Nicole Blaser
Staffing and Volunteer Manager
P (970) 209-4302
F (303) 531-6975
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Senior Instructor: Course Responsibilities (additional to standard Instructor responsibilities)
The Senior Instructor (SI) is responsible for setting high standards of excellence in regards to leadership, program objectives, administrative responsibilities and supports safe, meaningful, and high quality programming. The SI will role model how to deliver an effective BCM experience, demonstrating the unique aspects of working in a 1:1 student:adult ratio and how to facilitate an adult volunteer mentor team. The SI will demonstrate BCM curriculum tools including (but not limited to): the handbook, the expedition journal, and the program log. Additionally, the SI will demonstrate the BCM model of how to unfold a progression of independence and empowerment of teen leadership.
While the New Instructor will be stepping into a designated leadership role during the expedition, the overall management, tone, and vision of the weeklong expedition will be the responsibility of the Senior Instructor. New Instructors can use the BCM progression they have observed to draw from when creating their own unique way of running a BCM expedition.
New Instructor: Course Responsibilities
Any Instructor hired by BCM is expected to be able to teach/facilitate the full curriculum. A New Instructor’s responsibility when working with an SI is primarily to learn the BCM system and see best practices in action. It is expected that the New Instructor will manage approximately 25% of the weeklong expedition.
Pre-Expedition Responsibilities
Senior Instructor On-line Orientation: Conference Call on Monday, April 21 at 6pm MST (7pm CST, 5pm PST) with Nicole Blaser. Please RSVP to Nicole’s email announcement which will have details on conference call phone number. This call will be recorded for those who cannot participate on April 21.
Prior to the Adult Team Conference Call: Conference call with Regional Program Director (RPD), Senior Instructor and New Instructor. The RPD will explain roles and expectations for both Instructors and facilitate a teambuilding conversation. The following set of questions serve as a guideline for the Senior and New Instructors to get to know one another. If possible this meeting should take place in person.
1. Describe your leadership style. How do you voice your opinion, how do you listen to others’ opinions? (Refer to the NOLS No Doze activity for more discussion points) http://www.wyopmo.org/upload/LEADERSHIP%20STYLES%20-%204%20QUADRANTS.pdf
2. What are your pet peeves?
3. Have you managed a team of adults before, and if so how did you do it? What worked well and what would you do differently next time? Discuss how you want to manage your adult team: who will lead daily discussions?
4. For technical wilderness skills, what are your strengths? What are you comfortable teaching to a group of teens and adults?
5. SI brings prepared Daily Outline Planning draft to this conference call and works with New Instructor to integrate his/her teaching into the plan. Keep in mind the other adult mentors contribute to this plan and teach skills as well. * Important that you share responsibilities 75/25%.
6. How do you conduct Reflection Roundtable discussions? What tools or techniques do you use?
7. With a group of teens who have never experienced anything like a wilderness trip before, how do you dole out responsibilities to teens? And adults?
a. Refer to the BCM roles (sweep, navigator, water master, educator, cook) and decide how you want to rotate teens and adults through these roles.
8. Senior Instructor should describe how she/he incorporates the Hero’s Journey into his/her BCM trips, and the New Instructor can describe what he/she knows about the Hero’s Journey and how she/he anticipates incorporating it into the expedition.
9. Scenario: you’re working on an academic project with peers and someone is not pulling their weight. How do you address this person and this issue?
Thorough, frequent, and open communication is crucial to the success of a team of a Senior Instructor, New Instructor, Youth Agency Leader(s) and Adult Mentors.
A few weeks prior to expedition: refer to the Pre-Expedition Adult Team Meeting/Conference Call document
Expedition Prep day (The day prior to expedition start):
o SI and NI work together to sort equipment and food. Refer to your Instructor Contract or contact your Regional Program Director for meeting time. Midwest Instructors will shop for some food on this day.
The Expedition:
o Senior Instructor role models effective implementation of BCM adult team management, curriculum, and teen leadership progression.
o New Instructor drafts up a curriculum teaching plan for their upcoming BCM expedition.
Post-Expedition/Debrief requirements:
o Attend debriefing with other Instructor and Regional Program Staff
o New Instructor turns Daily Outline Planning draft for upcoming expedition.