Choosing An Instructor

When you make the decision to start getting some firearms training, deciding where to go and what Instructor to work with can be confusing.  How do you know who is good and who isn't?    Sometimes new students make the assumption that anyone who does firearms classes is a good instructor.  That could not be further from the truth!  Horror stories about firearms Instructors are all too common.  

I know that as a student, my training budget is limited. I am not in a position to spend money just to learn that I don't want to go there anymore.  My training dollars have to count so I am looking for the highest quality of training I can find. 

So how do you know?  How do you pick?  Word of mouth is one way but there are some things that I consider key qualities that students should keep in mind when choosing an Instructor. 

Bear in mind, perfection doesn't exist in this world so its going to be tough to find a perfect Instructor.

Not everyone who has instructor credentials is truly qualified to teach.  

Obviously, credentials do matter.  They do reflect that individuals commitment to learning their trade.  But think about it, most firearms instructor training programs are 3 - 5 days.  That's it.  Then those folks are able to set up and teach classes on their own, even if they have never taught on a range before.   Just as a responsible gun owner recognizes their need for training beyond the basic CCW class, a good instructor recognizes their need for further training and experience in teaching before hanging out a shingle and setting up business.  

Not everyone who is a good shooter, can teach.

Just because someone can shoot well, does not mean they are a skilled teacher.  I have been in the training classes of someone who was a well-known shooter who was not skilled at communicating with students.  The class was expensive and not a good experience for many of the students.  One student was in tears early in the day.  In my opinion, there is no need for that kind of intensity in a beginner level course.  Learning to operate under stress is important, but not when basic skills are being set down.  Knowing how to communicate with people of all backgrounds and all experience levels is a skill as important as being able to perform on a range.

I have also encountered very skilled shooters who were qualified to be Instructors but who were terrified to stand in front of people and talk.  An Instructor who is afraid of public speaking will be more concerned about himself/herself than on what the students are getting.  Experienced teachers will be more relaxed and comfortable in front of a class and have learned that if they say something wrong the world will not come crashing down in flames.  That level of comfort will actually eliminate most of the mistakes they fear.    I was fortunate in that LONG before I ever thought about working as an Instructor in the firearms industry, I had put in 30 years of teaching in my church.  It gave me the ability to stand in front of a room full of people and speak without the fear that usually accompanies public speaking.

Ideally, your Instructor should be both a good teacher and a good shooter. If you find that combination, you've got a keeper. 

Just because someone has served in the Military or as a Police Officer, doesn't mean they are a good firearms instructor.

Many new shooters want to train with Military or Police trainers because they believe them to be the better qualified.  I have all the respect in the world for our Military and Police and I work alongside some of the best almost daily, but too often students assume that because of their service, they are qualified to teach.  We either overlook or are unaware of the fact that many who served in the Military did not shoot a handgun during their service.  And many if not most police officers do not have the level of training the public thinks they do.  Police departments often do not have the fund available to send officers to training.   

Overlooked too is the notion that dealing with civilians is very different than dealing with those who serve.  Good Instructors with a Military or Police background know that they have to change things up a bit, change their tone, and approach things differently than they would at work.   Some can do that.  Some can not. 

Some of the very best classes I've taken were taught by those who served in the Military or as Police Officers.  And some of the worst classes I've taken were taught by those who served in the Military or as Police Officers.  

So what the heck do I look for?

Look for a training organization that uses an Apprentice program for their Instructors.  

Those Apprentices usually have to work alongside an experienced Instructor for a period of time before they earn the status of Instructor and are permitted to teach classes.  

When I began teaching my own classes my NRA Training Counselor was present on the range to oberserve and assist for all of my classes.  When I began working for 88 Tactical of Ohio, I spent the first year as an Apprentice even though I had a few years of experience under my belt as an Instructor.  It was time well spent and I would not trade it for anything. 

If you can't find such an organization, look for an Instructor who has worked under the observation of a more seasoned Instructor.  Good Instructors know that not everything can be taught in a week-long class.  It takes years of experience to become good at teaching. 

Look for Instructors who continue to train to improve their own skills

It is common for Instructors to have difficulty finding time for their own training,  They get so busy teaching that it can be a challenge to find time to continue to hone their own skills.  I know its a challenge for me.  A good Instructor will make the time to get in a class as a student and continue to learn.  No one has all the answers.  No one has all the knowledge.  And no one has reached a point where training is not beneficial.  Their students will benefit from their commitment to continued training.  

Look for an Instructor whoes training philosophy makes sense to you.

Its ok to interview a potential Instructor.  Ask them what their training philosophy is.  It can differ from one place to the other.  It doesn't mean that one is right and the other is wrong, but it should make sense to you.  Know why they are asking you to perform a task a certain way.  If you understand the "why", you are more likely to embrace what they are teaching.

Also consider why you are training?  Is your goal to become a better recreational shooter?  Or are you training to be able to prevail in a deadly force encounter?  The training can be different for each.    Many people enjoy shooting as a hobby and just want to be able to shoot more proficiently.  They get a kick out of putting holes on top of other holes on paper.  There is nothing wrong with that.  It is fun.  But if you're goal is to be prepared for a potential life threatening encounter with a determined criminal, you probably need to focus more on gun handling skills and tactics. 

One thing I have appreciated about 88 Tactical is that their training is behaviorally based.  Their approach is not just a range theory but is based on the study of human behavior in combat/defenseive situations.  To me, it just makes sense to train the way I may respond if ever facing a deadly force encounter.  

Look for Instructors who are encouraging. 

As an Instructor, the easiest thing in the world to do is to point out what a student is doing incorrectly, and that is part of teaching.  However, I believe that most people benefit more from positive encouragement for the things they are doing correctly.   

As an Instructor the last thing I want is for one of my students to leave the experience feeling defeated.  If they walk out with that in their mind, it can have devastating consequences.  That may be the day they have to use their gun in self-defense.  I don't want that poor mindset to put them at risk.  I also want my students to continue to learn and grow.  If they leave feeling lilke a failure, I have just given them a hurdle they are going to have to overcome in order to get back on the range.  If that happens, the student hasn't failed, the Instructor has failed.  

One of the things I appreciated most about training with Melody Lauer and John Johnston in the Contextual Handgun: The Armed Parent/Guardian course, was that at the end of the 2-day course, they took the time to give each and every student positive feedback.  Every single student left feeling on a positive note regardless of how they performed in the class. 

Does that mean that we gloss over mistakes and give people a false sense of proficiency?  Not at all.  Students need both correction and encouragement.  An Instructor does not do the student a favor if they do not make necessary corrections. 

I did a poll of students some years ago asking what they looked for in an Instructor.  How the Instructor talked to the students was the number one quality they were looking for.  Whether or not that is a good thing, it is what it is. 

Look for an Instructor who knows how to make learning fun!  

It may seem like the least important of qualifications for an instructor, but if students are having fun,  they are learning - and they are more likely to return and the more they return, the more they learn. 

One thing that made training with "Tanto" and "Boon" at Battleline Tactical a great experience was their relaxed, easy approach to training.  They were humble.  If anyone had earned the right to say, "This is how its done", it would be those guys, and yet they said from the beginning that they wanted to learn from us too.  That took pressure off of the students and made learning easier.  Tanto in particular was hilarious.  The two balanced each other out.  Boon was more reserved and communicated with professionalism, and Tanto kept things light and easy and never missed an opportunity to laugh and encourage the students. Both of them took training very seriously but neither of them took themselves too seriously.  

And that brings me to a final point.    If at all possible, avoid Instructors who are arrogant.  Why does this matter?  I can only speak for myself but it is my believe that an Instructor who is full of himself or herself will be making decisions with themselves in mind rather than what is best for their students.  Training should be for the benefit of the student, not for the Instructor to feel good about himself/herself.