By Adam Painchaud, Director, SIG SAUER Academy
EXETER, NH –-(Ammoland.com)- As a lifelong firearms instructor and constant student of the gun, I’ve always tried to stay current with best practices, new techniques, and adult learning theory.
We owe it to our students to keep up-to-date and provide them with the absolute best we have to offer, because that may be their last chance to train before they need it to survive.
This is why continuing education is so important. All of us out here at the SIG SAUER Academy attend a few instructor development classes and firearms/tactics classes every year to keep our edge.
I find after every course, whether instructor level or shooter lever, there are things I pick up that can enhance our programs and my delivery as an instructor. Being a firearms instructor is fluid, meaning things are always changing and we are continually modifying our techniques to achieve faster more accurate results. There are several courses I’ve taught regularly over the years and have found (based on feedback and my perception) that I’ve never taught the same course twice.
I see this as a positive thing and attribute it mostly to my tenure as an instructor along with the continuous training I attend combined with life experience. My suggestion to the firearms instructors out there is to do the same and keep up with your continuing education in our forever-evolving art.
When looking to attend a firearms instructor course or re-certification course, look for a school that is challenging and has a testing standard. It is important for us to test ourselves and pull ourselves out of our comfort zone occasionally. For those of you that are not firearms instructors and don’t necessarily have an interest in it, consider taking an instructor-level course anyway.
I think you will find it improves your shooting as well as helps you better understand and correct any deficiencies you may have. Bottom line; when or if you lose the passion to teach, train, and study the gun, find something else to do in life because you’re not doing yourself or others any justice. Happy shooting!
About SIG SAUER, Inc.
SIG SAUER, Inc. is the largest member of a worldwide business group of firearms manufacturers that includes J.P. Sauer & Sohn and Blaser GmbH in Germany and Swiss Arms AG in Switzerland. This global network of companies gives SIG SAUER a world-class firearms knowledge base, unparalleled design expertise, and extensive manufacturing capacity, enabling the company to respond quickly and effectively to changing market conditions and the needs of its military, law enforcement, and commercial markets worldwide. SIG SAUER is an ISO 9001: 2000 certified company with over 370 employees. For more information on SIG SAUER or any of its products, or the SIG SAUER Academy, log on to www.sigsauer.com
