In the spirit of my last thread (thoughts about instructors) I am going into this subject, that is an ofspring of that thread.
What do I mean by ethics?
I'll start with the "easier" issuesand than go to the dilemas.
-Teaching in the best way you can.
-treating all the students nice (even the anoying ones).
-Kepping up to standards when you are not supervized. It's very easy to "forget" teaching a skill or round a bit the corners (super shorted PADI course of 2.5 days in thailand is a good example for it).
-Giving a fair decision about certifications (I'll get deeper into that in a moment).
-Standing up to your bosses with your opinion (also more in a moment, actuay heavily realted to the last topic).
-Alwais keeping an eye on the others instructors. If another instructor rounds the edges, and you are aware of it, don't let it go.
Dilemas:
(that's where we get deeper)
Ill give here some example, from my own experience.
Every center has a different way of paying the instructors. Where I worked, you can say more or less, that money was "per certificate". If you went a whole course with a person, than he couldn't do the last dive, you are not payed. If there is a diver, which you are not sure if he should be certified, there is some weight for the money (aspecialy since full-job instructors are heavily underpayed). This is more or less what I mean by ethics, knowing to look at these things objectively, and boy is this hard!
I sinned several times in those things, It's hard not to when you work under a lot of pressure, in a dive-shop at high season, when you have at least one course to teach, and probobly a whole lot of other assignments (guideds, refreshes, etc.).
And if we got to the pressure:
Sometimes the shop owner will put pressure on you to finish early with a course, so you can go to another assignment. Usualy it goes after you tell yourself "the hell with the money of that assignment", and you want to puft effort into the course, but allas...
There is a lot of pressure on an instructor at a dive center. Time scheduals must be folowed, and it's a known fact that it takes a different amount of time for every student to learn. Sometimes becouse of the pressure you will neglect a student, encourage him to quit, while actualy you could make a hell of a diver of him if you just had another hour to work with him on mask clearing in the pool.
An instructor must know how to stand his mind, teach the courses as if money wan't an issue. And it's hard. I am sure that all of the instructors here, that worked in a dive-shop with heavy traffic know what I am talking about.
An instructor must somehow find a way how to make things not to come on the expense of his students.
And like in the "thoughts about instructors" thread, I am quite tired. I really had some more very intelegent things to say, only I can't recall. I'll post on later.
What do I mean by ethics?
I'll start with the "easier" issuesand than go to the dilemas.
-Teaching in the best way you can.
-treating all the students nice (even the anoying ones).
-Kepping up to standards when you are not supervized. It's very easy to "forget" teaching a skill or round a bit the corners (super shorted PADI course of 2.5 days in thailand is a good example for it).
-Giving a fair decision about certifications (I'll get deeper into that in a moment).
-Standing up to your bosses with your opinion (also more in a moment, actuay heavily realted to the last topic).
-Alwais keeping an eye on the others instructors. If another instructor rounds the edges, and you are aware of it, don't let it go.
Dilemas:
(that's where we get deeper)
Ill give here some example, from my own experience.
Every center has a different way of paying the instructors. Where I worked, you can say more or less, that money was "per certificate". If you went a whole course with a person, than he couldn't do the last dive, you are not payed. If there is a diver, which you are not sure if he should be certified, there is some weight for the money (aspecialy since full-job instructors are heavily underpayed). This is more or less what I mean by ethics, knowing to look at these things objectively, and boy is this hard!
I sinned several times in those things, It's hard not to when you work under a lot of pressure, in a dive-shop at high season, when you have at least one course to teach, and probobly a whole lot of other assignments (guideds, refreshes, etc.).
And if we got to the pressure:
Sometimes the shop owner will put pressure on you to finish early with a course, so you can go to another assignment. Usualy it goes after you tell yourself "the hell with the money of that assignment", and you want to puft effort into the course, but allas...
There is a lot of pressure on an instructor at a dive center. Time scheduals must be folowed, and it's a known fact that it takes a different amount of time for every student to learn. Sometimes becouse of the pressure you will neglect a student, encourage him to quit, while actualy you could make a hell of a diver of him if you just had another hour to work with him on mask clearing in the pool.
An instructor must know how to stand his mind, teach the courses as if money wan't an issue. And it's hard. I am sure that all of the instructors here, that worked in a dive-shop with heavy traffic know what I am talking about.
An instructor must somehow find a way how to make things not to come on the expense of his students.
And like in the "thoughts about instructors" thread, I am quite tired. I really had some more very intelegent things to say, only I can't recall. I'll post on later.
eace:
