OK stop bashing the newbies and the lack of standards, what do you do to be the perfect instructor?
As others have said, there are no perfect instructors. There are simply too many variables involved, and even the best of instructors will make mistakes occasionally, or will be incompatible with some students. We can strive for perfection, but no one ever really achieves it. I don't strive for perfection ... I strive for competence, both for my students and for myself.
what do you make sure you emphasize to ensure you graduate safe competent divers that will not destroy the first reef they find? how?
There are two major components to dive instruction ... the skills and the mental approach to diving. They are equally important. Teaching the skills does not necessarily turn out a competent diver if they don't apply those skills in a manner that's appropriate to the circumstances of the dive. As an example, the alpha student who aces all the skills on the checklist but who ignores the rules or is diving beyond his training may be "competent" within the limits of his training, but is far from safe.
So to answer the question, when I teach an OW class I am not just teaching skills, but trying to also impart to my students why those skills are important, and how to apply them in a manner that will help them plan and execute their dives safely.
"Mindset" is an important aspect of dive training that is often overlooked.
what do you keep in mind, and what about the difficult students? how do you handle them?
Depends on the circumstances. Some students are difficult because they have difficulty with the mechanics of the skills. As long as they're trying, I'll keep working with them. Some are difficult because their learning style isn't compatible with your teaching style. At the recreational level, this is pretty rare but the one or two times I felt the student could benefit from a different instructor I discussed it with them and recommended them to someone I felt they could "hear" better than me. And on occasion I've run into students who feel that because they paid for a class they're entitled to a certification regardless of how much effort they put into a class. I don't have a whole lot of patience for these students. Most times a private discussion about expectations is enough to clarifiy what they'll need to do in order to earn their certification. If that doesn't work ... and it only has once in my experience ... I will refund the student's money and tell them they need to get their c-card from someone else.
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
