Becoming an instructor

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  • historian

    Master
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    0   0   0
    Oct 15, 2009
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    SD by residency, Hoosier by heart
    So...I'm wondering if it is worth it to go through the NRA instructor training. I'm thinking about getting certified and becoming an instructor, but I'm not sure if it going to be worth it, especially since I don't own a range or something like that. Just wondering if being an instructor as a side gig is viable.
     

    cedartop

    Grandmaster
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    Apr 25, 2010
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    North of Notre Dame.
    It depends why you want to do it and what your background is. You can't swing a dead cat without hitting an "instructor" these days. Many of them are retired LE or ex SF guys. This doesn't mean they are going to be good instructors but it does give them a leg up on perceived competence. It also depends what you want to teach. IMHO the only thing really missing from the marketplace these days are really good instructors who want to teach beginners the basics. I only know a few of those. Coach from here is one. There are a couple more but since I haven't seen their names lately I don't know if they are active. The problem is many instructors teach way out of their lane. They want to teach the advanced stuff when they themselves haven't even mastered the fundamentals yet.

    If you are looking to do it for the money, good luck. You'd be better off becoming a You Tube or Instagram star for that. I am pretty much getting to the point where I think most instructors should definitely go through the apprenticeship/mentor model. Just taking a few classes and then going out to teach is not ethical in my opinion. There will be some hate for this but from what I have seen, people who have only had NRA instructor training and think that is all they need are pretty much worthless.

    I don't know anything about you so my ramblings may not apply to you or you may already realize everything I said, but you weren't real specific with your question, so there you go.
     

    Backpacker

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    Apr 5, 2008
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    Greenwood
    I was NRA certified to teach in three areas about twenty years ago. My motivation was to help other shooters to be safe. Made no money from it found satisfaction when a student "got it". I eventually let my credentials lapse. If you do become an instructor, you will most certainly learn something from the students you did not anticipate. Hopefully all good and safe at the end of the day.
     

    GodFearinGunTotin

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    Mar 22, 2011
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    Mitchell
    I’ve toyed around with idea before. Kinda like Backpacker said, my motivation would be to simply get people started and how to be safe doing so. But even then, I’m not sure how to even get going in doing that.
     

    Sigblitz

    Grandmaster
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    9   0   0
    Aug 25, 2018
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    Indianapolis
    [video=youtube_share;ju-lptJweTc]https://youtu.be/ju-lptJweTc[/video]
    [video=youtube_share;fEs6O2NGdrs]https://youtu.be/fEs6O2NGdrs[/video]
     

    Coach

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    3   0   0
    Apr 15, 2008
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    Coatesville
    Where will the shooting take place?
    How will you advertise?
    Insurance costs?
    Certification cost?
    Can you actually teach?
    Can you explain to a new person why they are missing and get it fixed?
    Do you know the right things to teach and why they are the right things to teach?
    Can you explain your methods to someone who has been told the opposite by the person they trust most in the world?
    When the prosecutor calls you because one of your students killed her husband what are you going to be able to say?
    Loaner guns?
    Blue guns?
    Extra ammo?
    Targets?
    Pasters?
    How much side time do you have? How much of it do you want to lose?

    Everyone sees what is charged and thinks this is a gold mine. It is not. There is nothing easy about it.
     
    Last edited:

    WETSU

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    Jan 21, 2009
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    Fort Wayne
    Coach makes excellent points. All valid and nearly all obviously can be expanded on.

    As an instructor I'll weigh in with my opinion and biases.

    There are a lot of shooters out there who would like to become instructors. They love shooting, they took a class or two, and watch videos. Perhaps they have helped a few friends and family to shoot better. This feels good. There are quite a few former military and LE folks out there who hold themselves out to be instructors. Some are good, some are terrible. The good ones have the same characteristics as non mil/LE.

    I think an instructor has to have a LOT of training under his or her belt. Some of that should absolutely be instructor development and mentoring. I think an instructor should have worked under a seasoned instructor prior to going out on their own. An honest school owner should give the prospective newbie honest feedback on their capabilities. I taught at a large tactics and firearms school for several years before I started out on my own.

    I also think a good instructor is gifted. I really do. We all remember our favorite teacher, the one who "got it" or was able to really impart the information. A good instructor has to study and understand adult learning concepts. They need to know how to read a room, lead a room from the front, have presence, a solid voice, and body position. They should look sharp. If you don't earn your students respect early, you will struggle to get it back.

    There is much much more. But that's my short list.

    Also, I DO teach total beginners! Its more rewarding than teaching raids and ambushes at times!

    Russ Kolkman/WETSU
    Mastiff Protection Services
     

    NWIs&wShield

    Plinker
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    Aug 25, 2017
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    NWI
    Just throwing this in to the discussion....
    I am a USCCA Training Counselor and will be posting in the training forums here that I am hosting a Certified Instructor course in the USCCA material (United States Concealed Carry Association) in the Indianapolis area on Fri-Sat, July 24-25.
    Perhaps this something you'd like to consider.
    I'd be very happy to discuss with you the value of USCCA certification and what you could do with it.
    DefensiveCarryTraining@gmail.com
    219-513-3212

    Dan N.
     
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