In NRA Basic Courses, all students are required to complete a student exam as part of course completion. Many ask, “What is the passing score?” How many Trainers know the only correct answer?

Lesson plans are designed to be objective based, where a student’s ability to master the described objective shows that that particular block of instruction has been understood and can be implemented. Student exams are an evaluation tool used to determine whether or not a student has grasped and understands the material covered during the entire course. It is very important that trainers go over the answers to the exam as part of the course. Here is where the exam becomes a two-way tool. Instructors take this as their final opportunity that, in the event of a missed question, all students understand the correct answer and reasoning behind it.

More importantly, the exam as a self-evaluation tool. Did a disproportionate number of students miss a particular question? If so, the instructor needs to take this as a good indication that their style or method of teaching detracted from the lesson plan and caused the concept to be misunderstood. More...

Here’s another helpful tip for NRA’s cadre of dedicated trainers on the benefits of positive reinforcement:

Positive Reinforcement is an important aspect of any type of learning process, including firearms training. The term “positive reinforcement” is commonly used as a synonym for “reward,” but should be viewed as an event that follows a desired response, increasing the probability of the desired response in the future.

Students in firearms training courses can benefit from your positive reinforcement is a variety of ways, including improved communication and correction of undesirable behavior. The key to positive reinforcement is making sure that the delivery of your comments are in fact positive. For example, when correcting a student’s action during live fire exercises, begin with a positive thought prior to correcting the negative behavior. “You’re doing a great job of aligning your sights, now let’s work on a smooth trigger control,” is much more helpful than “you’re jerking the trigger, try to smooth it out.”

Keep positive reinforcement in mind during your courses and you’ll see not only an improvement in your students’ performance, but in your performance as a trainer as well.

NRA’s Youth Programs Department is pleased to announce the selection of seven young people to serve as the 2010 Brownell’s/NRA National Youth Shooting Sports Ambassadors. During their term, these Ambassadors will provide a young person’s perspective on the shooting sports and serve as youth advisers on shooting sports topics involving young people. 

NRA’s Youth Cooperative Organizations such as Boy Scouts of America, National High School Rodeo Association, Royal Rangers, BSA Venturing, National Scholastic Sportsman Program, and USA Shooting nominated outstanding young people to represent their organization, Brownell’s, and the NRA at national-level events. Not only does the Youth Ambassador program encourage growth of the shooting sports, but it also encourages increased industry support of youth shooting.

“These young people are part of an exciting program that encourages not only the growth of the shooting sports, but increased industry support of young people involved in shooting,” said Larry Quandahl, Manager of NRA’s Youth Programs Department.

Sponsored by Brownell’s, the program offers participants a wide array of benefits, ranging from cash awards and travel opportunities to meeting national shooting celebrities. The 2010 term promises to be a very exciting year for the new Ambassadors, who will attend the 2010 SHOT Show in Las Vegas to represent their organizations and the NRA.

The seven young men and women chosen to serve as Ambassadors in 2010 are:

• Boy Scouts of America: 19 year-old Ben Hayes, from Delaware, Ohio. Ben is currently attending Ohio State University.
• National High School Rodeo: 16 year-old Jessy Hagey, from Tremont, Illinois. Jessy is a junior in high school.
• Royal Rangers: 18 year-old Michael Carter, from Nampa, Idaho.  Michael is currently attending Idaho State University.
• Venturing: 19 year-old Amy Carter, from Annapolis, Maryland. She attends Anne Arundel Community College.
• National Scholastic Sportsman Program: 16 year-old Kyle Loyd, from Vienna, Illinois. He is a sophomore in high school.
• USA Shooting: 18 year-old Rachael Heiden, resident athlete at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
• NRA: 18 year-old Collin Wietfeldt, resident athlete at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Congratulations to our new Ambassadors, and stay tuned for more information on these young people, including profiles of each Ambassador, and their trip to SHOT Show.

This week’s Trainer’s Tip is a great reminder to help kick off another year of quality firearms instruction. NRA’s lesson plans contain all of the information that your students need to know, but how are you helping them to retain the knowledge? Total Participant Involvement (TPI) is a popular teaching method used to make students interact with each other and the lessons being presented. You can incorporate TPI into your classes in a variety of ways, making sure that each of your students takes an active role in the learning process.

Ask students questions, have them give examples, or let them read their learning objectives out loud to encourage them vocally. Training aids such as plastic training firearms allow students to get physically involved by demonstrating proper grip and sight alignment. During Instructor courses, allow your Instructor Candidates to present lessons to fellow classmates to practice their skills and become comfortable with the information.

Do you have a method of TPI that works well for your students? Send an email to goblog@nrahq.org to share your story.

The NRA Great American Hunting and Outdoor Show is just a month away, and NRAblog has the inside scoop on the all your whitetail news for the event. A variety of impressive whitetail deer mounts will be featured at the show thanks to the Great American Whitetail Collection and the NRA Mason/Dixon Big Buck Contest.

NRA’s Great American Whitetail Collection is a traveling exhibit displaying 50 of the largest and highest-scoring whitetails in the world. The massive first generation reconstructions of actual trophies have typical and non-typical bucks to awe even the most seasoned hunter.

Whitetails will also be featured in the NRA Mason/Dixon Big Contest, where any paying attendee can enter their impressive buck free of charge. Any antlered deer (Whitetail, Coues, Mule, or Sika) taken in North America will be accepted with a valid field or check tag attached to the mount. Sheds will not be accepted. All deer will be scored, but only free ranging deer will be awarded. Following judging and evaluation, awards will be presented for the top state entries in both the typical and non-typical categories. Top entries in the Youth and Women categories will also be awarded.

“The NRA Mason/Dixon Big Buck Contest is a great way for hunters to compare their whitetail trophies to others from surrounding communities,” said Bob Davis, Manager of NRA’s Hunter Services Department. “They also have the opportunity to see how their harvest stacks up against mounts from the Great American Whitetail Collection.” 

Entries will be accepted beginning on Friday, January 29, from 3:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. and Saturday, January 30, from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. All mounts entered will be displayed during the show until 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 31. At that time, all entries must be picked up with matching entry stub and valid driver’s license.

The NRA Great American Hunting and Outdoor Show will be held January 29-31, 2010, at the Carroll County Agriculture Center - Shipley Arena in Westminster, Maryland. For more information on the NRA Great American Hunting and Outdoor Show, booth space sales, or entering the NRA Mason/Dixon Big Buck Contest, call (703) 267-1524 or send an email to rpeak@nrahq.org. Click here to view floor plans, a list of exhibitors, seminar schedule, and other show information.

The event will be held January 29-31, 2010, at the Carroll County Agriculture Center - Shipley Arena in Westminster, Maryland.

NRA’s Training Department would like to wish all of our dedicated trainers happy holidays and a prosperous new year. Thank you for your hard work and all that you do to support the NRA.

As 2009 comes to a close, NRA wraps up its first year of officially sanctioning 3-gun competitions across the United States. Our friends at Shooting USA's "Sighting In" filmed this video clip at this year's Sabre Defence Blue Ridge Mountain 3-Gun Championship.

Learn more about NRA's sanctioning of 3-gun matches, and about the Sabre Defence Blue Ridge Mountain 3-Gun Championship. Next year's match is returning to the Rockcastle Shooting Center from April 23-25, 2010. Check back with NRAblog for more information about Blue Ridge Mountain and other NRA sanctioned 3-gun competitions.

A group of nine Shooting Sports Directors with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) are at NRA Headquarters this weekend to receive training from NRA’s Youth Programs Department. Hailing from all four BSA regions, this dedicated group is comprised of NRA-appointed Master and Senior Training Counselors, meaning they can train people to become NRA Certified Instructors.

“NRA is working with BSA to develop a standard for their shooting sports program,” said Larry Quandahl, Manager of the Youth Programs Department. “NRA’s Instructor training is a core part of their program.”

This weekend’s training, led by Youth Programs Coordinator Mark Belli, focuses on growing the shooting sports within BSA and youth development. Each year, these Shooting Sports Directors train 350-400 people affiliated with BSA as NRA Certified Instructors, helping to introduce Scouts to shooting and aid in retention.

Stayed tuned to NRAblog for more news on BSA and NRA’s relationship, as well as NRA’s role in the 2010 BSA Jamboree!

NRAblog checked in with NRA National Instructor Trainer John Howard for this week’s Trainer’s Tip. According to John, one of the best ways to increase your effectiveness as an NRA Certified Instructor is to expand your training repertoire.

Trainers with experience and interest in the competitive shooting sports can attend a Coach School to help shooters develop and hone their skills. Other ways to increase your opportunities as a trainer is to seek certification in additional disciplines such as Personal Protection Inside or Outside the Home, Reloading, or even Refuse To Be A Victim®. If you’re an experienced hunter, you may want to consider becoming a Hunter Clinic Instructor.

Finally, take steps to educate yourself on the latest techniques. “It’s really important to keep current on new training information,” said Howard.

Earlier this year, NRAblog introduced you to Program Assistant Steve Hoback. Just to refresh your memory, Steve came to us after twelve years in the U.S. Army’s Airborne Infantry and a stint at FN Manufacturing as a range master. After eight months of hard work here at headquarters, Steve has been promoted to Senior Training Program Coordinator with NRA’s Training Department.

“Steve’s knowledge and experience make him an asset to the Training Department and the NRA,” said John Howard, NRA National Instructor Trainer. “He brings new perspectives and insight to our programs and provides our trainers with invaluable support.”

Steve’s new position expands upon his previous responsibilities such as the administration of the NRAinstructors.org website, providing support to NRA Certified Instructors, and assisting in the development and implementation of NRA’s firearm training programs.

Stay tuned to NRAblog for the latest on NRA Education & Training.

The Boy Scouts of American (BSA) are one of NRA's most active Youth Cooperative Organizations. Below is a recent news story from the BSA Northern Star Council in Minnesota.

Six Scouts Named Summer Camp Rifle Shooting Champions; 11 Campers Earn National Awards

Six Northern Star Council summer campers are being honored for their rifle marksmanship, and 11 Scout summer campers are now nationally-ranked shooters in the National Rifle Association-Boy Scouts of America National Scout Camp Rifle competition.

Northern Star Council dominated the national NRA-BSA event with more winners than any other council in the nation.

The winners entered the Council’s Summer Camp Match 2009 competition at Many Point and Tomahawk Scout camps.  Competitors were ranked by age into Junior and Senior divisions. The Scouts had one chance to fire at a special target, one shot in each of ten bulls-eyes. All scores were recorded and sent to the council. Top shooters had their scores reported to the NRA in Washington for entry into the national competition. 

Read the rest of the story here.

If you are an NRA Certified Instructor or Coach, you have the ability to not only introduce people to firearms, but to also help them develop a life-time of involvement in the shooting sports.

Consider this scenario: your students just completed your NRA Basic Pistol Course. They’ve got the knowledge, skills, and attitude to safely and responsible handle a firearm, but what are the next steps to preserving these lessons?

More...

Thanks to the hard work of NRA’s Hunter Services Department and volunteers across the country, the Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC) will reach more young hunters in 2010 through school systems.

Two schools recently chose to incorporate YHEC programs. Life Way Christian School in Centerton, Arkansas, recently decided to allow students to participate in YHEC. Michael Gower, a parent and one of the people who helped bring the idea to life, says that 12 to 14 kids have signed up to get involved in YHEC. “The kids are really excited,” he said.

The group practices shooting pellet rifles each Tuesday night, and held their first competition last Saturday. Gower hopes to have the group participate in four or five events in 2010 and to help expand the program. “We’re hoping that [YHEC] will spread in the school systems,” he said.

In central Pennsylvania, State YHEC Coordinator Charlie Fox helped Williamsport Area High School get YHEC approved as an extracurricular activity. “A few teachers were interesting in getting the YHEC program going and it grew from there,” Fox said. “The kids presented the concept to the school board and it was approved.”

According to Fox, a group of about 40 high school students interested in the shooting sports and hunting will participate in the Williamsport YHEC, with the hopes of making it to the Pennsylvania State YHEC event in June 2010.

To learn more about how to become involved with YHEC or start a YHEC program in your school, contact Morris Aguilar at (703) 267-1508 or maguilar@nrahq.org.

With Thanksgiving behind us, the holiday season is just around the corner. To help with your NRA Certified Instructor gift list, NRAblog has the inside scoop on some of the most wanted presents. Whether you’re an Instructor looking to drop a few hints this holiday season, or someone shopping for that special trainer in your life, here’s a few ideas:

A variety of clothing options from quality names like 5.11, TRU-SPEC®, and EOTAC provide comfort and identify trainers while on the range or in the classroom.

In search of stocking stuffers? The NRA Store has a wide selection of safety glasses, hearing protection, holsters, belts, and other accessories to fit every Instructor’s training wants and needs.

My personal pick for the 2009 holiday season are the NRA Combat Lights by Surefire. These small, yet powerful flashlights are perfect for tactical training, but would make a great gift for any Personal Protection or Refuse To Be A Victim® Instructor.

Time is running out, so order your gifts now!

The inaugural NRA Great American Hunting and Outdoor Show is just two months away, and NRA’s Hunter Services Department is spreading the word. Billboards advertising the event can be found in both Maryland and Pennsylvania, including the one pictured near Manchester, Maryland on the heavily traveled Route 30.

Stay tuned, because next week NRAblog will have more exciting news about the NRA Great American Hunting and Outdoor Show and the NRA Mason/Dixon Big Buck Contest!