To maximize your or your child's private lesson, I suggest the following tips: Teach them how to put on and take off all equipment.  (boots, skis, gloves, everything)  I have spent an hour just preparing kids to go out for the 2 hour lesson. Teach them (yourself) how the bindings work and test them constantly.  It helps to rent equipment at a real shop not the ski resort, as they tend to show you how to use your equipmet, not just herd you through the lines like cattle at a ski resort.  Your sizes may not be available at a resort also. Make sure the skis are waxed properly!!!  This is especially important in kids because they do not have any gravitational advantage that us adults have to glide across the snow.   ALSO EQUALLY important in beginning adults as we need to learn gliding and wedging turns on a flatter surface before moving to a steeper grade. Speed Challenge.  At the end of a run, look ahead for the flats.  speed up to anticipate the flats slowing you down.  Skiing across a 200 foot flat takes a few seconds.  Getting stuck and skating/shuffling you way back to the lift line can take 5 minutes or more and exhaust you too!  Speed Challenge (cont.)  Mark off where you stop turning and straight run the remaining part of the run.  Each time make the mark higher.  See Your Competition  here. Homework:  I will go through several tasks and drills in any given lesson.  I do not intend for you to master every drill during the lesson, rather, to show you how to work yourself and then master the skills and drills on your own time/dollar. ID Card:  For the kids, place a card inside their pants pocket with the following information:  Hotel, cell phone, your name, anything else that an instructor will benefit from knowing (food allergies, etc.) ID Items:  Gloves, hats, etc. all look the same, especially in a pile or in lost and found.  Use a permanent black marker to ID all that stuff, especially your kids equipment. PLAN AHEAD!!!  The early bird gets the worm is not a colorful euphemism for no reason.  There are several tasks to complete to ensure a fun, safe lesson.  Make time, you will be glad you did!  This is the most important of all. Pre-Plan meeting times and areas:  In case you get separated from your group and the phones do not work, plan a few times at the tops of certain runs to meet in case of losing each other.  Two way radios usually solve the problem of remote ski areas with no phone coverage, but separate canyons can limit the range greatly.