Training Students and Leading Horses to Water | Who’s to Blame?

Recently a discussion on Facebook laid all blame on the instructor for the poor performance of some of his students. The comments were filled with chest thumping and posturing, with everyone wanting to show how much better they are than the OP. It was disappointing to see, and I don’t think indicative of reality. Of course some instructors are bad at their job and incapable of helping those in need. That said, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes you just can’t reach someone.

Unfortunately a lot of instructors become detached from the realities of less serious shooters and those who are required to attend training rather than the typical “training junkies” who fill many classes of those who teach on the national level. If you’re volunteering your personal time and money to train, you’re more likely to be attentive and receptive in class. However, even those who attend on their own accord may not always be the most willing student for one reason or another. I know I’ve had my run-ins with less than stellar students, both as an instructor, and with fellow classmates as a student myself.

A Few Personal Anecdotes of Students Who Refuse to Learn

I’ve been taking classes for about a decade now, and have amassed just shy of 800 hours of training in that time. It’s nothing spectacular, but not what I’d call insignificant either. From Travis Haley to Tom Givens, pump shotguns to optic equipped Glocks, my background is fairly diverse. Additionally, I’ve had the opportunity to assist a handful of national level instructors on the range, and have a teaching background myself with both private lessons and small groups.

Over the past several years I’ve seen a wide variety of students on the line. Some of them have become great friends, though many have faded in memory through time. A few stand out clearly, though not for good reason. Here are some examples of folks I’ve encountered who just didn’t get it, at no fault of the instructor.

Students of My Own

Un-Armed Security

I was once tasked with helping a prospective armed security guard pass her qualification. Up to this point she’d failed the shooting test about 7 consecutive times for her initial certification using her Smith & Wesson M&P. Prior to this lesson, I’d never met the shooter, nor had I interacted with this security organization. Upon arrival to the range, I had the shooter fire a quick drill to get an idea of her performance. Rounds were all over the paper, with no semblance of accuracy nor precision, though her gun handling wasn’t bad.

First I checked her gun, shooting a Vicker’s Test, and then a slow-fire 25 yard B8 with the M&P and her ammunition. No issues there, so that takes away one potential problem, and encourages her that the pistol functions properly. Additionally, this lends me some credibility in front of the new student, or so I thought.

With Friends like These

Our troubled trainee is not alone today, having brought her mentor along for some assistance. As I break down the fundamentals of marksmanship, the mentor speaks up when I get to sight alignment and sight picture. He informs me that you’ll never see your sights in a gun fight, and that you should never practice with them because of that. The student agrees, and I immediately know why we’re having problems. Out of curiosity, I have the mentor shoot, who just barely passes the qualification, again with seemingly random bullet placement.

Luckily the student humors me, and begins using her sights while we work. Her mentor steps away, waiting in the range lobby. After about an hour we’re getting her to the point of passing, but something isn’t quite right. Despite the significant increase in performance, both her and her mentor are convinced that sights have no place on a pistol. They tell me that she will not be using them to qualify, and that what I’m teaching isn’t valid or based in reality. Frankly, I point out the obvious differences in performance, but ultimately she sides with her instructor because he is armed security, and I am a lowly civilian.

I don’t know if she ever passed her qualification, or if she ever took any valuable advice later down the road. While this is my only student to act this way, it’s a viewpoint I see often in certain circles. Some people cannot be helped, at least not during certain points of their life.

Protégé Problems

Over the years there have been a few people who acted as a protégé of sorts for me. Usually they were someone I introduced to shooting, or provided lessons for early in their time as an enthusiast. We’d train together, maybe take classes alongside one another. These relationships are typically short lived, as life, uh, finds a way. Hobbies change, people move, priorities shift. No big deal, such is life.

One stands out as particularly enthusiastic, the legendary Chosen One, if you will. Unfortunately, after a few years of working together, their skill never progressed much past the first few months. Sure, they could repeat lines they’d learned, but when the rubber hit the road, the performance just wasn’t there. As I learned, I would try new techniques or ways of articulating material in attempts to help them. Eventually I thought maybe it was me who had failed this student. With this in mind, I passed the torch, and suggested that they learn from someone else who may better serve them.

Bigger and Better Things

Occasionally I’d see a social media post showing targets that were really impressive. Maybe it was me all along! Something about my communication or maybe there was something about their performance that I just couldn’t diagnose. It was a few years later when we shared the range again, and much to my surprise, their performance was the same as when I’d last seen them! During our sabbatical my former student had taken several classes and lessons with top-tier instructors, yet they fared no better.

Part of me was sad for my old student, as I know how badly they want to improve. Another part was relieved; if these other instructors couldn’t fix them, then maybe it wasn’t me after all. Not to say that I don’t have room to grow, I do, but at least I’m not the only one having difficulty here. Even someone motivated, with an excellent support structure and consistent assistance can still struggle.

Students in Other’s Classes

Maybe the previous examples are simply my failings, though I don’t believe so. Luckily for me, and unfortunately for everyone else, I’m not the only one who has run into problems with students. I won’t name names or classes, but here are a few problem children I’ve encountered as a student in classes taught by other instructors.

Personal Politics Preventing Positive Participation

My first example is a middle aged gentleman who attended training with his family back in 2021. Our instructor is providing a lecture about managing threats, de-escalation, and similar topics. This student begins making side comments about “those people”, how they’re like “animals”, and have been set loose upon us law abiding citizens by a shadowy hand. Quickly the instructor put a stop to this, as it wasn’t relevant nor appropriate for the class. They both speak during the break, with boundaries being reinforced and expectations set.

Unfortunately this topic popped up again on the range to similar results. The instructor handled this student well, with a firm but respectful hand. Luckily the man’s family was attentive and learned quickly, but his mood and opinion of the instructor had soured by this point, keeping him from engaging. Unfortunately, the student had his mind made up, which stopped him from learning.

Students or High Speed Instagram Operators

With the rise of social media stars, we’ve seen a rise in fanboys and wannabe operators on the firing line. These guys have the Gucci gear of the week, shoot fast (though not always accurately), and parrot whatever their preferred influencer has to say. The Dangerous Lack of Accountability of Meme Pages and Influencers is real. Often I see these people come to classes to flex their “skills” without actually having an interest in the topic at hand.

These issues seem to appear most often in classes focused on decision making and appropriate use of force. Instead of thinking through scenarios critically, these shooters instead burn the target down like it’s a USPSA stage. In some cases I’ve seen these people show up with their full USPSA rig, even in classes catering specifically to small carry pistols. In courses covering less lethal tools, these same people scoff and claim they’ll just shoot the person no questions asked.

Despite the instructor’s best efforts, and guidance from others in class, these students just want to go fast. It’s Ricky Bobby up in here, whether that’s right or not, and nobody can tell them otherwise. Of course most of their actions are approved by their favorite gun-celebrity, and this class is just a way to get some reps in. Those teaching and taking go-fast classes may not see this issue, but it’s certainly one I see with regularity.

Wrapping Up Training Students and Leading Horses to Water | Who’s to Blame?

These are just a few examples that I have witnessed personally on the range and in class. Sometimes the student just doesn’t want to do what is necessary to perform, even when clear cut evidence is right in front of their face. Eventually you have to cut the problem child loose and focus on those who can receive your message. We do all we can to help, but as the old saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink.

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