Define what constitutes a good instructor?

[RickHeil]

Great question...

For me a great instructor is someone I can relate to, learn from, be inspired by...

Someone who is knowledgeable, experienced, and can communicate what they've learned and know...

Someone who is empathetic, patient, and motivational...

Someone who is organized, disciplined, and effective in 'teaching'...

A teacher/student relationship is like other relationships, when the work they are wonderful, went not they don't - and you know it. There is a connection, a chemistry, a vibe, an understanding.

If you're not connecting then another instructor probably would be more beneficial and you'd learn and be inspired more.

 

[leapfrog]

As to multiple certs, I think it usually a negative factor especially when certified by agencies that have contradictory outlooks and approaches ... the only reasons for that could be a change of heart, selling out or card collecting, and only the first of those reasons would I find recommendable.

I had thought of it as being a way to see different styles and methods and provide customer service. As you know, I live in a neck of the woods where P is the predominant agency. For some reason that I'm not quite sure about, ACUC has a reasonable market share around here. Apart from that there is the local nation federation affiliated with CMAS, a little bit of SSI and the occasional BSAC on vacation. So if a P instructor became a BSAC instructor (just an example), he would be able to offer them BSAC courses and not just P and be more "employable". I would have thought that it would have broadened the instructor's horizons but it appears this is not the case.....?

 

[rivrdiving]

one that MAKES DARN SURE you can handle many different situations and you have a thoro knowledge of SCUBA and its theories and limits.And find one that enjoys teaching and not doing it as a job. Many have different ways and personalities of teaching hell they are people, for ya`ll ladies that had touchy feely instructors back hand them one good time, as a man them dudes is making it hard for the rest of us semi gentlemen..LOL
All BS aside my instructor was cool because I actually got to do some extra class times and extra pool time because I was kinda an in between classes class, and he wasnt super formal and was a good judge of character and he knew when I knew what I needed to know to be safe and have fun.
My dive buddy (although I havent been diving much this year had the same instructor) Gene where ya at??
I know ya read this stuff lol
Ron

 

[bottomfeeder22]

Lots of instructors are good teachers, but the ability to keep a student at ease while they're learning a completely alien system (I.E. SCUBA) is what makes an instructor truly great. Hats off to MSparamedic, love ya darlin!

 

[Bretagus]

I'd like to throw ORGANIZED into the mix, here.

I've had an instructor who seemed like he was making it up as he went along. It was a great class, and I learned a ton, but thats only because I felt like I was guiding him with my questions. Being PREPARED is more than just being able to teach the material... its having a plan to do so as well!

 

[leapfrog]

I'd like to throw ORGANIZED into the mix, here.

I've had an instructor who seemed like he was making it up as he went along. It was a great class, and I learned a ton, but thats only because I felt like I was guiding him with my questions. Being PREPARED is more than just being able to teach the material... its having a plan to do so as well!

Very good point and thank you for reminding us....you say you were guiding him with your questions....which course did this happen on?

 

[Bretagus]

Very good point and thank you for reminding us....you say you were guiding him with your questions....which course did this happen on?

Rescue. He was filled with information about self-rescue and redundancy and would go at lengths about what to do if you got caught in spider wire. But yeah, it was almost a chore to bring him back to the course outline.

For example, during our diver tows/rescue, somebody dropped their mask. We found it quickly, but he then went into a long explaination of search patterns which we then practiced (he sent one of the DMs to his truck to get a spool). It was interesting and topical, and I know the book mentioned search patterns, but maybe that could have waited until we finished our tows.

This said, I think his style of filling our heads with information and scenarios was very appropriate for a rescue class. Its just a matter of being able to do that in a more structured way. It felt like I was learning from a more experienced diver during a SI rather than an instructor, if that makes sense.
-Brett

 

[leapfrog]

Rescue. ....... It felt like I was learning from a more experienced diver during a SI rather than an instructor, if that makes sense.
-Brett

Brett, you've probably seen a lot of threads about different agencies, instructors and training programs.

In principle, I respect all the agencies and their training programs and each instructor is different.

Having said that, some agencies have a less structured approach to training and more is left to the instructor's judgement.

I have students who are doing one on one's with me (at OW level) and we can take a more relaxed attitude and at the sametime widen the syllabus. When I have 4 or 6 students we have to stick to the game plan.

Rescue is a very important course if not the most important course taught in recreational diving. A lack of clarity an structure in the course obviously is disconcerting because the ethos behind Rescue is "Be Prepared". So if the instructor is not prepared and doesn't look like he's thought out how, where and when he is going to introduce the topics and do the exercises.....doesn't feel very professional.