Profession survival instructor
Survival instructors guide groups into vast, natural areas, and assist them in a self-directed instruction of basic survival needs without any comfort facilities or modern gear to fall back on. They coach the participants into mastering survival skills such as fire making, producing primitive equipment, shelter construction and procurement of water and nourishment. They ensure the participants are aware of certain safety measures without diminishing the level of adventure, of environment protection and of risk management. They encourage efforts of leadership from the group and mentor the participants individually so as to push their limits responsibly and help overcome potential fears.
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Personality Type
- Social / Artistic
- Social / Realistic
- Enterprising / Conventional
Knowledge
- Natural food resources
The location, qualities, and preparations of safe, edible, and potable natural products, such as fruit, plants, meat, and fresh or recycled water.
- Compass navigation
The monitoring of movement from a starting to a finishing point using a compass, rotated until the compass' orienting arrow aligns with the cardinal direction north represented by an 'N'.
- Rope lashing
The process of attaching several objects, such as poles, together by use of rope, wire, or webbing often to secure or create a rigid structure, such as a self-fashioned table, tree house, or latrine. Types of lashing include square lashing, round lashing, and diagonal lashing.
- Risk management
The process of identifying, assessing, and prioritising of all types of risks and where they could come from, such as natural causes, legal changes, or uncertainty in any given context, and the methods on dealing with risks effectively.
- Tracking principles
The various components to specifying an animal or person's whereabouts by reading and interpreting the trails and signs left behind by them such as foot or paw prints, faeces, or the disturbance of the direct environment. Another important element is the age and the size of the tracks.
- Primitive technology
Technology created for or fashioned from natural elements that assists in wilderness survival, such as handicrafts, survival tools, and weapons.
- Protection from natural elements
Forces of nature, such as weather patterns and seasonal conditions, their characteristics and any means of protection against them.
Skills
- Provide first aid
Administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation or first aid in order to provide help to a sick or injured person until they receive more complete medical treatment.
- Encourage students to acknowledge their achievements
Stimulate students to appreciate their own achievements and actions to nurture confidence and educational growth.
- Manage student relationships
Manage the relations between students and between student and teacher. Act as a just authority and create an environment of trust and stability.
- Use rope access techniques
Apply ropework to work in elevated position. Safely ascend and descend ropes, wearing a harness.
- Read maps
Read maps effectively.
- Build a fire
Select a safe location, away from trees and bushes, to build fire using tinder, a fire starter such as matches, a lighter or specific rocks, kindling wood, and logs. Ensure water is nearby to put it out.
- Handle conflicts
Mediate in conflicts and tense situations by acting between parties, such as service users, important others like families, and institutions, striving to effect an agreement, reconciliate, and resolve problems.
- Adapt teaching to student's capabilities
Identify the learning struggles and successes of students. Select teaching and learning strategies that support students’ individual learning needs and goals.
- Educate people about nature
Speak to a variety of audiences about e.g. information, concepts, theories and/or activities related to nature and its conservation. Produce written information. This information may be presented in a range of formats e.g. display signs, information sheets, posters, website text etc.
- Use geographic memory
Use your memory of geographic surroundings and detail in navigation.
- Inspire enthusiasm for nature
Spark a passion for the natural character of fauna and flora and human interaction with it.
- Apply teaching strategies
Employ various approaches, learning styles, and channels to instruct students, such as communicating content in terms they can understand, organising talking points for clarity, and repeating arguments when necessary. Use a wide range of teaching devices and methodologies appropriate to the class content, the learners' level, goals, and priorities.
- Demonstrate when teaching
Present to others examples of your experience, skills, and competences that are appropriate to specific learning content to help students in their learning.
- Assist students with equipment
Provide assistance to students when working with (technical) equipment used in practice-based lessons and solve operational problems when necessary.
- Maintain camping facilities
Keep campsites or areas for recreation, including maintenance and supply selection.
- Observe student's progress
Follow up on students’ learning progress and assess their achievements and needs.
- Give constructive feedback
Provide founded feedback through both criticism and praise in a respectful, clear, and consistent manner. Highlight achievements as well as mistakes and set up methods of formative assessment to evaluate work.
- Guarantee students' safety
Ensure all students falling under an instructor or other person’s supervision are safe and accounted for. Follow safety precautions in the learning situation.
- Teach survival skills
Instruct participants in the theory and practice of wilderness survival, often, but not exclusively, for recreational purposes, more specifically in subjects such as food scavenging, setting up camp, building a fire, and animal behaviour.
- Assess nature of injury in emergency
Assess the nature and extent of injury or illness to establish and prioritise a plan for medical treatment.