Teaching Climbing

A few weeks ago, I participated as an observer at the pedagogical exam for Rock Climbing Instructors. In the Swedish system (which adheres to UIAA standards), this is the second and final step in testing soon-to-be instructors. It is preceded by a two-day technical exam, so the candidates are already cleared in terms of technical competency. At the pedagogical exam, candidates get to plan and execute, completely independently, a real climbing course with real participants. As an examiner, or in my case observer, this is a fantastic opportunity to spend a weekend watching, analysing, and thinking about various methods used by instructors who have seriously considered every minute of their day. Because the challenge this time was to hold a lead-climbing course, a very specific issue rears its head. How do you teach lead climbing as safely and efficiently as possible? Lead-climbing, after all, requires the student to be on the wall, in exposed terrain. I saw various solutions, all of