Texas SOT

Always be prepared to demo in front of students

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  • SIG_Fiend

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    Random thought of the day. I remember taking a class awhile back, and the instructor said that instructors should never demo anything in front of the students, EVER. The guy was pretty adamant about it, which I find hilarious. As instructors, students look to us as some form of SME. You want to be able to have performance on demand. Sometimes it makes more sense to just demo what you're teaching. They say there are 3 main ways people learn:
    • Auditory
    • Visual
    • Kinesthetic
    Sometimes people need to see not only what they're supposed to do, but how to do it, and then they might also benefit from seeing someone do it properly. Bottom line, be prepared to demo anything in class at any time. If you have some good methods for demonstrating lets hear them! Here's some of mine that I've found good success with:
    • I always keep the "3 different learning types" in mind -
    • Try to explain the technique being taught in the clearest and concise manner possible
    • Use visual aids, perform demonstrations showing the technique done in an ideal manner, possibly use other students as good examples to their peers (if someone is doing it well, maybe try also using them to demo the drill if you know they can handle it. Using a third party can sometimes engage your students differently than doing it yourself all the time)
    • Occasionally physically show people the techniques. A good example for this is, say someone is having problems figuring out how to get their good support hand grip on a handgun. Sometimes I will tell them to get their good gun hand grip, then hold the gun out there one-handed. I'll put my support hand on, around their gun hand, achieving as close to the ideal support hand grip as possible. Then from there I might help them by adjusting and placing their support hand on the gun as close to ideal as possible.
    • If you keep these 3 general learning types in mind and look for ways to implement all 3 in class wherever possible, you stand to be more successful in reaching the largest amount of your students as possible (at least that's what I've found).
    • Performance on demand: That's the slogan for Northern Red (if you don't know who they are, look 'em up), and a really important goal to set our sights on. If the block of instruction calls for it, be ready to demo anything you're teaching and have the performance to back it up. You might also have students that are better than you at certain things. Don't be afraid either of "screwing up" in front of class (which is probably the real reason the aforementioned instructor doesn't like to demo). Use your own screwups as a valuable learning tool for students. Nothing is perfect. It's all about learning from mistakes and how you deal with them.
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    Jon Payne

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    Re: Always demo in front of students

    Sorry I'm late to this. Travis you're 100% correct. I demo every module of instruction when I goof up, I smile, shrug and explain even monkeys can fall out of trees. Then I do it again correctly. There is no place for an ego when you're trying to give folks the skills to save their lives.
     

    Dcav

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    Re: Always demo in front of students

    I agree as well. Using blue/orange guns helps add visual and hand on stimuli during classroom instruction.
     
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    Re: Always demo in front of students

    • Performance on demand: That's the slogan for Northern Red (if you don't know who they are, look 'em up), and a really important goal to set our sights on. If the block of instruction calls for it, be ready to demo anything you're teaching and have the performance to back it up.
    When I worked as an Air Marshal & instructor at the academy this was my mantra: Performance On Demand for the instructors whom at the time didn't believe it important or were able to confidently demonstrate, conduct talk throughs with perfection of technique, etc. I designed the Triple Nickle course of fire for as the Instructor Test. Once the "nomimal" instructors were weeded out the program took off, Air Marshal have the highest shooting standard in Federal Law Enforcement and we took that to heart. There are only 95 successful 555 shooters in the entire agency; each has a commerative coin presented to them. Many have tried, few pass, but all see thier limitations and more importantly see the lack of fundamentals that are holding them back.

    www.triplenickle.org

    KV
     

    SIG_Fiend

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    Changed the thread title. In hindsight, I realized it sounded a bit absolute. I don't think that an instructor should necessarily have to demo every single little thing all the time. I personally think they should be able and prepared to do so if it's necessary for the student(s), to get the block of instruction across properly. Also, to give an example of something being done the "ideal" way, or simply a good performance benchmark for the students to aim for.

    Although I do not currently meet the qualifications to shoot the Triple Nickel and obtain a coin (I'm not LE/Mil), successfully shooting it and meeting all of the performance standards is something I aspire to. It looks to me like an excellent, well-rounded drill to test a wide range of gun handling/manipulating and marksmanship skills for anyone carrying a handgun.

    Thanks for the info on the Triple Nickel and your experiences with the FAM program sir! I changed the website link for you, as for whatever reason the link was broken. Anyone that reads this thread needs to head on over to The Triple Nickel Society and get some more ideas on what's possible, and some additional ideas of how to push your skills to their limits and beyond.
     
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    Here's another short one that works many fundamentals and is a standards test like the El Presidente: the Tri-10 (10 yards, 10 seconds, 10 rounds) on one target, you pick the "hit zone" as all must in it to count.

    Draw and fire 4 rounds two-handed, transfer to strong hand only and fire 3 rounds, transfer to support hand only and fire 3 rounds.
     

    StevenC.

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    Sorry to zombie this thread.

    But, I will none the less.

    Travis, brilliant, simple and accurate post. I completely agree. I also suspect there are too many persons teaching who lack the ability to expertly demonstrate the skills they are teaching. This leads me to suspect there are too many persons teaching someone else's syllabus instead of their own hard earned insight, or at least supplementing the agenda with the knowledge that comes from the ability to do.
     

    SIG_Fiend

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    No problem at all. ;)

    Personally, I think one of the best things we can do to improve on a lot of this, and help more and more instructors improve, is to continue fostering a desire in the community for seeking measurable and definable performance. IE - Competition
     

    PRE-K

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    I'll also "zombie" your thread...

    I've found it can be helpful to demonstrate with a student's own equipment... it shows their personal, non-tricked-out equipment is capable of the task at hand.

    Sorry to zombie this thread.

    But, I will none the less.

    Travis, brilliant, simple and accurate post. I completely agree. I also suspect there are too many persons teaching who lack the ability to expertly demonstrate the skills they are teaching. This leads me to suspect there are too many persons teaching someone else's syllabus instead of their own hard earned insight, or at least supplementing the agenda with the knowledge that comes from the ability to do.
     

    SIG_Fiend

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    I'll also "zombie" your thread...

    I've found it can be helpful to demonstrate with a student's own equipment... it shows their personal, non-tricked-out equipment is capable of the task at hand.


    Definitely! It's always a great opportunity when you can use a gun or gear that many of the students may feel is significantly less capable, and then put out respectable performance with it. At the end of the day, one of the areas an instructor can provide good value to the student is in demonstrating to them what's possible. It can give students a good skill level goal to work towards, as well as demonstrating that nothing is impossible.
     
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