Got any tips on how to improve at ice-skating?

try taking some learn to skate lessons and to go backwards, you kinda have to almost wiggle around(they teach the little kids at my rink to wiggle their bottoms to go backwards--but you can just focus on twisting your hips . another thing you could try--and be careful--have someone else there--i dont know how balanced you are or anything about your level so when you go forwards, on an outside edge(so your going in a circle)on the blade of your weakest side--for example, if you are a righty, you lean on your left outside edge and swing your right foot forward and jump around so when you land, you are facing the opposite direction--this is called a waltz jump. (pretend the arrows are pointing the direction of the skate) =>..(rotate slowly until you are facing) <= so it should sort of look like => <=. its easier to show you, but i hope i explained it at least a little understandably. good luck.

Before you can skate backwards you need to have good balance forward. Working on glides, swizzels(moving skates from together to apart and back together while gliding), also if you fall a lot that means your balance is bad. Make sure you stay balanced. When you begin to go backward start with the rocking horse. This is where you swizzel forward then backward. So forward swizzel in standing still then your feet will be back together, then doing the same thing but backward. Soon you'll get the hang of this and won't need to go forward first. Then just work on gliding backward. Then work your way up to turning around from gliding forward to backward.

Bend your knees and head up. don't look down and stare at your feet, your head is the heaviest part of your body so you'll fall head first if you do. Put your arms up for balance.

Bend your knees and push off your edges, stay off your toepicks and keep your back straight. Don't skate hunched over like a hockey player, because you will make a habit of it and it is very hard to learn something the right way after you've been doing the wrong way for a long time and its a stuck in your mind. Listen to your coaches, they know whats best for you and the best way for you to do things even if you don't think so. They've been skating for awhile and didn't get their high levels by argueing and doing it wrong.