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by twomillenium
Mon Mar 12, 2018 6:40 am
Forum: Instructors' Corner
Topic: Failing a student?
Replies: 23
Views: 10997

Re: Failing a student?

Vol Texan wrote:
Vol Texan wrote:I've only been doing this since January of this year, and I've had only one student not pass the proficiency on the first try. She had a DAO small pistol in .380, and it had a nice snap to it. I asked her to tryout her son's Beretta 92FS on her second try. She rose from a 135 to a 219, just because she had a better pistol to shoot.
After today, I had another student have to retake the shooting test. It was another 'wrong gun' issue. After switching him to my gun, he shot over 230.

But today I did have to escort one student off the firing line - repeatedly I asked him to keep the gun pointed downrange, and repeatedly he was turning the gun 90 degrees to the left. Granted, we were in the far left lane, and there was a cinder block wall, but I expect everyone to demonstrate safe gun handling, no matter where they are. I have to assume he'd do the same thing, even if we were in a middle lane with a kid shooting next to him on the left side.

The range safety officers were amazed I'd take my own student off the line - they'd had a problem with another instructor just earlier in the day (actually, they said they have a problem with his students often, and they are the ones who have to correct the errors. But when I pulled my own student off the line, they thanked me profusely, and said I could teach on their range anytime.

I told my student that I'd GLADLY take him shooting another time to help him with his safe gun handling and range etiquette. I'll even give him an hour or two of my time at no charge, as long as he pays for ammo and range fees. I hope that he takes me up on it - he seemed like a great guy.
Good Job! I too have had to do that with a couple or three students over the years. I have given many warnings, which were followed, since they carried the words "next time you will be disqualified from this shoot". I do offer a separate shooting time with the student paying all expenses, I have not charged for my time in these.
Only one student has decided that carrying a pistol was not for them and did not finish. One incident, where my wifey was present, now requires (her orders) that I wear a bullet resistant vest (no such thing as bullet proof) when I am at the outdoor range with multiple students. I have yet to have a student fail all 3 chances at the proficiency test.

I also highly recommend (especially now days) that an instructor were a body cam when teaching one on one or with a group of females they do not know. Just the presence of the body cam may protect you from that rare false accusation, that is almost impossible to defend. I just tell the student I use it to self-critique my teaching methods.
by twomillenium
Wed Mar 07, 2018 3:03 pm
Forum: Instructors' Corner
Topic: Failing a student?
Replies: 23
Views: 10997

Re: Failing a student?

Charles L. Cotton wrote:
Liberty wrote:Are they allowed to retest if they do fail?
They can shoot three times in a single class, but I'm not sure about the written exam. I believe I recall a DPS instructor/speaker saying they could do both the written exam and range portion of the class three times, but I could be wrong. I guess I should find out in case it happens. :oops:

Chas.
I have never had a student fail, I have had some who had to shoot a 2nd time. I did have one student that was told to leave class because he continued to be disruptive and want to argue about any and all laws that required licensing. I told him that I was not there to debate the law but to teach how it applies. I gave him a chance and then a warning and then made good on the warning. BTW, the class applauded when he left.

Texas Administrative Code, Part 1 Chapter 6, Subchapter B, rule 6.11
(c) A handgun license applicant will have three opportunities to pass the written examination and the proficiency examination within a 12 month period.

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