What instructional methods do you use?

[wsswesty]

Hello all,

I will be taking my NRA Pistol Instructors course next week and I'm begining to think about my future classes and what I'm gonna need and do. I'm a retired university professor and have used all of the different types of classroom technology. I would like to hear from the instructors in the group as to what instructional methods you use i.e., powerpoint, straight lecture, group discussion, etc. I talked with one instructor the other day who said he started out using a projector and computer for PowerPoint to teach the NRA Basic Pistol course. He found that students were very bored, falling asleep and staring off in space. He then decided to use no PP and just follow the NRA curriculum with as much student interaction as possible. This seems to be working best for him.

Before I invest in a computer projector for PP presentations, I would like to get your feedback as to what works best in your classroom. Any other tips and hints for teaching the classes will be greatly appreciated. Thanks a million!

Scott

[John Theriot]

We have seen that all of this powerpoint, straight lecture, group discussion works, but we have the students take turn reading from their lesson plan. We have other instructors show how to hold etc firearm, and last have the NRA pistol safety rules and other NRA lesson poster up around room. The more they do the more they remember.
NRA pistol and rifle instructor
NRA RSO
Beaumont Tx

[Glock27060]

I have found that interactive instruction works best for me. I have adopted the use of a booklet and discussion. It seems to help drawing the students into asking questions which helps many of them relax.

[Are You Prepared]

For newbies I use AirSoft weapons for demonstration and the purpose of letting them (the students) get used to handling a gun before handling a live firearm. I also use Simunitions® and the Blue Guns®. I keep as much of the training "hands on" as possible, with minimal classroom time.

If I'm teaching a SRC (combatives course), I use the Blue Guns® for all demonstration purposes and AirSoft for actual training. I believe, and it has proven true, that students do not want to get shot, so the AirSoft gives the reality of being shot during a disarm or firearm control technique, thus ensuring that the student give it their all during training and a more real sense of being under the stress/duress of being shot by their attacker. Believe me, being shot, at close range, by a CO2 propelled AirSoft pellet does hurt, but not as much as being shot with a bullet!

[bob steadman]

I've always followed NRA curriculum and always encourages give and take. Encourage questions also. Even when I'm not doing NRA Basic Pistol (Not required in VA, and many women in my class just want shooting portion) I still add most of pertinent NRA info. I do use some DVD's from the NRA as an add on to the lesson.

[jpcmt]

Preface the class with comments like "This will be a discussion based class where your full verbal and physical participation is required..." and I keep guns in reach of students with lots of hands on. I do the classes with 4-6 students max in my dinning room, NRA posters on the wall, guns of each action and type constantly used. Handling guns a lot allows for constant demonstration of the firearms safety rules which I cover verbally at least 3x during the class. Frequent breaks, snacks/drinks, maybe a Travis Haley clip for added demonstration. I won't ever use powerpoint, there's no need unless I have a big class.

Having fun in the class is what keeps people awake and referring to others. Don't be a jackass, but don't be afraid to show them the gangster, modified gangster, and super modified gangster grips when showing them the NRA poster with the grip angles (top-down one looks like sideways gangster view). Coaxing more questions from students is best done by thanking them when they do have questions and referring back to their questions when appropriate and even illustrating why it's important to ask questions. And of course, "the only 'dumb' questions are the ones you don't ask."

[Straight Shooter]

I use the training team approach with Total Participant Involvement, and lots of training aids, including power point, movies, blue guns, real gund, dummy ammo, posters, etc........ This works well for me and my students.