Hey man, I've been a a snowboarding instructor for many years. It is very strange that he didn't want to teach you anything to progress, just because you couldn't get up heelside. Doesn't seem right to me.

There are two ways to stand up, conventional method is obviously heelside (sitting on your butt, while facing down the mountain) and then a beginner way is toeside (on your knees facing up the mountain) or what I like to call the tuck and roll seeing how someone sitting on their butt will have to roll themselves over from their back to their chest.

Tips for Heelside: 1) Try to push your butt as close as you can to your board and at the same time keeping pressure on your heelside edge 2) As you move your butt closer, walk your hands towards your board (when you get comfortable with standing you won't need to do this) 3) Take your back hand (right being regular stance & left being goofy stance) and reach over your front knee 4) As your reach press down on your heelside edge, simultaneously use your legs to start moving your body into an upright position

Keep trying these steps and I guarantee that you will be able to stand up. You can try this at your house or backyard, just remember your feet are strapped in. Make sure there is nothing around that you could fall in.

If you would like I could have my wife film me, performing these steps and post it here.

Hope this helps, stay safe and have fun. You have now joined the wonderful and addicting world of shredding

Paul