What makes a good firearms instructor

I lost a lot of credibility and respect from the other instructors and students. I lost the credibility because instead of seeking and taking responsibility for my actions, I gathered the pieces of shattered ego and slinked off the line. If I would have explained that I was trying too hard and shot it again, I may have been able to repair my credibility and ego. When setting the example, you are never too important to do the menial tasks. You should be shagging ammo, setting up the range, hanging targets and most importantly, cleaning up brass.

Setting an example means brassing with the troops. Getting dirty and then showing up the next day in a pristine uniform will also build respect. A good instructor knows the nuances of every group of students. Conduct a little recon before class to help you adjust your teaching style. The lesson plans must stay the same, but the delivery should be altered to fully benefit the students. Make sure you give the students sufficient breaks to warm up or cool down. I understand we should be training in poor environments, but sometimes you will figuratively lose the students or the conditions can become unsafe.

Do what you say you will do, both for students and other members of the instructor cadre. This means getting to the venue early and leaving late. Have the training venue fully prepared and ready to begin training at the scheduled start time.

Range or classroom set up should never occur on student training time. You must be unselfish and professional. As you know, there is a lot of arrogance and negative ego in this industry.

There are instructors who think they are better than the students and the rest of the instructor cadre. Being a firearms instructor is not about you. It is about the students. If at any time you think you are better than anyone else or hold yourself above the training mission and the students, you need to pack your stuff and get off my range. Smart-aleck remarks and speaking in movie quotes can create a positive learning environment as long as it stays professional.

It is very easy to take a joke too far on the range. Keep it fun, but never degrading or demeaning, because you can lose a lot of students very quickly.

Be faithful to your agency philosophies and mission. Have faith in the lesson plans and the methodologies you are teaching. Be part of the solution and make positive changes that benefit everyone. It takes a tremendous amount of courage to disqualify a member of the command staff or even a friend.

It can also mean helping someone that you may have personal unfavorable feelings toward. Working the range can be physically and mentally taxing.

Have the mental and physical e ndurance to withstand the pain, stress and hardships of the range. Be sure you are snacking and drinking water. By satisfying your needs after your students, you help your endurance. I also conduct an instructor debriefing after a training session and cover what the instructor cadre could improve upon, including me. If you are the lead instructor, surround yourself with assistant instructors that will call you out and hold you responsible.

I often look at NRA certifications as the basic, entry level requirement for an instructor. In all reality, someone with just one NRA cert is likely a beginner--though not always. What sort of qualifications does this gun instructor have? Again, an NRA cert is a great starting point. But, have they demonstrated lifelong learning? If your instructor is unable to show off some legitimate credentials, it may be a good idea to look for someone who can.

Think about it like this, would you let an auto mechanic perform heart surgery? Probably not, and while that example is extreme, my goal is to drive the point home for you that you need someone who is qualified to teach you the ins and outs of gun handling and safety. I just feel as though it is an added qualification.

In fact, they are so few and far between that one day, this person said something on the internet that got this person in trouble because it was the old way of doing things. Teaching is their passion, not just a career, and they do it because they absolutely love it, even when it's frustrating or difficult. You are not just a number to them; your training challenges are their training challenges.

The very best instructors sincerely care whether you succeed and will do everything within their power to get you there. There are surely other important qualities of great firearms instructors that I've left out, but these are what I look for when deciding with whom to train and where. When you're new to the world of firearms and shooting, it can be overwhelming to find trustworthy instructors and training schools. I urge you to look for people who are interested in seeing you grow, and who have a solid, realistic plan to help you reach your goals.

Look for passionate, honest, certified people who care about you and above all, trust your gut. There are thousands of great instructors and when you find one, you'll know. Choose wisely, train smart, and stay safe out there! Recent Posts. Know thyself: understanding your own limitations. Want to win a fight? Avoid having it in the first place. Is gun ownership a political issue? Every instructor is liable for what they have taught the students that have already completed the class.

Good, professional instructors will vet any new technique before they go out and teach it to students. Consequently, they need to incorporate any changes into their lesson plans and stay consistent. If you run the training, you have to remember a good leader always depends on others to make you look good.

Once you think you know everything, you are doomed. Most of this comes down to leaving your ego at home. Remember, story time reduces training time. As you update your curriculum, remember to have integrity. If you change the name of a technique, you will typically end up confusing your students anyway. This comes back to the ego again.

The more you have to tell people how great you are, the more you are covering up your inabilities as an instructor or person.

The most important thing a good firearms instructor can do is to help a student learn. Always remember, we must walk before we run. Breaking everything down into small tasks modules will go a long way to accomplish this goal.

We can drop off the last S. Trying to impress your students with big words only confuses the students and makes learning harder. There is no need to carry a dictionary on the range. It comes right back to the ego again.