details of the exceptionalism: I walked into the full time locker room a few weeks ago on a drizzly Saturday and noticed 1/3 of the floor was wet. I looked around the corner and Alena was mopping the floor. I asked her what’s up and she said she was tired of it being dirty and had some time so decided to clean it. Impressive that she hunted down a mop and bucket and took the time to clean something that she noticed needing attention.
Val Stepanchuk with exceptionalism in … just overall greatness. Share the details of the exceptionalism: Val can do it all. From the youngest riders, to high school kids wanting to learn freestyle to timid adults trying to ride for the first time. I enjoy watching him teach and listening to the relaxed tone he takes to reassure his students.
Job Satisfaction Survey Reminder
We want to make working and teaching at Mt. Hood Meadows even better so we’d love to hear from you via a quick survey. At the same time, I also want to let you know that all managers have an “open door” policy and we’d love to hear from you on what’s going well and what we can do to make things better – we have a growth mindset and often times great ideas come from you! If you have a moment we’d love to hear how things are going for you and what we can do to improve your work life. Use the link below to anonymously check in with us. Your responses will be sent to Josey, Peter and me.
https://mhm.snowproportal.com/current-staff/check-in-survey
Special Thanks from the Chill Foundation
Peter had a great follow up phone call meeting with the Chill Foundation – both regional and national coordinators. They were super thankful for our support and are already eager to plan visits for next season – maybe even some Friday afternoon visits rather than just Wednesday and Thursday nights! They were so appreciative of the high stoke and amazing dedication of everyone who participated in creating magical nights for these kids.
This effort to support groups like the Chill Foundation and the Snowboard Outreach Society – as well as other groups we have been inviting to the mountain – aligns with our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives. It feels so great to share skiing and snowboarding with so many grateful people, and with those who might not normally be able to come or even think to come – let’s continue to welcome everyone to our mountain home!
Yours in snowsports,
Tyler
