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Old June 28, 2011, 09:30 AM   #1
pax
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Instructor Development

What does a good firearms instructor for beginning students need to know?

What do they need to be able to do?

Discuss...

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Old June 28, 2011, 10:05 AM   #2
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Teach: Ability to instruct is more important then the ability to shoot. You do need to know the subject you're instructing, but you need the ability to project your knowledge.

One needs to be able to judge, evaluate the student. Different students require different methods.

I've attended several firearm instructor courses, both with the police department and military. The course I got the most out of was the FBI Instructors Development Course (non subject specific). The Alaska Police Standards Council requires this course for anyone to be certified as any type of LE instructor regardless of the subject.

No two people are a like, the approach to get to those people may be different. Lesson plans are great, but after a while, the lesson plans are ingrained. I suggest spending you preparation time prior to instructing, studying the students.

One needs to know the effects of physical conditions or handcaps of the students and the effects. Eye sight/problems is a good example.

In shooting one needs to understand the effects of poor or different eyesight problems and their effect on shooting.

Not to brag but I've been known for my ability to detect eye problems when dealing with shooting problems, my best example was a young cop/national guard member, whom after watching him shoot on our monthly qualification sent him to the eye doctor. The sight problems was also effecting his night driving as well. Apparently I did a good job, he retired as a Capt from APD, and is presently the Adjutant General for the Alaska National Guard.

If I had to point out one thing every firearm instructor/coach needs to know, and I'll steal this quote from Gary Anderson, Olympic Champion, and head instructor for the Civilian Marksmanship Program:

Quote:
THERE IS NO HOPELESS SHOOTER
If one can't shoot, its not that they are hopeless, its that we, the firearm instructor hasn't found their problems, or the position, etc, that fits them.

We also need to learn our limitations, no matter how long we have coached, or instructed, we'll run across something we can't correct. We have to be able to recognize that and find someone else to correct the problem.

If I may present another example, MY WIFE. She came off a colt in '99, breaking her back. She couldn't shoot prone, I couldn't get her in a prone position. Fast forward to early 2003, she was activated and deployed to the middle east. As part of her pre-deployment training, she had to hit the rifle range and qualify. I followed her to Benning and talked to the rifle instructors, explained the problem and my lack of abilities to correct the problem, no problem, they assigned her a coach, not only did he get her into a prone position, but he got her to shoot expert.

If I was to come up with one trait required in a firearms instructor it would be the ability to judge and evaluate people.
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Old June 28, 2011, 10:31 AM   #3
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Great question.

Honestly, it's gotta be one of the more difficult tasks around. Shooters are so different, in their experience level, background, bad habits, pre-conceived ideas, biases, resistance to change, opinions on one gun vs. another... let alone the obvious differences (stance, grip, eye dominance, etc.). A good instructor needs to not only be aware of those differences going in, but be able to cater to each one.

It's a lot easier to do when we're teaching people we know well... extremely difficult when it's people we've never met. Maybe more so than in other educational environments, shooters tend to show up with things already planted and rooted in their psyche.

The catch is not trying to fit every square peg into the proverbial round hole. There are absolutely concepts and techniques that beginner shooters should learn, the catch is finding different ways to communicate those.
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Old June 28, 2011, 10:40 AM   #4
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Great post, Kraig.

I'm not a firearms instructor, but I've done a lot of teaching, both professionally, in various academic settings, and as a one-on-one coach for other activities that require learning both physical and mental skills.

To the extent this thread is meant to be useful to beginning instructors or folks who think they'd like to instruct -- I'd say the single most important thing they need to know is that you can't teach people everything right away.

I think this is the most common error made by beginning teachers. It's often done with the best of intentions: you care a lot about the subject, it's all important to you, and you want to pass it all on. But sometimes it's done for other reasons, such as wanting -- perhaps unconsciously -- to impress the student with how much you know.

It's easy to overwhelm a beginner. As Kraig points out, you have to study your students and find out who they are and what they know, and that's where you have to start.

What's important for beginning students is to succeed with the fundamentals...
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Old June 28, 2011, 12:42 PM   #5
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Know and live your product.

A new sales-person once asked me what I thought it took to be a good salesman. i told him to :"Know your catalog" or what you are selling. Even better, to live it.

Same for instructors; know what you are selling and don't fake it or you will get caught by your own words. Take your time and always control the ball. Freely admit to what you don't know if a question is asked always do get back to the student, after you find out the answer. in short, know your limitations.

Keep in mind that you have information or service that folks want to know about and that is why you are there. Don't shoot yourself in the foot, Literally or otherwise. Some of the best instructors I have seen, have and communicate the agenda for the class.


Be Safe !!!
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Old June 28, 2011, 12:59 PM   #6
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Keep the student engaged:
- Make it fun
- Make it relevant. Able to explain how the drills and practice will translate to real skills

Recognize fatigue:
- Note performance dropping off
- Watch for concept retention dropping off. Sometimes it's best to end the session and start fresh later
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Old June 28, 2011, 06:05 PM   #7
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Accept that your way may not work for every student. You must learn to keep them focused on "the prize" - in LE, it was fast hits on target. How fast? As fast as the student can go.
How close together? Not as close as a bullseye shooter would accept, but all hits on the critical areas (center of available mass).
Do not get so focused on form that you lose sight of function - hits on the target.

And the class is for, and about, the students. "War stories" can only be brought out to prove a point FOR THE STUDENTS, not to feed your ego.

Get the instructor development, learn both how to teach and how to write lesson plans and document what you have taught. The NRA has some good classes on this. And keep your interest and enthusiasm, or find another field.
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Old June 28, 2011, 08:32 PM   #8
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Patience. Not everyone who wants to learn can do so easily.

Observational skills. Language skills, it's hard to teach something you can't explain something well.

I find that introducing complex explanations before physically trying something interferes with ones ability to do something. Sure, the first few times won't be great, but after a few tries explain it with more detail.

I've never "taught" anyone anything about shooting, unless it was family or close friends. That was mostly safe handling and basic operation of the gun. I have taught martial arts and sword fighting, however.
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Old June 29, 2011, 02:22 AM   #9
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In general...
  • Understand that just being good at something doesn't mean you're going to be able to teach it effectively. I've had a number of instructors in various disciplines that might be HSLD when it came to doing something, but they couldn't communicate it worth a crap. Teaching is not everyone's cup of tea.
  • Understand and be able to transmit the "why" of what you're teaching...If there's anything that causes me to tune out what an instructor is saying, it's hearing them say something like "well that's just how we do it" when asked a question. If you can't articulate a reason for something, then why are you teaching it? This naturally means that to be able to teach, you may very well need a much greater level of understanding/expertise than is necessary to merely perform a skill...even if you can perform it at an expert level.
  • Understand (and be able to deal with) those that have different learning styles. Some learn by seeing, some by hearing, some by doing, and some by a combination of the above.
  • Don't get lost in the details and overwhelm people with too much information, but don't "dumb it down" to the point that you're leaving out pertinent information.
  • Be able to, on demand, demonstrate with a reasonable level of proficiency any skill you're teaching.
  • Check your ego...if you belittle or talk down to your students just because they don't know as much or aren't as good at something as you are, you're a whatchacallit.
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Old June 30, 2011, 12:25 AM   #10
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Great answers so far. Keep them coming!

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eagerly jotting notes...
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Old June 30, 2011, 10:14 AM   #11
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A few Simple Steps to remember:

Tell them WHAT you're going to tell them (the agenda)

Tell them (tell, teach, show, demonstrate, observe them, adjust, tweak)

Tell them WHY it's important

Tell them what you told them

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Old June 30, 2011, 11:02 AM   #12
aarondhgraham
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Hello RetiredMajor,,,

You have somewhat described the most basic lesson plan format,,,
The 3-T Lesson Plan Method,

1) Tell 'em what you're gonna tell 'em.
2) Tell 'em.
3) Tell 'em what you just told them.

It sounds strange but this is what it takes to be an effective teacher.

A lesson plan, even one as simple as the one you related,,,
Is a very important step in teaching anyone how to do anything.

One of my professors stated that the difference between a teacher and an orator,,,
Is that a teacher will decide what to say ahead of time while an orator will merely ramble on.

I have known many experts in many fields,,,
Most could not teach anyone else how to do their job.

Like KenpoTex stated,,,

Quote:
Understand that just being good at something doesn't mean you're going to be able to teach it effectively.
That's why in Oklahoma, Career Tech instructors are required to have,,,
A Bachelor's Degree in Career & Technical Education,,,
As well as proven competence in their career field.

I am a graduate of the USAF Instructor Academy,,,
It's the equivalent education level of a B.S. in Vocational Education,,,
In that it has about as many butt-in-seat hours as a B.S. in Education requires.

I also have a B.S. in Career & Technical Education,,,
And a M.S. in Occupational Education.

Hello Pax,,,

Would I be correct in assuming you are looking for ways,,,
To make yourself a better teacher/instructor?

Without knowing anything about you or your teaching style,,,
The one thing I will recommend for you is to research the topic of Lesson Plan Development.

As part of my job, I evaluate new teacher performance,,,
The single complaint from school principals is that they either don't create lesson plans,,,
Or that the lesson plans they create are either not implemented properly or they are weak in development.

In short, they have not defined (in excruciatingly great detail),,,
Exactly what the goal of the particular lesson will be,,,
And what are the objectives to be measured.

Notice: Goal is singular and Objectives are plural

Goals are broad desires,,,
There should only be one broad goal per lesson plan.

Objectives are measurable steps/tasks,,,
There can be as many objectives as necessary to achieve the goal.

For a 3-4 hour seminar/class there could easily be several goals,,,
There needs to be a detailed lesson plan developed for each individual goal.

A goal statement would be:
By the end of this lesson, each student will be able to assume a proper Weaver Stance.

A list of objectives would be:
Proper shoulder/hip alignment to the target.
Proper spacing of the feet.
Proper grip with the primary hand.
Proper grip with the secondary hand.
Proper flex to the knees.

I do take a lot of classes in shooting/gun handling,,,
Most of the people who are teaching can do what they are teaching about,,,
But regrettably, in a lot of cases, they have no idea how to organize their knowledge into a teachable format.

Students leave their class knowing some buzz words,,,
But no real detailed knowledge they can take home with them to practice.

I have reread this post several times,,,
It's an example of a poorly developed lesson,,,
I am rambling too much and have not clearly defined my goal.

Lemme try again.

A Goal Statement would be,,,
By the end of this lesson Pax will be able to develop a detailed lesson plan.

Objective list: Pax can,,,
1) Define the goal of the lesson.
2) Define and list the individual objectives to achieve the lesson goal.

I hope that made better sense.

Aarond
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Old June 30, 2011, 08:22 PM   #13
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From the best class I've seen, a key ability is to teach each skill in a way that builds upon previous skills. Each lesson should incorporate material from the last part, and expand the level of competency or complexity expected (but no massive jumps).

Crawl, Walk, Run basically.
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Old July 2, 2011, 08:39 AM   #14
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Hello.


The below is an except culled from my own (internally) previously published material. I have to agree with much, if not most of what has already been presented here.


EXPERIENCE is the most important facet for all transfer of human learning.

Thus, the most important requirement for any trainer is solid foundation in the skill or knowledge they claim (or wish to gain) proficiency in. I know a lot of cats who THINK they can shoot...and the reality is, they really can't, because they do not have a clear understanding of the (shooting) fundamentals, and don't understand how consistently adhering to fundamentals provide consistent results. These would be the folks that talk about how "different" or difficult it is to move from shooting a "1911" to shooting a "SIG/M&P/H&K/Glock/Revolver". Pistol (or rifle) shooting fundamentals are just that. It does not matter if it's a two stage trigger or a 11lb trigger.

A good instructor should be able to positively motivate the student candidate from first contact. In general more learning can, and will take place if folks are highly motivated compared to not being positively motivated. This means that attitude, appearance, demeanor, hygiene and environment presented by the instructor play a crucial role in enhancing the (a) student’s mindset and thus motivation. Much of this transpires before the instructor has formally introduced him/herself. Unfortunately, many of the courses I have participated in (from the perspective of being a student or in the audience), the psychology and physiology of learning are not presented until the tail end of the presentation...and instructor trainer classes often recommend these portions are presented after the general body of information is delivered to the student.
It is not everyone that shows up that wants to learn...but it would certainly help if you had the tools with which to motivate them towards that end.

For ADULT students, trainers must also be able to present the new material being introduced to the student, in such a way that there is some association with some existing knowledge the student already has. This will allow for fast(er) assimilation of knowledge and skill.

Trainers must also constantly reflect back to when they were learning a (the) skill or assimilating new information. Too many of us forget how difficult it was to learn what we now construe to be rudimentary tasks (example, locking the action on a semi automatic rifle open). Since basic shooting is very skills dependent, an effective trainer will attempt to, as much as is possible, ensure that much of the instructional method incorporates hands on exercises, and if possible, “teach backs”.

For instructors of beginning students, it is critical to cover the fundamentals of shooting without attempting to impress new shooters with skills beyond the scope of training. I have suffered mightily thru classes being regaled with tales from trainers about scenarios and circumstances that did not reinforce the course objectives.

All the best!

--------------

ps - PAX, I sent you a private message back in December 2010. I'm jhoping you'll get a chance to peruse it, and assist me if possible.

Thank you.
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Old July 2, 2011, 01:46 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NYC Drew
For ADULT students, trainers must also be able to present the new material being introduced to the student, in such a way that there is some association with some existing knowledge the student already has. This will allow for fast(er) assimilation of knowledge and skill.

Trainers must also constantly reflect back to when they were learning a (the) skill or assimilating new information. ...
Great points.
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Old July 2, 2011, 09:02 PM   #16
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One thing that I can add is this:

1) Your students will expect you to know damn near everything about guns.

2) When you run across a question that you don't know the answer to, don't guess. Just say that you don't know, or don't know enough to give an intelligent answer. Someone in the room may know and may help you out, or if you give a wrong answer, they'll be making fun of your wrong answer on the next break.
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Old July 3, 2011, 11:26 AM   #17
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Having held a NRA Coach certificate for...

Jr. Smallbore.

BE EASY, treat each student with RESPECT and humor.

Explain why a change is needed and what result should be.
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