PADI Instructors - meet your next student
PADI Instructors and PADI Divemasters - I have a new student for you!
Get ready to meet your next student
Who will it be?
Will it be a brand new diver?
OR
Will it be someone who has been diving a while but wants to improve their personal development?
Whoever it is – you can get prepared
So? Who is your next student?
Which one is it? A new diver or experienced one?
Look closer! It's YOU!
YES YOU!
And why not?
We all understand the need for improvement.
Sport professionals are ALWAYS training to reach higher results.
Top stage performers are ALWAYS rehearsing to reach higher standards.
Top professionals in all fields are ALWAYS reaching for higher performance.
Be a better PADI Professional!
Be a Better Instructor
Imagine if you were a professional basketball player.
You would never stop practicing and working on your skills.
You would constantly be trying to improve your jump shot, your ball handling, and your defence.
Why should it be any different for PADI Dive Professionals?
We need to be constantly training and learning new techniques to better serve our divers.
In this article, we will discuss some ways that you can become a better PADI Professional!
PADI Instructor - Personal Development
It stands to reason that you’ll want to be able to instil more confidence and self esteem into others.
A coach that people will want to come back to time and time again.
You’ll want to be an even better leader.
Most of all you’ll want to be able to improve people’s lives effortlessly.
We all understand the need for improvement. As PADI Dive Professionals, we have a responsibility to provide the best possible service and instruction to our students.
As a PADI Dive Professional, you interact with people from all walks of life.
Some are experienced divers, while others have never even been in the water before.
It’s important to be able to adjust your teaching style and communication methods to meet the needs of each individual student.
But how can you identify what Personal Development you need?
Let’s first take a closer look at the skills and knowledge that our customers expect from us, and then make a decision on where you can improve.
For now, we can break this down to two main core areas
- Diving knowledge and skills
- Teaching and coaching skills
Of course there are several more areas that you can work on to make yourself a better professional. But for now, let’s stick to these two.
PADI Instructor development- Knowledge and Skills
How confident are you when a diver asks a question about pressure volume relationships?
How about when a divemaster asks you a question about physics?
Can you answer these questions with confidence without hesitation?
What about your diving skills?
As a PADI professional, you’re always being watched and often judged by the way that you conduct yourself in the water.
Are you happy with the way that others see you?
What areas can you improve on, and in turn earn more respect?
Be a great teacher.
Whether you’re teaching a diving course or just helping out a fellow diver, take the time to explain things thoroughly and answer any questions that they may have.
PADI Instructor development - Teaching and coaching skills
Are you able to install confidence and self esteem in your students?
How confident are you in teaching people with different learning styles?
Do you get frustrated when a student just “doesn’t get it”?
Are you able to focus on the needs of each and every individual student?
Are you able to build rapport that genuinely builds success?
If you answered “no” to any of the questions above, then there’s always room for improvement!
Take the time to get to know each and every one of your students.
Find out what makes them tick and what their learning style is.
Build a rapport with each student that will help them feel comfortable and confident in your class.
Always be patient! Each student learns at a different pace.
Some students may need more time than others to understand a concept.
It’s important to be able to focus on the needs of each individual student.
Never give up on a student!
If a student is struggling, it’s important to find different ways to explain a concept.
There may be a way that the student just hasn’t thought of yet.
Be creative and think outside the box!
Why should you improve yourself?
As your Instructor personal development skills improve, benefits are quickly seen on both sides of the process.
Your students:
Your students look to you for inspiration. They look to you for guidance.
It’s not only your knowledge that they seek, but also empathy, understanding and the way that you communicate.
The more you improve on these skills, the more your students will learn.
Yourself:
As your students rely more on your judgement and your help, you’ll get more respect from all other professionals around you.
You’ll get more and more satisfaction from truly knowing that you’re improving people’s lives.
Routine Personal Development
Keep learning and continue your education. There is always more to learn, no matter how long you’ve been in the business. Never stop learning and advancing your skills.
Be passionate about what you do. If you’re not passionate about diving, your students will see that and it will affect their experience.
Be patient with your students. They are there to learn and they will make mistakes. It’s your job to help them through the learning process so that they can enjoy diving as much as you do.
Be a good role model. Your students will look up to you and copy your behavior. If you want them to be safe divers, you need to be a safe diver.
Be organized. This will help you stay on top of things and keep your students safe.
Be prepared. This goes hand in hand with being organized. You need to be prepared for every class
Add Your Heading Text Here
As a PADI Professional, it is important to continuously strive to improve your knowledge and skills in order to provide the best experience for your students.
There are many ways that you can do this, such as continuing your education, being passionate and patient with students, being a good role model, and being well-prepared.
My role in PADI Instructor - Personal Development
Online Full IDC Preparation Course
This is a very powerful course for PADI instructors and divemasters to improve their personal development.
It covers theory and teaching new skills to divers.
It covers important subjects like:
Positive Coaching
Ownership of learning
Empowerment
Allowing people to learn
and lots of other wonderful topics.
You can join the course by clicking on the picture, or you can find more information here about the Complete IDC Preparation course