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A great instructor is like a great orator. They will have an intense love of the subject and a desire to instill in others that same enthusiasm.

I have no idea what it takes to make the shooting test work more smoothly.

Liberty wrote:A good instructor keeps the class interested, and provides enough information to be safe and legal. A great instructor, teaches us that we don't have all the answers, and that We the class is just a start, and beggining of a lifelong quest to understand and perfect our skills and knowledge. I am fortunate enough to have been instructed by 2 of the best. Tom and Charles.

Well said Liberty.

Along will being great instructors, both Tom and Charles are also lifelong students.

...I think a great one would be the one who taught you what the laws mean, without inserting their opinions or how to work around them, and wouldn't be afraid to say "I don't know but I'll find out"...I sat in that chair to find out how to stay within the law, and all the war stories and jokes didn't bother me...but when they told me things that I later found were WRONG and I could have had problems if I hadn't learned different...that DID bother me...so ACCURACY in information is my number one standard...

speedsix wrote:...I think a great one would be the one who taught you what the laws mean, without inserting their opinions or how to work around them, and wouldn't be afraid to say "I don't know but I'll find out"...I sat in that chair to find out how to stay within the law, and all the war stories and jokes didn't bother me...but when they told me things that I later found were WRONG and I could have had problems if I hadn't learned different...that DID bother me...so ACCURACY in information is my number one standard...

...Now I think you are talking about the difference between a Good vs. a Bad Instructor...

WildBill wrote:

speedsix wrote:...I think a great one would be the one who taught you what the laws mean, without inserting their opinions or how to work around them, and wouldn't be afraid to say "I don't know but I'll find out"...I sat in that chair to find out how to stay within the law, and all the war stories and jokes didn't bother me...but when they told me things that I later found were WRONG and I could have had problems if I hadn't learned different...that DID bother me...so ACCURACY in information is my number one standard...

...Now I think you are talking about the difference between a Good vs. a Bad Instructor...

If they're teaching bad information they are bad instructors. Whether it's teaching outdated law or teaching their prejudices as fact, the bad instructors give abundant ammunition to the people selling out of state licenses as an alternative.

While there are a lot of good comments, I think I should have phrased it a little differently. Most of what has been said is general teaching information rather than CHL specific. What I think I'm looking for are particular methods that people have seen work well for this class. Tactics rather than strategy, if you will.

One example that I've started using is using an edited video of a shooting to introduce use of force. This let's me give people a warning that we're going to be talking about actual shootings, actual deaths, etc. It might not work for everyone, but it's seemed to make my classes flow better.

A great instructor must inspire students with a Growth Mindset (Fixed Mindset vs. Growth Mindset: Which One Are You?)

Starting out with a video sounds great. It's a good attention grabber and can frame the seriousness and reality of the subject.

For the CHL class you don't have much time, so of course you want to cover safety and the required material. As far as safety goes, give some photos/stories of gun accidents to start. Remember that people have to be aware of the problem/need first, before they are willing to accept the solutions you are offering. That is the sales process. Students will ignore/forget what you say if they don't see a purpose for it.

As others have said, know your material well. Practice. Practice. Practice. Steve Jobs was an excellent presenter. Use some of Steve Job's techniques

Also spend at least a little time talking about the Fundamentals of Marksmanship. This seems like a no-brainer, but in my experience many instructors just assume that their students understand the fundamentals.

On the range, before you go live, you might want to walk your students through dry fire practice. Dry fire is the best tool available for creating marksmen (and markswomen). If you do this, I bet that your student's shooting scores will go up too.

Before they leave, let them know of what kind of other training will help them. A fully trained CHL must not only understand the relevant laws, safety, and marskmanship. They must also have the proper mindset and be skilled in gun handling, "combat shooting", and tactics. Then they should put everything together in force-on-force training. Once they experience the 2-way range of force-on-force... their eyes will be opened to a whole new world where training never really ends.

WildBill wrote:

Liberty wrote:A good instructor keeps the class interested, and provides enough information to be safe and legal. A great instructor, teaches us that we don't have all the answers, and that We the class is just a start, and beggining of a lifelong quest to understand and perfect our skills and knowledge. I am fortunate enough to have been instructed by 2 of the best. Tom and Charles.

Well said Liberty.

Along will being great instructors, both Tom and Charles are also lifelong students.

+2

I would also say someone that knows the ends and outs of the application process/requirements. Someone that knows if you're born out of the country what documents you need to send in with you application. Someone that knows what active military or veteran persons need. Someone that knows what kind of photos a person needs and knows about the CHL-6 photo holder form. In short, someone that knows the DPS side of things like the back of their hand. You never want to be that instructor that an angry upset person says "well that's not what my instructor told me!" while on the phone with DPS. If things were as simple as going to the class, passing the test, passing the proficiency, and leaving with your new CHL license that would be totally different. I've heard there's still instructors out there that are ink rolling people's prints onto fingerprint cards- how ridiculous is that? So, in short, someone that can help insure that their student's applications or renewals go through with no problems and with the all the materials required to be sent in. You never want to be that guy when people say "well my instructor told me different" or "my instructor told me I could mail in fingerprint cards" or "my instructor didn't tell me I needed that form" etc..
1. teach a good informative class
2. ensure they have everything they need
3. if their application process goes smooth and they get their license in a decent time- you will be highly recommended.