How much formal [non-diving]

[DiverBuoy]

The reason you don't have to be a gradute to teach the PADI system is because the system removes the need for a teacher to use traditional methods of education - like lectures and self-planned curriculums. The program is fully built around prescriptive teaching. It's a simple loop:

1. Self-study (Manual, DVD/VHS Videos, & Interactive Media)
2. Take a quiz with "examiner"
3. Review with "instructor" what you missed and ask questions
4. Practice skills in the pool with "demonstrator"
5. Perform skills in the ocean with "evaluator"
6. Repeat

Bottom line is you never really teach in the traditional sense. Instead you answer questions and discuss problems and solutions, set a mastery level role-model example, evaluate that you made perfect cookie-cutter student divers. Now there is no way to avoid putting in the personal touch. But one-on-one time with the student becomes the focus, you spend your time anticipating needs and problems of the student. Which in fact becomes the focus, and it's something that a PADI instructor can actually be much better at than a teacher who is in any way distracted by making speeches, impressing audiences, and building ego. You must of course be willing to trust the system, and follow the method. It sounds robotic but that would be to completely miss the point. The point is to give the PADI instructor more time. It's all about time - time to focus on the most important element - the student, time to focus on their needs, time to focus on their issues. All done without regurgitating useless facts and figures and information that is of no use to the sport or the skill set of the student, if the've studied it let's get into the water and put it into practice - GO DIVING ALREADY. In my opinion it is a more pure method than any traditional instruction could attain.

 

[jhelmuth]

If it's not a troll - it's a d_mn good facsimile! Credentials, education, etc. never made for great qualifiers for teaching. It's the same mistake that business management makes when assuming that the best technicians should be promoted into management because it's assumed that they will somehow make everyone they lead as good/productive as they were.
Now obviously the knowledge in the subject matter is a primary prerequisite. But to be a teacher, you need experience - in both what you teach, as well as the teaching itself. So I'd say that the requirement would be based solely upon an apprentice-ship that would be served under a master teacher who would then promote the apprentice based upon their ability and with the understanding that they were putting their reputation on the line as a master teacher in recommending the apprentice.
oking:

 

[trewbs]

I've been taught by quite a few diving instructors, most of whom have no further ed. at all. This doesn't stop them from knowing everything there is to know about scuba, they could just be bad at english or something.

I've had gas physics explained to me by an instructor who left school at 16 and he taught very complicated stuff in a simple and easy to understand way.

I think that as long as the instructor has the common sense and basic intelligance to teach the course completely and safely then their level of schooling does not matter.

Just a thought...

 

[MikeFerrara]

On the other hand....

Every gas blending manual I've seen is a mess when it comes to the math. Even students with technical backgrounds have trouble seeing how it all fits together. Having a technical background myself enabled me to write my own blending software before I took the class. When I lay the equations out for a student they instantly "get it" it if they have any math background at all.

Unfortunately there are similar issues with other texts and courses. I think I put out better students than the "system"garantees. Sometimes my education or other experience contributes as well.

Others have pointed out that getting an educated person doesn't garantee a good person. I have certainly seen that in industry. Manufacturing is dead in the US and I must give much of the credit to all the MBA's who are running our companies without having any experience in anything. I think one needs the right combination of education and experience for whatever they are doing and teaching scuba is no exception.

 

[TCDiver1]

higher education is not necessary to be good at scuba instruction.

As most have said experience is essential but IMO so are good communication skills. For the most part, you either have them or you don't. Basic communication skills can be learned but i think people that are really good communicators tend to have that characteristic innate to their personalities.

IMO the best instructors have lots of practical dive experience and have good communication skills

 

[Lawman]

as Gedunk can verify, Michigan where we live is a
strong union state. After the United Auto Workers
the Mich Education Assn. is the most politically powerful.
The MEA doesn't want ANYONE who hasn't graduated
from the School of Ed at a college or university teaching
anything. It's probably true in other states as well.

State Boards of Education set teaching requirements
as well. Teachers Unions have a lot of clout with those
Boards.

This is what prompted the thread. If I was a diving
instructor without a degree or without a teaching degree
I would be concerned about being put out of business
by union politics. It could happen with one law. It could
also set minimum state requirements and methods for
teaching diving to insure "safety". That's the rational for barbers and hairdressers having licenses.

Worth thinking about.

 

[Iguana Don]

You Lawman.

You didn't mention if any of the trades (HVAC, Electricians, Carpenters, Painters etc.) had to have teaching certs or a college degree to teach any of these.

ID


Keep this up and you may graduate from the "Troll" status!

 

[TCDiver1]

Iguana Don once bubbled...
You Lawman.

You didn't mention if any of the trades (HVAC, Electricians, Carpenters, Painters etc.) had to have teaching certs or a college degree to teach any of these.

ID


Keep this up and you may graduate from the "Troll" status!

The work force for our company are all union plumbers/pipefitters and HVAC techs. I do not believe any of their apprenticeship instructors have a teaching ticket. It pretty much works like, "your good with the tools, you wanna teach new apprentices how to do that?"

And it works well. The single most important part of their training takes place in the field by doing, under the direction of a journeyperson or master licensee in their respective field. A typical apprenticeship lasts four to five years for union labor in our state

The same is not true for non-union labor.

 

[Lawman]

a degree is required to teach a trade if it is
part of union training. It is required by the
state and feds to teach it on the Community
College level. I'm a trustee at a local Community
College and the rules for teaching trades are
the same as for teaching anything else.

The difference is that the union trade instructors
arn't offering the training to the general public.

If someone were to die and it could in some
way be pinned on the diving instructor and
some flaw in the instruction the state would
be under pressure to regulate diving like any
other occupation. The police power allows
regulation to protect public safety.

 

[Iguana Don]

You are a better scuba instructor if you have a college degree?

This is scary.