Instructor Certification Through Mentorship

As an alternative to an instructor course, Instructor Candidates can earn certification through mentorship that entails working under direct supervision of a Mentor who is a qualified Instructor Trainer. The Candidate must mentor on a minimum of two appropriate courses. Typically, during the first of the minimum two courses, the Candidate mainly observes the program, teaching only a few sections. The Candidate then takes a significant leadership role in the second course, teaching at least 75% of the content, under the careful supervision of the Mentor. Upon successful completion of both courses, the Instructor Candidate may earn the appropriate certification.

Given the flexibility and personal nature of a mentorship, it is essential that all apprenticeships are clearly described and well understood by both the Mentor and the Instructor Candidate. The success of the Mentor-Candidate relationship is beneficial to both parties and the quality of training relies on mutual respect, cooperation, and commitment to the overall process. Frequently the Instructor Candidate will work with more than one Instructor Trainer and in more than one region of Canada so good communication and record-keeping are essential. Both the Instructor Candidate and the Mentor should keep a written record of all aspects of their participation in an apprenticeship.

Important Instructor Mentorship Policies

Instructor Candidates may begin the mentoring process once they are eligible to be an assistant at the level they are mentoring for.

All prerequisites required at each instructor level must be completed before the candidate can be awarded the certification.

The Instructor Candidate must mentor on a minimum of two courses at the targeted level as part of the assessment process.

Mentors may require the instructor candidate to teach additional courses between mentorships at their discretion.

A maximum of two Instructor Candidates may be assessed on a course, however, only one Instructor Candidate may do their final mentorship at a time as the Candidate must teach the majority (75% or more) of the course.

Both the Instructor Candidate and Mentor must be present throughout the entire certification.

To maintain the integrity of Paddle Canada course material and the instructor mentorships process, mentorship is prohibited where certification from an outside organization is offered simultaneously to Paddle Canada certification (for example, a Paddle Canada course that also offers BCU, SKGABC, or similar certification).

Instructor Trainer Development

The Instructor Trainer Development process and policies related to ITs are contained in the current Instructor Trainer Manual.