Certified Instructor Training Course

[Andrew Croniser]

Hi Everyone,

I am looking to farther my knowledge base and share my passion of handguns with future enthusiasts

My main mindset is carrying a pistol as a everyday carry tool that can be utilized as a defensive measure if needed..

I am looking at starting my path as an Instructor and debating which course I should take first:

NRA Certified Instructor Pistol Course

USCCA Certified Instructor Course


It seems that the USCCA Course would be more in tune with my overall goals of CCW..

But it seems that the NRA Course is more widely recognized and I would be able to teach the Basic Pistol Safety Course to help folks obtain their Handgun License,,so kind’ve leaning towards this one, as I figure it may be the better one to start my path as an entry level Instructor and then build and add the other courses in the future.

Looking for insight and reviews from those that have taken these Instructor courses?

Thanks

 

[Telekinesis]

I would recommend starting with the NRA instructor course due to the reasons you noted, but I believe it also helps you with insurance for when you teach. I understand that when you are teaching their courses, they don’t want you to deviate from the material (which makes sense) but that means if the basic pistol class doesn’t cover CCW topics, you shouldn’t be teaching CCW topics while you’re presenting that course (you could probably discuss those one on one after class though).

Out of curiosity, what firearms training have you had? Sure, going through the basic pistol class will be helpful when you learn to teach it, but recognize that the NRA Instructor courses are only going to show you how to TEACH that course. They’re not advanced pistol training classes and probably won’t do much for your shooting skill level.

I would highly recommend taking advanced classes from different well known instructors, in as many disciplines as you can. You want to be experienced in using skills beyond what you are teaching. These basic NRA classes are designed to teach the foundational techniques, so if you as an instructor know and understand steps 3, 4, and 5, you’ll likely be better at teaching steps 1 and 2.

In addition to that, always know WHY you do something that you’re teaching. Go through your lesson plan and pick a random thing and imagine a student asking why, and then formulate a good, succinct answer. The answer also doesn’t have to be really technical or show off your knowledge. An example, I was in a class and we were shooting from the ground on our backs. The instructor told us to aim for the groin of the target. There might be a number of reasons for that, but a student asked why we changed our aiming point from “heart” to “groin”. The answer? So that our rounds would impact the berm. The answer doesn’t have to be flashy, but it needs to make sense.

If your interest is in defensive pistol, look into the Shivworks ECQC class. Tactical Response also has an instructor development class that covers a LOT of good information. There are a lot of strong opinions (on both sides) about the owner of that school, but very few people have anything bad to say about the actual training.

I know I’m a bit different from most of the people signing up for a NRA basic pistol class, but when I’m deciding if I want to take a class, I want an instructor who is constantly learning. Not someone who learned something 20 years ago and has learned no new information since. Because outside of some basic classes (like the NRA certs) there is no real standard accreditation for shooting instructors, the best way to help students know about you is to show your “training resume” of classes you’ve taken as a student. When I’m looking for an instructor, I want to know if the training that they have taken (as a student) is Recent, Realistic, and Relevant to what I’m wanting to learn. (For an example of relevance - a spec ops guy may be awesome at teaching room clearing, but he probably isn’t the best guy about teaching how to conceal a pistol well. Likewise, someone who specializes in teaching shotgun techniques related to American Trap probably isn’t the best guy to teach small unit tactics.)

Anyway, best of luck getting into teaching!

 

[GEM]

We've done this before recently:

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...tactical-science-degree.869893/#post-11570487

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/firearm-instructor.869609/

Note the commentary on running a business and being more than just an enthusiast. What background do you have? Do you compete intensively? Look at more than the NRA or USCCA courses. They are just beginner level.

Intensive training at places like rangemaster.com or Ayoob's impress me. The NRA, USCCA courses or I was in the Army, frankly don't impress most.

 

[Andrew Croniser]

I would recommend starting with the NRA instructor course due to the reasons you noted, but I believe it also helps you with insurance for when you teach. I understand that when you are teaching their courses, they don’t want you to deviate from the material (which makes sense) but that means if the basic pistol class doesn’t cover CCW topics, you shouldn’t be teaching CCW topics while you’re presenting that course (you could probably discuss those one on one after class though).

Out of curiosity, what firearms training have you had? Sure, going through the basic pistol class will be helpful when you learn to teach it, but recognize that the NRA Instructor courses are only going to show you how to TEACH that course. They’re not advanced pistol training classes and probably won’t do much for your shooting skill level.

I would highly recommend taking advanced classes from different well known instructors, in as many disciplines as you can. You want to be experienced in using skills beyond what you are teaching. These basic NRA classes are designed to teach the foundational techniques, so if you as an instructor know and understand steps 3, 4, and 5, you’ll likely be better at teaching steps 1 and 2.

In addition to that, always know WHY you do something that you’re teaching. Go through your lesson plan and pick a random thing and imagine a student asking why, and then formulate a good, succinct answer. The answer also doesn’t have to be really technical or show off your knowledge. An example, I was in a class and we were shooting from the ground on our backs. The instructor told us to aim for the groin of the target. There might be a number of reasons for that, but a student asked why we changed our aiming point from “heart” to “groin”. The answer? So that our rounds would impact the berm. The answer doesn’t have to be flashy, but it needs to make sense.

If your interest is in defensive pistol, look into the Shivworks ECQC class. Tactical Response also has an instructor development class that covers a LOT of good information. There are a lot of strong opinions (on both sides) about the owner of that school, but very few people have anything bad to say about the actual training.

I know I’m a bit different from most of the people signing up for a NRA basic pistol class, but when I’m deciding if I want to take a class, I want an instructor who is constantly learning. Not someone who learned something 20 years ago and has learned no new information since. Because outside of some basic classes (like the NRA certs) there is no real standard accreditation for shooting instructors, the best way to help students know about you is to show your “training resume” of classes you’ve taken as a student. When I’m looking for an instructor, I want to know if the training that they have taken (as a student) is Recent, Realistic, and Relevant to what I’m wanting to learn. (For an example of relevance - a spec ops guy may be awesome at teaching room clearing, but he probably isn’t the best guy about teaching how to conceal a pistol well. Likewise, someone who specializes in teaching shotgun techniques related to American Trap probably isn’t the best guy to teach small unit tactics.)

Anyway, best of luck getting into teaching!

Thank you for your helpful reply; very much appreciated

I will always be a Student First...

Just to elaborate:
I am only looking to add to my knowledge base and perhaps help those family members and folks in my area to get involved with handguns.

I have been around firearms all my life and have had a pistol license for over 25 years..But only the last decade have everyday carried as a defensive tool..
I have pursued as much information as I could during this time and have trained & participated in Practical Pistol 1 a few times, as well as PP2, Concealed Carry Courses and Low light training etc.

I certainly haven’t trained anywhere near as much as I would’ve liked too or need too
And I plan to continue to actively attend training to get more and more proficient in my skill set!

However, with that said,
I am also a self defense instructor for the past 20 plus years..And one thing I know for sure is I’ve leaned more from teaching my students than by any other means

So what I was hoping for is to add in entry level pistol instructor certification to my knowledge base,,so that I could share my passion with family members and folks in the area and help them at least get started on the path of obtaining a license and handgun..
I have no doubt that this endeavor would also enhance my skill set and help me grow.

Through the years I have learned that to teach the material one must really KNOW the material,,so that is what I was hoping for..

Thanks again for your communication






]

 

[Old Dog]

The NRA course is probably a good start. But, at some point, if you want to be good (and credible), you must avail yourself of some quality training. And that will be (no way to sugarcoat it) pretty expensive. Tom Givens, MAG, Gunsite, Thunder Ranch, the SIG Academy ... you want to be certified by the best.

I've been a firearms instructor for half my adult life, and I'm still learning new stuff every week it seems. The best instructors are those who commit to the concept of being a life-long learner.

 

[Shawn Dodson]

Tom Givens' Rangemaster Instructor Development Course is challenging. You have to pass, at 90 percent or higher, the FBI handgun qualification shoot, the more stringent Rangemaster qualification shoot, and the written exam. You spend 12 hours on the range observing, detecting, correcting and coaching other students in the class. It's an intense, high tempo course. A certificate of completion from this particular course is highly respected.

 

[bearcreek]

So what I was hoping for is to add in entry level pistol instructor certification to my knowledge base,,so that I could share my passion with family members and folks in the area and help them at least get started on the path of obtaining a license and handgun..
I have no doubt that this endeavor would also enhance my skill set and help me grow.

The NRA Basic Pistol Instructor course is designed to teach you how to teach the NRA Basic Pistol Course, nothing more. If you want/need that instructor number in order to legally certify people to apply for their permit, then it's worth doing. If your goal is purely to further your knowledge and competence as a shooter and teacher, it's a waste of time.

 

[entropy]

Take the NRA course first.

 

[bearcreek]

Take the NRA course first.

I've taken the NRA course, but not the USCCA. Why do you recommend the NRA course first?

 

[entropy]

It's the gateway drug, er, gold basic standard, for Instructor training. Sort of Intro Instructor 101 if you want to go on to more advanced or specialized Instructor training.

 

[9mmepiphany]

It's the gateway drug, er, gold basic standard, for Instructor training.

Also because it's what new customers are always looking for when they start researching an instructor.

Having attended a course (I had to check the box) I'll add that some of the other attendees were scarier than some clients I've had. It is much like folks looking for "LE or Military experience" when looking for an instructor...it really doesn't mean much, it is is the marketing clients like to see