Planning a basic NRA Firearm Training course can be time-consuming for an instructor—even just responding to inquiries about the class. Questions range from what to wear, class and range expectations, lunch breaks, and the potential student revealing his or her nervousness or apprehension of the class. Many times, the student will not elaborate on why he feels anxious, so as an instructor, you must read between the lines. Often the problem lies with their own self-doubt in their shooting ability, knowing that there is minimum score qualification course they must pass.
I typically forge a preliminary relationship with many of my students, because it is during these back-and-forth conversations that I try to ease the nervousness and any apprehensions that they might have. Unfortunately, pre-class communications can only go so far in easing a student’s mind.
No matter how good you are at calming a student prior to your course, it can all become a moot point when they arrive to your classroom. What he or she sees can bring back all the nervous feelings or an increased self-doubt they had when they signed up for the course.
The first impressions your students get when they walk through the door and see you and your classroom for the first time set the tone for their experience. Just as the instructor is evaluating each student, the instructor is also being evaluated and assessed by every student who is attending the course. There are four things that your students are looking at when they enter your classroom: how the instructor is dressed; whether the instructor is wearing a firearm; the words the instructor uses; and the appearance of the classroom.
Instructor Attire
The first thing I notice about my students when they walk through my classroom doors is the expressions on their faces. Many students are very apprehensive when they enter the classroom for the first time because of what they may have been told about firearm instructors and how firearm courses are conducted, or what they may have seen on social media. Often, students are under the impression that firearm courses are instructed in a very “militaristic” manner, with an instructor that conducts him or herself like a drill sergeant.
An instructor ‘s teaching attire is the student’s first impression of both the teacher and the class they are about to take. Many instructors make the mistake of over-dressing for a basic firearm course, donning the standard “uniform”—tactical black or tan pants, and the corresponding tactical black or tan contrasting shirt. This attire is topped off with a pair of “desert storm” style combat boots also in black or tan. Many of these overdressed instructors even go as far as having a drill sergeant flat-top haircut. Welcome to class!
This attire may be appropriate for advanced classes but can send the wrong message or even intimidate those students who are attending a basic class. Most of the students in a basic class are just that: beginners who need and want to take the introduction to firearms slowly. Drill sergeant attire can frequently stifle questions by intimidation.
This happened in one of my own classes, and I was not even dressed in anything that could be interpreted as “tactical.” I was teaching an NRA Basic Pistol class and was wearing a nice, button-down beige shooting shirt. One of the arms was blaze orange, as well as the shooting pad on the front of the shoulder. I had various NRA firearms training and certification patches and rockers sewn on the front of the shirt and down the sleeve. On a break, a female student approached me to ask a question. I told her that it was a great question and inquired why she hadn’t asked it during class. She stated that she was intimidated by all the patches I had on my shirt and didn’t want to feel “dumb asking me a stupid question.” That experience was an eye-opener for me, and from that day forward, I now only wear a red or black NRA t-shirt with the word “INSTRUCTOR” across the back when I teach.
Firearm—On or Off
One of the first rules of any firearm training is “no live ammunition present in the classroom.” Before entering the class, all firearms must be “cleared” by the student and verified by the instructor. The next rule is when an instructor and students can wear or display a firearm, after it has been redundantly cleared.
If you are conducting an advanced firearms course, it is acceptable to wear and display a firearm (unloaded without live ammunition, when in the classroom). If you are conducting an NRA Basic CCW, Personal Protection Inside the Home, Personal Protection Outside the Home, or Defensive Pistol course, wearing a firearm is acceptable. This also applies if you are conducting a non-NRA course such as a tactical handgun class or providing private lessons. This is because these courses require the student to access their firearm from a holster and the student who enrolls in one of these courses is already mentally prepared to wear a sidearm.
The reason that an instructor should not wear a sidearm when conducting an NRA Basic Firearm course or a non-NRA course, even though in the classroom it would be unloaded with no live ammunition present, is that you do not know WHY a student has enrolled in the course. Many students who enroll in a class may already be familiar with firearms and want to further their knowledge on the correct and safe use of their gun. As an instructor, you must realize that there are other reasons why an individual might register for a basic course. Some students may have been a victim of a robbery, an attack, domestic violence or sexual assault. They may feel the need to know how to protect themselves but may not yet be ready to see someone wearing a gun in front of a class.
Students who have been robbed, assaulted, sexually assaulted or a victim of domestic violence need to be handled very delicately. I have had women stand at the entrance door to my classroom crying, men that started sobbing during class, and a range of other emotions surface for a variety of reasons from students during class. As instructors, we need to take the feelings of our students as one of the most important factors. The only thing that takes priority over our students’ feelings is safety.
Watch Your Words
When we teach an NRA Basic Firearm course, there are several rules that we must follow. First, we are required to use the correct terminology when conducting a class. This allows for standardization and helps the student understand the lesson.
For example, I once finished teaching about using the correct term “magazine” for the device that holds ammunition, and to avoid using the word “clip,” which is commonly interchanged. I also explained to avoid using abbreviations since they could be confusing to new shooters. I then moved into the next lesson about ammunition, and was writing these revolver calibers on the white board: .357 Mag, .41 Mag, and .44 Mag. A student raised his hand and said that he was confused because he thought the ammunition-holding device was a “mag.” I had to apologize, correcting myself re-wrote the correct caliber designations: .357 Magnum, .41 Magnum and .44 Magnum.
One of the most difficult things for most instructors and students in a basic firearm class to do, is to use the term “firearm” and not “weapon.” In a basic class, we always refer to a gun as a firearm, pistol, revolver, shotgun, rifle, etc. The word “weapon” can have very negative connotations to some students who might have enrolled in your class for some very unsettling reasons.
Basic classes are not the place to talk about using a firearm for self-defense. A basic class is designed to teach the proper knowledge, skills and attitude for owning and using a firearm safely. Instructors should refrain from talking about “shooting a perpetrator” or any other self-defense terminology. It is best to save those topics for an advanced firearm course.
Classroom Appearance
Many times, your classroom is the first impression that your students get of you and your class because it is the first thing that they see. It is important that your classroom is neutral and set up as non-threatening. The only things (posters, decorations, etc.) in your classroom] should be firearm related.
A non-threatening classroom is often overlooked by instructors, especially those who share an area with other instructors. I once taught at a location that was used by several other instructors who taught a variety of classes on differing topics. The classroom had whiteboards that extended the length of each of the four walls in the classroom. The previous class was a combat medical class and one wall displayed very graphic drawings, complete with gushing red blood illustrated in bright red marker. The owner of the classroom asked that I not erase the graphic drawings and told me to use other boards for my class. I did the best I could by blocking the view of the graphic drawings but could tell that some people in the room were disturbed by the artwork.
First impressions are very important. The perception students have of their instructor and the classroom can set the tone for the whole day. Sometimes it is hard to change first impressions. Once someone has a bad first impression, the instructor must take the time and work at changing their student’s outlook and attitude. This is the time that you could use to instruct on the safe and proper use of firearms. It is best to make a good first impression on a student and start the day off right. Remember, you never get a second chance to make a first impression!
