A Good CCH Instructor
Mike Krzyzewski in his prime probably couldn't win a game of one-on-one with any of the hundreds of basketball players that he coached, but boy could he coach. Let's flip this over; few of the great players that played for Duke will ever make good coaches.
Many CCH instructors list impressive credentials of military and law enforcement experience but this doesn't necessarily translate into being a good firearms instructor, much less a good CCH instructor. Many of the North Carolina certified CCH instructors have never had military or law enforcement experience and do an excellent job of teaching.
With the exception of special operators, the military offers minimal training with handguns. Handgun/firearms training varies with law enforcement agencies.
So really, just because someone has served 20 years in the Marine Corps or in the sheriff's department is no indication that his CCH class will be any better than a civilian's with none of that experience. When I took the CCH class it was taught by a retired sheriff deputy who spent much of the class time telling lame anecdotes that contributed nothing toward class goals*.
What makes a good CCH Instructor? Someone who:
- Understands and practices gun safety
- is an experienced handgun shooter
- is knowledgeable in NC law concerning use of deadly force
- is knowledgeable in NC law concerning concealed carry handgun
- diligently prepares for both classroom instruction and range qualification
- has experience teaching the course
- is a good communicator
- is circumspect about concealed carry
- is humble
*Training Objectives from the NC Justice Academy course guide, Concealed Carry Handgun Training, "Red Book"