It was not the stair issue that upset me.



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Posted by Wayne on July 28, 2002 at 17:39:43:

In Reply to: Re: I owe an apology. I saw bad things in a class at the Avalon Dive park. posted by :) on July 28, 2002 at 11:48:13:

I have no problem with an instructor having a "good" reason for entering at a different or unconventional location per se. I objected more to the technique of doing it without a mask and reg in place. I also objected to the lack of good reason and the angry response caused by the students asking for reasons.

I'll give an example. On Saturday our students were briefed on a dive in which we were going to enter at the steps, swim to a particular buoy and do a specific ascent. As we approached the buoy, we could se the signs that a class was about to use the buoy line for ascents. We modified the plan on the spot. At the debrief, we covered reason for the change. The students learned. That is what it is all about. Everything that happens in a class should hapen for a reason. The instructor has an obligation to answer student questions about why things are done in certain ways.

In the "problem" case covered in my original post, the instructor was especially angry that he had been questioned by his students. To me, it showed ego problems with the young instructor. I know many people who were taught to enter a beach holding hands backwards with their fins on. Others, me included, think there are better ways. If a student at the beach sees me entering differently and asks me and/or his instructor about it, a good instructor will respond that there are different ways to enter and he is teaching the one he thinks is best for his students. He should go furter and explain why his way is better for his students and what the students might want to do as they gain more experience. Every good instructor I know would do that. The student benefits and the instructor is able to impart additional knowledge to his students and show his thinking and rationalization process used in dive planning. That is important for students to learn. Maybe as important as some of the skills.

Wayne


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