Seems like a great philosophy. It is not how most instructors get going, or for that matter most do not even get close to that level of preparation. Many clients also want a one stop hour class and be ready to go.
I agree with the philosophy. Coach, among others, has the advantage of being a teacher and carries those skills over to his firearms training. Mike, I remember having a conversation with you regarding the pedagogy of adult learning.
Seems like a great philosophy. It is not how most instructors get going, or for that matter most do not even get close to that level of preparation.
A lot of people are home from work. No comments here. I take that as disagreement. I expect disagreement with the theme laid down. Let's hear it INGO.
Many clients also want a one stop hour class and be ready to go.
What are your thoughts? Are there parts you disagree with? What do you believe should be the minimum requirements for being an instructor?A lot of people are home from work. No comments here. I take that as disagreement. I expect disagreement with the theme laid down. Let's hear it INGO.
What are your thoughts? Are there parts you disagree with? What do you believe should be the minimum requirements for being an instructor?
Everyone is walking on egg shells around this thread, and I suspect there is a reason for that. I don't think it matters what I think. I believe that the market place or what Adam Smith referred to as the invisible hand will eventually take care of those instructors that suck. I do wonder how much damage they do until the market place takes care of them.
GNR Powder used the term national or international upstream a bit. Let's just set that category aside. You don't just wander into that field, and if you do you won't stay there long if you don't deliver results.
Let's talk about the folks we see here on INGO, or those in the gun shops, or those with a shingle hanging out around the state. Let's talk about those people teaching gun safety, gun handling, basic function, basic marksmanship. Because you cannot throw a rock without hitting one of those people. Plus everyone has an uncle, father, brother or sister that is a cop, former military, NRA certified instructor, life long shooter, best hunter ever type in their life that can sprinkle a little pixie dust and wave the wand and teach them what they should know. Let's talk about the Basic firearms instructor. Or let me ask some questions about those people.
1) Should the person teaching basic firearms safety be able to instruct a group of people without sweeping themselves and other people in the class?
2) Should the person be able to recite the Four Rules of Firearms safety without looking at notes?
3) Should the person be able to say why any particular technique should be used or not used?
4) Should the reason in number 3 above be logical and make sense? (Self-evident)
5) Should the person be able to hit the target the students are expected to hit?
6) Should the person be a student of the the subject that they are teaching?
7) Should the person be a subject matter expert?
8) Should the person have their ego in check and not make up stuff to answer questions?
9) Should the person have some background in communication of facts, techniques and their expertise and experience?
1) Should the person teaching basic firearms safety be able to instruct a group of people without sweeping themselves and other people in the class? Yes.
2) Should the person be able to recite the Four Rules of Firearms safety without looking at notes? Yes.
3) Should the person be able to say why any particular technique should be used or not used? Yes, however unless the technique is unsafe I'm willing to give it a try. The more I learn and teach others the more I find out that my way, or Pat Mac's way, or Travis Haley's way isn't better, just different. Most often a certain technique is good in a certain scenario but not another. (Ground fighting vs one guy or ground fighting against 3 guys)
4) Should the reason in number 3 above be logical and make sense? (Self-evident) After explanation, yes. No one should have to take a "logical leap" to understand a technique. My BS detector goes up anytime someone uses the phrases, "The idea is" or "I would just"
5) Should the person be able to hit the target the students are expected to hit? Sure. A quick question, however. Let's step out of the shooting world and into the world of sports. Should the basketball coach be able to hit that free throw or 3 point shot? Are they less of a coach if they can't? Are coaches judged by their ability to shoot or their players? Not making a statement here, looking for thoughts on this.
6) Should the person be a student of the the subject that they are teaching? They should.
7) Should the person be a subject matter expert? No. William Aprill put it well to someone who said they didn't feel qualified to teach someone new to firearms. To paraphrase him, "To the new gun owner you are seal team 6. They don't know anything and have plenty of experience to teach them."
8) Should the person have their ego in check and not make up stuff to answer questions? This is more of a moral code question. Yes, instructors should have a moral code. Instructors should be willing to say I don't know (See question 3, 7)
9) Should the person have some background in communication of facts, techniques and their expertise and experience? It certainly would help.
I agree that good teachers are harder to find than subject matter experts. I also think there are more self proclaimed subject matter experts than really exist and I think fire arms training has more than its share. Way more.
I do not know why teaching is so difficult for so many people. I suspect that the fear of public speaking is a big part of it. Standing in front of a group and being judged completely and totally the entire time scares the hell out of some people I suppose. We gave the American Legion Test Americanism test to 400 plus juniors in high school this year. Some of the Legion guys were very intimidated by the high school kids. Combat vets telling me that they were scared of the kids struck me as strange but they seemed sincere about it. You cannot be effective if you are that uneasy with a group.