What To Expect In An Instructor Class

Each instructor class is composed of two parts: Basic Instructor Training and Discipline-specific Instructor Training.

Basic Instructor Training

Basic Instructor Training (BIT) is the same for each discipline. Because of this, the NRA does not require that this be taken more than once every 24 months. Also, it does not need to be taken unless adding a new instructor discipline.

BIT is a 6-hour course that covers the common aspects of NRA firearms instruction. It develops in the Instructor Candidates the knowledge, skills, and attitude to properly conduct NRA Basic Firearm Training Classes.

The lessons in BIT are:

The Instructor and the NRA Basic Firearm Training Program
Using a Training Team
Training Materials and Training Aids
Organizing Your Course
Preparing to Teach

Discipline-specific Instructor Training

Discipline specific training is very different than BIT or the student class you took to get here. You will find that you must be much more involved than you were in the basic class.

First, you must qualify to be in the class. For most classes this is usually done in three steps: passing the Basic course of the discipline with at least 90% on the final, filling out the NRA Instructor Training Program Per-course Questionnaire and passing the discipline-specific NRA Instructor Training Program Pre-course Qualification.

It is important to understand that each Training Counselor is obligated to ensure that Instructor Candidates that are recommended to become NRA Instructors have sufficient background and knowledge to teach NRA Basic Classes. If the Training Counselor does not know you, you may be asked to fill out this questionnaire.

The NRA Instructor Program Pre-course Qualification is required to be accomplished before the course or as part of the course. In the Pre-course Qualification, the Training Counselor will have you demonstrate your knowledge and skills handling and using the firearms pertaining to the discipline. This may include shooting at specific distances with specific targets.

My recommendation is to find out the content of the Pre-course Qualification and practice, practice, practice. Remember: Novices practice until they get it right. Experts practice until they CAN'T get it wrong.

The instructor class itself is very different than the Basic or BIT classes you have taken to get here. In the Instructor Class, the Instructor Candidates do most of the teaching.

The Training Counselor will begin with an introduction to the lesson plans and the organization of the Basic course. After that, the Training Counselor will introduce a Basic Class lesson and assign portions to different groups of Instructor Candidates within the class. Each group will prepare and present the portion of the lesson assigned to the group. After each portion is present, the Training Counselor will guide a discussion, evaluating the presentation before the next group proceeds.

After each group has made their presentation, the Training Counselor will conclude the lesson with a short review. This will be repeated until each lesson on the Basic course is covered.

Most instructor classes also have an open-book written exam. The passing grade for these is 90%.

At the conclusion of the class, the Training Counselor may sit down for a one-on-one discussion before making the decision of whether or not to recommend the Instructor Candidate as a Certified Instructor.