CHL Instructors - Are More Needed and Is It Worth It?

[TDDude]

I've been considering the idea of becoming a CHL instructor. Like everyone on this board I enjoy just about everything firearms related and becoming more active seems to be a next step and so, asking the experts & learning from other's mistakes seems to be the wise place to start.

I looked through this section and some of my questions were touched on but most weren't. I've got a pretty good handle on what it will cost to become certified so I'm mainly interested in the "after" actions.

1. Is it worth it financially or does the house get most of the cost of the class? How much goes to the state, how much goes to the facility (average) and how much does the instructor get to keep? I know I won't get rich, but I don't want to have to pay for the privilage of teaching.
2. What did you do after the cert came in? Did most of you get hooked up with a gun store or gun range or did you just get a magnetic sign with your cell # and put it on your car?
3. A lot of instructors are LEO's or Military and the like. I'm just a guy who likes to shoot and hits what I'm aiming at 95% of the time. Does the "pedigree" matter that much? A gun range owner taught my first class and my renewal was taught by an army sniper sergeant ninja. ("Ninja" is a fairly accurate description of this guy). The "ninja" was very qualified and had some good stories but the "Joe Blow Man Off the Street teaching" first class was actually better. Personally, in both cases I just found a place that had a class that fit with my schedule & signed up. Both times I had no idea who the instructor would be.
4. Are there some curriculums that are available or do you just go through the test & pick out what needs to be taught and teach it?
5. How about teaching aids in the AV world? Video clips, power point, overhead projector..... What do you use and did you have to create it yourself?

And lastly and most importantly.....

6. Are there already enough instructors? Are the classes large and easy to fill or is everyone scrambling to get the "leavings"?

I'm sure there are some wildly successful instructors on the board and I'm also sure there are some who didn't quite make it work and I'm just looking to not repeat any past mistakes.

Thanks for any help.

[Crossfire]

If you look at the number of instructors who have been certified over the past 12 years, and the number who are currently active, you will see there is a lot of fallout. If you go into it to make a living, and you don't own your own gun store or range, then it probably isn't going to happen for you. If you get started because you have a passion for the CHL program and want to share that with as many people as possible, then you will most likely be successful.

My spouse and I teach 2 CHL classes, and at least one NRA Basic Pistol class, each month. We aren't getting rich, but it does supplement the income a bit. (Still paying on student loans for 3 kids, gotta do something!) We also both work fulltime jobs, so obviously it is not a get rich quick scheme.

Neither of us has a military or law enforcement background. I don't think being former "spec ops" or "army sniper ninja" really has any bearing on your success as an instructor. You aren't teaching tactical moves or long range sniping - you are teaching plain ordinary people what they need to to know to be licensed to carry in Texas, many of whom never thought they would ever own a gun, much less carry one. You need to know the CHL laws, possess and be able to share some common sense, and effective communication.

DPS will give you an outline lesson plan and some resources to help you develop your course. There are workbooks that have been published by various organizations, if you wish to use one of them. I made my own Powerpoint presentation that I have tweaked, added to, and subtracted from over the years. That is what works best for me. You will figure out what works for you. Just stay within the guidelines of what must be taught, while still trying to get it all done in a reasonable amount of time. I think I have about 15 hours worth of material, and I try to get all of it covered in 10 hours. Sometimes that works, sometimes it takes a little longer.

So, do it because you have a passion for it. Do it because you genuinely enjoy it, and you will be successful. I like to say I do it because I get to make 20 or so new friends every month. And, in this world, that's not such a bad thing.

[Charles L. Cotton]

If you look at the number of instructors who have been certified over the past 12 years, and the number who are currently active, you will see there is a lot of fallout. If you go into it to make a living, and you don't own your own gun store or range, then it probably isn't going to happen for you. If you get started because you have a passion for the CHL program and want to share that with as many people as possible, then you will most likely be successful.

My spouse and I teach 2 CHL classes, and at least one NRA Basic Pistol class, each month. We aren't getting rich, but it does supplement the income a bit. (Still paying on student loans for 3 kids, gotta do something!) We also both work fulltime jobs, so obviously it is not a get rich quick scheme.

Neither of us has a military or law enforcement background. I don't think being former "spec ops" or "army sniper ninja" really has any bearing on your success as an instructor. You aren't teaching tactical moves or long range sniping - you are teaching plain ordinary people what they need to to know to be licensed to carry in Texas, many of whom never thought they would ever own a gun, much less carry one. You need to know the CHL laws, possess and be able to share some common sense, and effective communication.

DPS will give you an outline lesson plan and some resources to help you develop your course. There are workbooks that have been published by various organizations, if you wish to use one of them. I made my own Powerpoint presentation that I have tweaked, added to, and subtracted from over the years. That is what works best for me. You will figure out what works for you. Just stay within the guidelines of what must be taught, while still trying to get it all done in a reasonable amount of time. I think I have about 15 hours worth of material, and I try to get all of it covered in 10 hours. Sometimes that works, sometimes it takes a little longer.

So, do it because you have a passion for it. Do it because you genuinely enjoy it, and you will be successful. I like to say I do it because I get to make 20 or so new friends every month. And, in this world, that's not such a bad thing.

Very well said.

Chas.

[Greybeard]

Yep, Marty summarized pretty well.

But, in response to "I'm mainly interested in the "after" actions", of prime importance, you'd need a viable plan for an ongoing number of seriously interested students. Lots of guys (including one I helped get started last year) initially do all of their friends, family, co-workers, etc. then realize how it easy it is for a whole bunch of people (including ones who'd said the would be interested) to talk a lot about taking a CHL, but just don't ever get around to it.

A Sgt. by the name of Pittman was one of our original DPS trainers in the summer of '95. When back for the first instructor renewal school in 1997, it was scheduled in the auditorim. At the beginning of the first session, Pittman (somewhat of a comedian) hunkered down and squinted as he duck walked walked out to the edge of the stage and said "Well! I see only about half as many of you out there as there were two years ago. I guess the other half already made their million. Or lost it ..."

But, some of us just don't mind working hard for some things that can't be measured in dollars.

[shortround]

Population in Texas per: http://www.ers.usda.gov/statefacts/TX.htm

23,904,380

Total active CHL holders per DPS site:

288,909 or .01% of the population

Total active CHL instructors per DPS site:

1,639 or .00007 % of the population

So many Texans to qualifiy and so little time.

hmm 288,909 / 23,904,380 = 0.012086 or .01%
1,639 / 23,904,380 = 0.0000686 or .00007%

Headed to Instructors school 06/23/08.

[TommyGlock]

Population in Texas per: http://www.ers.usda.gov/statefacts/TX.htm

23,904,380

Total active CHL holders per DPS site:

288,909 or .01%

Total active CHL instructors per DPS site:

1,639 or .00007%

So many Texans to qualifiy and so little time.

Check your math, vis-a-vis the percentages.

[TDDude]

Thanks for the invaluable input.

What I'm hearing both you guys say is that it works best if it's a family effort.

My wife loves the fact that our house if full of firearms but has no interest in them herself and my children are a bit young.

Perhaps in a few years I can look again.

[G.C.Montgomery]

1. Is it worth it financially or does the house get most of the cost of the class? How much goes to the state, how much goes to the facility (average) and how much does the instructor get to keep? I know I won't get rich, but I don't want to have to pay for the privilage of teaching.

True, you won’t get rich. But, you can nicely supplement your income. In my case, teaching CHL and other classes is something I enjoy and a big plus is it buys more ammo and guns without affecting the primary household budget.

Independent instructors who can keep the cost of their classroom and range facilities to a minimum tend to make the most money. If you can notarize and fingerprint students yourself, you might be able to make a little more money but, as classes get larger you reach a point of diminishing returns and you take away from the quality of instruction. Still, using these methods, a good friend of mine manages to retain 70-85% of his class revenue which translates to a minimum of $500 per class.

The deal you cut as an “in house� instructor at a range varies. Some ranges simply pay a fixed fee regardless of class size. Some ranges pay by the hour. Others may be willing to offer a base pay rate for a minimum number of students and then pay for additional students above that minimum. Regardless of how the range agrees to pay you, count on “the house� retaining most of the revenue generated by the classes you teach. That’s not necessarily a bad thing because the better facilities handle quite a bit of the overhead that goes with running CHL classes.

2. What did you do after the cert came in? Did most of you get hooked up with a gun store or gun range or did you just get a magnetic sign with your cell # and put it on your car?

I know some folks who just posted a magnetic sign on their car and away they went. In my case, I was working part-time for a popular range and the owners asked me to teach some of their CHL classes once I was certified.

3. A lot of instructors are LEO's or Military and the like. I'm just a guy who likes to shoot and hits what I'm aiming at 95% of the time. Does the "pedigree" matter that much? A gun range owner taught my first class and my renewal was taught by an army sniper sergeant ninja. ("Ninja" is a fairly accurate description of this guy). The "ninja" was very qualified and had some good stories but the "Joe Blow Man Off the Street teaching" first class was actually better. Personally, in both cases I just found a place that had a class that fit with my schedule & signed up. Both times I had no idea who the instructor would be.

With CHL, the pedigree doesn’t seem to be that big a deal because most of your students will find their classes the same way you did. some sort of professional or even sem

As a civilian, you aren’t likely to be asked to teach an ALERT or hostage rescue class for law enforcement. If that’s important to you, then you might need to go get a badge or enlist with your nearest recruiter. I will say that your students will have more confidence in your knowledge of the subject matter

4. Are there some curriculums that are available or do you just go through the test & pick out what needs to be taught and teach it?

Please don’t “teach to the test.� This is exactly what’s wrong with a lot of school today and its part of the reason so many people can’t think outside the box. Here’s a dirty secret...When you attend the CHL instructor class at Austin, they basically give you the entire curriculum. With the exception of the section regarding teaching methods and styles, the instructor’s school is quite literally a 40hr version of the regular CHL class.

5. How about teaching aids in the AV world? Video clips, power point, overhead projector..... What do you use and did you have to create it yourself?

Power-Point is highly recommended just keep the fluff to a minimum. Overhead projectors are 1930’s technology and basically made obsolete by the proper use of Power-Point. I typically only use video clips as ice-breakers or to illustrate concepts I’ve talked about in non-violent dispute resolution and use of force.

6. Are there already enough instructors? Are the classes large and easy to fill or is everyone scrambling to get the "leavings"?

Are there enough COMPETENT instructors? I saw ‘no’ but there is no shortage of people calling themselves instructors while providing little of the services for which their students have paid them. Are classes large and easy to fill? Depends on where you live and what you or your range does to advertise and fill the classes.