Our Instructor-in-Training (IIT) position for ages 17 and up is geared toward past counselors of FDNC with little or no instructor experience, or individuals who are passionate about nature connection and may have some wilderness education experience, but are new to FDNC’s curriculum.
IITs work closely with Flying Deer colleagues, planning and debriefing each program. They teach outdoor leadership and naturalist skills, including identifying local flora and fauna, primitive survival skills, making friction fire, foraging for wild edibles, and building shelter. Storytelling and mentoring are also key roles for our IITs and offer opportunities to bring forth unique individual strengths. The IIT helps set the tone and flavor of the program for fellow staff, students, and parents. IITs role-model positivity, groundedness, respect, and appreciation.
We value the different perspectives of all our staff, and are committed to widening the circle of nature connection to include people of all cultures, races, ethnicities, religions, and orientations, united in the embrace of the natural world. This commitment is not only for program participants, but also for the individuals who lead them in connecting with nature.
Instructor-in-Training Responsibilities
The IIT will provide instruction in programs in collaboration with the other staff. They are responsible for offering lessons, games, adventures, crafting projects, and stories, as well as ensuring the safety and well-being of students (ages 4–17) and Counselors. IIT responsibilities include:
- Participating in planning and preparation for each program day, including pre- and post-program planning meetings and feedback
- Collaborating with the other staff in delivering curriculum and facilitating the daily schedule
- Delivering dynamic, engaging lessons and experiences
- Arriving on time each program day, well rested, well groomed, and dressed for the weather
- Arriving well planned and prepared each program day with all props, equipment, and personal gear needed
- Being a positive role model
- Maintaining a physically and emotionally safe learning atmosphere by being aware of group dynamics and environmental hazards
- Maintaining clear and positive conduct and communication at all times
- Establishing clear expectations of students, and appropriate consequences
- Connecting with parents on a regular basis
- Supporting Counselor in their role, offering guidance along the way
- Keeping a clean, well-supplied first aid kit and providing basic first aid when needed.
We highly value the quality of mentoring that staff bring when they themselves are immersed in outdoor learning, and to that end, we encourage IITs to seek time in nature, pursue relevant learning opportunities, and find their own areas of interest, passion, and talent that they can bring into programs. What we teach is truly important, and yet how we share information may be the most important determining factor in how it is received. Let your interests light you up and you will in turn light up others.