Instructors should take some advanced training as well. Yea or Nay? Does it matter?

[kafkaland]

I got very recently OW certified, and then took the nitrox course (PADI). And I appreciated having an instructor who was broader than just being qualified to teach that course and recite the manual. In fact, what the nitrox course is concerned, the course materials plus some background knowledge of physics, physiology, and common sense is fully sufficient to pass the course. But where I got the extra information that I didn't already knew was from a question that I asked after he made a throw-away remark along the lines of that any gas mix is always a trade off. So I inquired about helium, which I knew very little about. And since he is also a tri-mix instructor, he gave us a brief outlook into what helium does - and doesn't. I sort of knew that you can get bent on helium, but having that confirmed was good. And, more importantly, it hadn't really been on my radar screen that rapid off-gassing also means rapid on-gassing, limiting its usefulness for short dives, and the need for precise control of ascent rates as a consequence of the rapid gas exchange rates. Now, this doesn't have any practical implications for my diving in the next few weeks or months, because I'm nowhere near ready for going tri-mix, but it changes my outlook on this, as it's not as simple as "just add some helium", as some seem to make it. That discussion, going beyond the nominal course content because of a well-qualified instructor, was for me the most interesting piece I got out of a course that I took mostly for the card.

 

[mdb]

I worked with Joe Zell who founded Wenoka Knife company he said "You must always be a student as well as a teacher".

 

[TSandM]

No matter what the subject material, I think it is good for instructors to become students periodically, just because it makes them more aware of what the student role feels like. I know I'm nine years from my OW class, and although I remember it pretty clearly, I'm sure I don't really remember the experience of being a brand new dive student as vividly as I lived it. But every time I take a class and struggle with new skills (or higher standards on old ones) I DO remember and re-experience that sense of bewilderment and frustration that I think a lot of OW students feel.

I also very firmly believe that it is incumbent on an instructor to have skills WELL beyond those of the student. Whether those skills are achieved by diving in a variety of environments or by formal study is less relevant than that they are there at all.

It's getting harder for me to find classes to take. I've done several photo workshops in the last couple of years, which were fun, and I did the GUE documentation diver class last summer, and an open water sidemount class in the fall (talk about feeling clumsy and frustrated!). But a lot of the classes I haven't taken are classes to do diving I don't want to do, like deeper technical diving, or rebreathers.

 

[TMHeimer]

No matter what the subject material, I think it is good for instructors to become students periodically, just because it makes them more aware of what the student role feels like. I know I'm nine years from my OW class, and although I remember it pretty clearly, I'm sure I don't really remember the experience of being a brand new dive student as vividly as I lived it. But every time I take a class and struggle with new skills (or higher standards on old ones) I DO remember and re-experience that sense of bewilderment and frustration that I think a lot of OW students feel.

I also very firmly believe that it is incumbent on an instructor to have skills WELL beyond those of the student. Whether those skills are achieved by diving in a variety of environments or by formal student is less relevant than that they are there at all.

It's getting harder for me to find classes to take. I've done several photo workshops in the last couple of years, which were fun, and I did the GUE documentation diver class last summer, and an open water sidemount class in the fall (talk about feeling clumsy and frustrated!). But a lot of the classes I haven't taken are classes to do diving I don't want to do, like deeper technical diving, or rebreathers.

I agree an instructor's skills should be well beyond those of the student, no matter how he achieves this. Also agree that for me as well, finding classes to take that relate to my own diving (which is very simple straight forward rec. diving, usually at relatively benign sites/situations) is not easy. I do my best to rembember what it's like to be a novice. Teaching Grade 6 Beginning Band for years has helped ---somewhat...---- in that area.

 

[Hawkwood]

...I think it is good for instructors to become students periodically, just because it makes them more aware of what the student role feels like...

When my Pilates Instructor gives me 6 or 7 steps to follow for one exercise on the Reformer, she gets the same blank look of puzzlement from me that I sometimes see from students. Then I know what it's like to get too much all at once.

Yes, it's somewhat off-topic, but the experience of being a student still applies, as does the lessons learned through being a student.

 

[knotical]

It should be incumbent on all conscientious instructors to continually work to improve their craft. Whether that translates to taking classes or not depends on the instructor and where they are in their career. Many other methods can contribute:
Co-teaching or assisting with other classes.
Learning educational psychology – not necessarily in a class.
Reading boulderjohn’s (and others&#8217 posts here on ScubaBoard.
Reading books and articles.
Seeking feedback from your students and assistants.
Diving and observing other divers.
etc.
etc.

The main thing is be a perpetual student, not necessarily formally, though. There will always be so much more to learn.
Oh, and never get complacent.

 

[kelemvor]

It's not a bad idea, continuing education for instructors. School teachers are required to get retrained frequently. At least, that's how it's done in Florida. Scuba instructors probably should be as well. maybe some kind of annual refresher course or something.

Don't let the agencies read this thread, they'll see it and their pupils will turn (back) into dollar signs.

 

[TMHeimer]

It's not a bad idea, continuing education for instructors. School teachers are required to get retrained frequently. At least, that's how it's done in Florida. Scuba instructors probably should be as well. maybe some kind of annual refresher course or something.

Don't let the agencies read this thread, they'll see it and their pupils will turn (back) into dollar signs.

Sorry, off topic-- What kind of retraining are FL teachers required to do? Courses, or just inservices?

 

[waterpirate]

I would support instructor re-certification periodically, as well as yearly con-ed like other liscensed occupations.
Eric

 

[Steve_C]

If I ever get someone to take a DPV class, maybe one of them will help, but I assure you that getting someone in Colorado to take a DPV class is no easy feat.

Slightly off topic: I took a DPV course last summer. I have zero desire to use a DPV for my local NC diving. However, I was going to be in Hawaii at a place that offered some dives where a DPV was the only option so if I wanted to do those particular dives I needed the card. Plus I know some divers who do use a DPV so I thought it was part of my scuba knowledge. We used both typical rec DPV and big long fast cave DPV. The rec DPV were easy from the start. The cave DPV were magagable but required more advanced planning and skill then I expected. Did ok but informative.