Why does every new diver want to be an instructor?

[eelnoraa]

I have seen the same thing as well. I think it all starts with the bar for becoming an instructor, at least for PADI, is way too low. Then new OW students are being taught by sub-standard instructors with sub-standard instructions. Being totally new, "you don't know what you don't know", but by observation, they all think scuba diving involve very simple skills because all they were shown is kneeling down at bottom, holding on to ascent line on ascent, lousy fin technique. And since it is so simple and easy, why don't become an instructor themselves. And then they go through the same low quality instruction and become an instructor and start teaching. Them the whole thing happen to the next generation of divers.

What is real dangerous is that these people believe they are a heck of a diver themselves, when they can't even be proficient in the basical skills. Then start teaching or move into tech diving.

 

[Adam Grose]

Dammit..... just about spit my water all over the monitor.

See... drooling and flexing. Told you.

R..

 

[Edward3c]

I have seen hundreds of posts that read something like, "I would like to learn to dive and become an instructor", or "I got certified last weekend and want to open a dive shop". Why do so many people feel the need to be an instructor in an activity that they are either very, very new to, or not even certified in? Why do so many new, or not even certified divers think that they could or should move in to the professional side of diving. Would they have hired an instructor to train them that started diving last month and just made the minimum required dives while on vacation to go from zero to hero? It drives me nuts!

I think it may be time to take a break from internet diving.

And here is another one.

 

[lsorenson]

Sooo, if I become a dive instructor, will it be easier or harder for me to find a diving boyfriend? ;p I need someone to go on diving vacations with me! (Alas, if I were a dive instructor, perhaps I wouldn't be able to afford diving vacations...)

Hey you... IF you don't mind fat, old, men for boyfriends I will kick the wife to the curb...! Really, I would... Just don't tell her cause she scares me!!! :scared:

Seriously... well, I was serious however; all I know is it cost me twice as much with the wife diving than it would if she didn't but I am glad she does...! I would never be able to get away as often as I do if she didn't dive...!

and don't forget about Bonaire if you decide to go... We have a pretty good group of folks going and were (me and T) and 3 others are spending a week in Curacao the week before... <tease-tease> lee

 

[Diver0001]

When I feel like this, and I am of sound mind, I will ask myself why I care so much that it should bother me so. It's not a person's desire that I find disturbing, it's the fact that they can actually pay their way up the ladder in many cases and become instructors with less experience than I had in 1978. That's how it is, it's not the internet.

Hey! Dave's back! The board just got better!

R..

---------- Post added February 1st, 2013 at 12:19 PM ----------

This year I'm buying they guy who helps me most often an "IANTD advanced nitrox" specialty for his birthday. He earned it and I still find it weird and unfair that only the instructors in our local area get paid.

R..

I'm quoting myself... how weird is that? LOL

I had a change of plans. I'm not buying him the course anymore. I'm going to become a TDI Adv Nitrox instructor and give it to him myself. I've already made the arrangements and I'm chomping at the bit to get started. It turns out that I only need to do 1/2 dozen dives (will probably turn into a dozen) and a couple of weeks of theory on top of what I'm already qualified for..... This is crossing over a line I thought I'd never cross. I've been a recreational instructor for 8 years and a technical diver myself since I became a DM... but combining these things is something I thought I'd never do.

2013 is already shaping up to be an interesting year for me. I'll be training my daughter and my best friend, moving my own con-ed up a notch and breaking new ground. I'm excited. (I hope Robert doesn't think I'm rushing to the gate though. This is only my 29th year of diving )

R..

 

[Doc]

It was mentioned the old "Those who can do, those who can't teach". Not always true. In my career as a band teacher I have seen this, but also some who CAN do that also can teach. And, amazingly, some who can't do either one.

Then, they go into "Administration".

 

[Diver0001]

point poorly made

 

[TSandM]

There are a lot of ways of looking at, "Those who can, do; those who can't, teach."

Some of the worst teachers I've ever had were people who were EXTREMELY good at what they did. But they didn't understand how they got there, and they didn't understand the struggles of students with lesser talents at all. I can remember taking a problem my partner and I had battled with to our college chemistry prof, and having him listen to us present the issue and say to us, "Well, I don't see any problem there at all." He simply couldn't grasp why we didn't understand the thing we had brought to him, because he had never not understood something like that.

People who have to work to overcome obstacles in learning develop a toolbox of strategies that they can then use to aid others who are having the same difficulties. Although the very obstacles they had to overcome may keep them from reaching the top tier in whatever it is they have learned, those same obstacles may MAKE them top tier teachers.

In my path through the scuba training I have taken, I have had the opportunity to work with some people who were absolutely superb divers. They were incredible models of good technique, and they could recognize all of my shortcomings. But they couldn't help me, because they had no idea of the "how" to pass along to correct my issues. I'd rather work with someone who wasn't quite so perfect, but could not only say, "You're making this error," but add, "And you fix it this way."

 

[gekodivebali]

Because they are told they can by greedy instructors/ops?

 

[Doomnova]

There are a lot of ways of looking at, "Those who can, do; those who can't, teach."

Some of the worst teachers I've ever had were people who were EXTREMELY good at what they did. But they didn't understand how they got there, and they didn't understand the struggles of students with lesser talents at all. I can remember taking a problem my partner and I had battled with to our college chemistry prof, and having him listen to us present the issue and say to us, "Well, I don't see any problem there at all." He simply couldn't grasp why we didn't understand the thing we had brought to him, because he had never not understood something like that.

People who have to work to overcome obstacles in learning develop a toolbox of strategies that they can then use to aid others who are having the same difficulties. Although the very obstacles they had to overcome may keep them from reaching the top tier in whatever it is they have learned, those same obstacles may MAKE them top tier teachers.

In my path through the scuba training I have taken, I have had the opportunity to work with some people who were absolutely superb divers. They were incredible models of good technique, and they could recognize all of my shortcomings. But they couldn't help me, because they had no idea of the "how" to pass along to correct my issues. I'd rather work with someone who wasn't quite so perfect, but could not only say, "You're making this error," but add, "And you fix it this way."

To continue on with this. I had a proff who was one of the best researchers at the university I go to teaching physical oceanography while he new his stuff the lecture and assignments were horrible. We had 24 students in the class and after the class we would all find a place sit down and work on "decoding" the homework and notes he gave trying to figure out what he was telling us. It got the point when we were taking turns going up to his office because he though we were idiots but when he couldn't phrase his questions right what can you do. On the other hand you look at his research and its first rate. The biggest issue with teaching is communication of ideas but many of those who do this great and wonderful ground breaking research actually are very poor communicators to their students (generalization). This is just one of several examples of this I have run into.