Thanks for all of the interesting and thought-provoking responses. It might be good to add some comment, by way of explanation of my original post.
The line of thinking started several years ago, with an interest in better understanding the SEI teaching approach to teaching OW. I had long been impressed with the apparent professional pride that former Y Scuba and now SEI instructors evinced in their SB posts. I thought it would be great to be a 'fly on the wall' and observe a class. I went so far as to contact SEI to see if there were SEI instructors in my 'neck of the woods', that I might contact to ask if I could observe one of his/her OW classes. But, I also recognized the distinct possibility of a Hawthorne effect in such an approach, and never pursued it beyond that contact. I have also been intrigued by some of the UTD teaching videos, as another example. In thinking through it, I have come to realize that I would like to understand - from the perspective of a student - what the training experience is like in another agency course, while learning - from the perspective of an Instructor - about possible different approaches to teaching that other agencies might employ. Frankly, I am just fundamentally curious about the magnitude of difference, and the diversity of teaching techniques. As I said originally, I am PADI 'born and bred'. I am VERY happy with the PADI system, I get great support from the organization, I feel that I have enormous flexibility, etc. But, that doesn't mean that I cannot, or should not want to, learn from other organizations! When I was a high school athletic coach, I learned something (good or bad) from the opposing coach in every game my team played, win or lose.
Now, I fully understand that the instructor-specific nature of most training, irrespective of agency, could influence any possible experience. I have participated in numerous SB threads, and said essentially just that same thing. I hope I am not so naive as to expect something else. But, there may be agency-specific, core approaches to teaching, about which it would be worthwhile to learn.
Perhaps, my post was more philosophical musing than a literal statement of 'intent to pursue'. But, I really believe there are probably lessons I could learn - that would help me continue to work toward becoming a better Instructor - from observing instructional methods across agencies.
(And, a possible secondary reason for posting is that I believe we can learn from each other, and that learning starts with a sense of mutual respect. )
