Page 1 of 4

My First 4 Hour Class

Posted: Fri Sep 06, 2013 8:29 pm
by Capt Roy
I taught my first 4 hour class today and did not make it in 4 hours. It took me from 0800 until around 3 to finish everything including the shooting.. The classroom took until 1:00 and I had planned to be finished a little after 1200.. Oh well, I will make a few adjustments before my next class..

The good news was everyone had a good time and learned a lot. I had a lot of questions and I really like a class that gets involved.

After teaching Coast Guard captains for 20 years it is fun to teach something else..

Re: My First 4 Hour Class

Posted: Fri Sep 06, 2013 9:47 pm
by misterlarry
My CHL instructor did voice some concerns to me about a couple of months ago about being able to cram all the necessary info into a four hour class. I hope that people will still be getting the instruction that they need from only four hours. Good luck trimming your course down to size.

Re: My First 4 Hour Class

Posted: Fri Sep 06, 2013 10:24 pm
by C-dub
It does say 4-6 hours and you made it in 5, so I'd say you did okay. That is the class time and isn't supposed to include the shooting portion, is it?

Re: My First 4 Hour Class

Posted: Fri Sep 06, 2013 11:45 pm
by Jumping Frog
misterlarry wrote:My CHL instructor did voice some concerns to me about a couple of months ago about being able to cram all the necessary info into a four hour class.
Well, instructors have been able to cover the same necessary material in 4 hours for their renewal students for almost 20 years.

Re: My First 4 Hour Class

Posted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 7:44 am
by jmra
Jumping Frog wrote:
misterlarry wrote:My CHL instructor did voice some concerns to me about a couple of months ago about being able to cram all the necessary info into a four hour class.
Well, instructors have been able to cover the same necessary material in 4 hours for their renewal students for almost 20 years.
:iagree: not sure why this is such a big deal.

Re: My First 4 Hour Class

Posted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 4:44 pm
by dogflight
Renewal classes used to only require "at least four hours of instruction in one or more" of the four food groups, not necessarily all four. A lot of renewal classes did not cover everything. In fact, around here, many renewals were achieved by simply attending the first half of a full-day class and then qualifying on the range.

I think some of us who are accustomed to packing 9 hours full of information (and not just videos and war stories) are finding it a bit of a challenge to pare it down to four hours without feeling pressed for time. Not that we won't get there - the new DPS Course Outline may help - but some are still finding it a challenge regardless of how others may or may not have been teaching it for years.

Re: My First 4 Hour Class

Posted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 6:19 pm
by jmra
dogflight wrote:Renewal classes used to only require "at least four hours of instruction in one or more" of the four food groups, not necessarily all four. A lot of renewal classes did not cover everything. In fact, around here, many renewals were achieved by simply attending the first half of a full-day class and then qualifying on the range.

I think some of us who are accustomed to packing 9 hours full of information (and not just videos and war stories) are finding it a bit of a challenge to pare it down to four hours without feeling pressed for time. Not that we won't get there - the new DPS Course Outline may help - but some are still finding it a challenge regardless of how others may or may not have been teaching it for years.
According to numerous posts from Chas, doing the class in four hours shouldn't be a problem at all.

Re: My First 4 Hour Class

Posted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 8:23 pm
by tbrown
Jumping Frog wrote:
misterlarry wrote:My CHL instructor did voice some concerns to me about a couple of months ago about being able to cram all the necessary info into a four hour class.
Well, instructors have been able to cover the same necessary material in 4 hours for their renewal students for almost 20 years.
Maybe because the renewal classes were not legally required to cover all the topics required in a new CHL class. However, while we're on the subject, a lot of states have shorter classes, allow campus carry and open carry, and don't have "blood in the streets" that the Texas Legislators say we'll have if they allow Texans more carry freedom.

Re: My First 4 Hour Class

Posted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 8:52 pm
by switch
The TX legislators don't say that. Or they would not have passed the new bills.

It's the anti-gunners (and some instructors that miss that renewal revenue stream. :) )

Re: My First 4 Hour Class

Posted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 9:11 pm
by Charles L. Cotton
I just taught my first 4 hour class today and it certainly was different. I had planned to do my full presentation on the use of force/deadly force and cut the time on other subjects. However, the new DPS course outline just released sets out max/min. times for each of the 4 food groups. It also is pretty detailed as to what they want covered and that combined with the max/min times made it a totally different course than I had planned to give. I had amended my PowerPoint presentation to accommodate the 4 classroom hours, but now I'm going to start from scratch.

Next session we need to repeal the requirement for non-violent dispute resolution so we can spend more time on use of force.

Chas.

Re: My First 4 Hour Class

Posted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 9:30 pm
by dogflight
Charles L. Cotton wrote:Next session we need to repeal the requirement for non-violent dispute resolution so we can spend more time on use of force.
:iagree: I couldn't agree more, Charles. With the shorter class times, and the sheer volume of rules and laws to learn, it's odd to invest so much time scratching at the shallow surface of the intro to a junior high psych class. Maybe we should just make Games People Play a prerequisite and get the whole hour back! ;-)

Re: My First 4 Hour Class

Posted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 9:51 pm
by sjfcontrol
Charles L. Cotton wrote:I just taught my first 4 hour class today and it certainly was different. I had planned to do my full presentation on the use of force/deadly force and cut the time on other subjects. However, the new DPS course outline just released sets out max/min. times for each of the 4 food groups. It also is pretty detailed as to what they want covered and that combined with the max/min times made it a totally different course than I had planned to give. I had amended my PowerPoint presentation to accommodate the 4 classroom hours, but now I'm going to start from scratch.

Next session we need to repeal the requirement for non-violent dispute resolution so we can spend more time on use of force.

Chas.
I haven't read the course outline in detail (yet), but are those times (and content) "required" or mearly suggestions? I thought the actual course content was left up to the discretion of the instructor as long as the required subjects were covered.

And +1 for dropping NVDR.

Re: My First 4 Hour Class

Posted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 10:48 pm
by MasterOfNone
sjfcontrol wrote:
Charles L. Cotton wrote:I just taught my first 4 hour class today and it certainly was different. I had planned to do my full presentation on the use of force/deadly force and cut the time on other subjects. However, the new DPS course outline just released sets out max/min. times for each of the 4 food groups. It also is pretty detailed as to what they want covered and that combined with the max/min times made it a totally different course than I had planned to give. I had amended my PowerPoint presentation to accommodate the 4 classroom hours, but now I'm going to start from scratch.

Next session we need to repeal the requirement for non-violent dispute resolution so we can spend more time on use of force.

Chas.
I haven't read the course outline in detail (yet), but are those times (and content) "required" or mearly suggestions? I thought the actual course content was left up to the discretion of the instructor as long as the required subjects were covered.

And +1 for dropping NVDR.
Maybe I'm a rebel, but I consider the outline to be a guide until such time as DPS notifies me that I must use it.

Re: My First 4 Hour Class

Posted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 11:31 pm
by o b juan
I am with you on the Conflict and dispute resolution..

If an adult doesnt know by the time they are old enough to carry a handgun, what can doctor Byrnes and this old teach them,, it needs to be in the course but I am with Chas, the deadly force statutes are the MOST Important and that is where the emphasis
should be along with legality of carry..

What does a law abiding citizen care that a Felon can have a gun in his home 5 years after he has fullfiled his obligation to the state.. :rules: :rules: