Presented by

Darren

Mingear

GENERAL INSTRUCTOR

REFRESHER COURSE

To refresh the student to the role,

responsibilities, skills, knowledge, techniques,

and expectations of a successful instructor

COURSE OBJECTIVE

Lesson 1 - Training Liabi l i ty and Instructor Cer tification

Lesson 2 - Diversity in the Classroom

Lesson 3 - Lesson Plan Development

Lesson 4 - Faci l i tation Skil ls and Group Management

Lesson 5 - Evaluation, Measurement, and Simulation

How Generational Theory Can Improve Teaching:

Strategies for Working with the “Mil lennials”

Review & Exam

AGENDA

Class

One

C lass

Two

Class

Three

Lesson 1

TRAINING LIABILITY AND

INSTRUCTOR

CERTIFICATION

REQUIREMENTS

To understand the legal and liability issues

associated with instructing

To understand the requirements for instructor

certifications

LESSON 1 GOAL

May be held personally liable for your misconduct under state

and federal law

May involve significant monetary damages or fines, job or

certification loss, and even criminal penalties

Knowing what you should and should not do will go far in

preventing complaints and liability

POTENTIAL LIABILITY

Source: funfluster.com

Acting outside the course and scope of your employment

Acting beyond the bounds of your lawful authority

Willful, wanton, or reckless behavior

Deliberate indifference to the rights of a person or a person’s

property

Defamation, slander, or libel

Discrimination based on race, religion,

age, marital status, disabilities, etc.

SITUATIONS THAT MAY CREATE LIABILITY

Source: heroeswallpapers.com

Civil wrong committed by a tortfeasor

Causes injury or harm to the property or person

Slander and battery are examples of torts

Tort claims are civil in nature, not criminal, and may be filed

in state or federal court

Usually the plaintif f in a tort claim case is seeking a monetary

damages

DEFINE TORT

Compensatory damages – most common and are intended to

compensate the victim for his or her injuries

Punitive damages – intended to punish the tortfeasor and to

send a warning message to others

Damages can be very high

Rare and usually reserved for reckless disregard

TWO MAIN TYPES OF DAMAGES

Source: Englisharticles.info

Negligent

Intentional

TWO MAIN TYPES OF TORTS

Cop shoots himself in the foot

Violation of a duty to act with reasonable care toward others

that causes a reasonably foreseeable harm or injury

Firearms instructor who was not paying attention

Student moved forward to the target area while other students were still

shooting

Student was shot and injured

Irrelevant that instructor did not intend for the student to be shot

Injury was foreseeable and could have been prevented

NEGLIGENT TORTS

Source: opticstalk.com

Plaintif f must prove four

elements to recover damages

in a negligent tort lawsuit

1. Defendant owed (or

assumed) a duty to the

plaintif f to use due care

2. Defendant negligently

breached that duty

3. Plaintif f was injured

4. Defendant’s negligence

caused the plaintif f’s injury

FOUR ELEMENTS OF PROOF

Source: evidenceunseen.com

Source: Strangecosmos.com

Willful action by the tortfeasor directed towards the plaintif f

that results in harm to the plaintif f

Examples include assault, battery, sexual harassment, and

monster cop-trucks driving through parking lots

INTENTIONAL TORTS

Plaintif f in an intentional tort case must prove that the

defendant intended the consequences of his or her actions

Not necessarily a hostile intent, or a desire to do harm

Reasonable person would foresee the result

Sometimes intentional torts are discussed in terms of gross

negligence, recklessness, and willful and wanton behavior

INTENTIONAL TORTS

Source: reddition.com

State cannot be sued without its consent - even for wrongful

acts

Waived in tort actions by F.S. §768.28

State agencies or subdivisions are liable for personal injury,

death, or property loss caused by the negligent or wrongful

act or omission

Employee of the agency or subdivision must be acting within

the scope of the employee’s office or employment

SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY

“State agencies or subdivisions” include counties and

municipalities

As an instructor, you are considered an employee of the

training center or agency for which you provide training

Damages are capped at $200,000 per person and $300,000

for all claims or judgments arising out of the same incident

Sovereign immunity explained by Larry Huffman

SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY

You shall not be personally liable for any injury or damage

UNLESS you acted:

In bad faith,

With malicious purpose, or

In a manner exhibiting wanton

and willful disregard of human

rights, safety, or property

SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY FOR INSTRUCTORS

Source: i.chzbgr.com

If an instructor is found to have violated his/her sovereign

immunity, he/she can be found to have...

Acted reasonably within the scope of your employment

You are not liable – agency could be held liable

Acted reasonably, but outside the scope of your employment

You may be held liable – agency may not be held liable

Acted unreasonably regardless of scope of your employment

You may be held liable – agency not liable

THREE POSSIBLE OUTCOMES

Source: banklawyersblog.com

You may be liable for any injury caused by your actions

Mocking a student because of his faith could result in liability under

the First Amendment, which guarantees free exercise of religion

Most federal claims, however, arise under two specific statutory

provisions

Civil rights

Unlawful discrimination

LIABILITY FROM FEDERAL LAWS

Source: Hahastop.com

Title 42 of the United States Code, Section 1983, often called

the Civil Rights Act

Plaintiff believes his or her constitutional rights or federally

protected rights violated

Most frequent federal claim against criminal justice officers

States cannot be sued in a civil rights claim

CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

Municipalities and counties can be sued if they:

Acted under color of state law (within the course of employment) and;

Violated a specific constitutional right

Individuals may be sued for civil rights violations as well

Main purpose is to change the way an agency operates

CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

Both a 1983 federal law claim and a state law claim can be

brought for the same incident

To prevail a plaintif f

must prove:

Defendant acted under color

of law and;

Violated a constitutional or

federally provided right

CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

Source: norbertobereto.worldpress.com

Fails to train students or fails to train them properly

Employer may be liable under Section 1983 if:

One of those students subsequently violates someone’s

constitutional rights and if,

Failure to train amounts to a policy of the employer and deliberate

indifference by the employer, and

Failure to train causes the injury

FAILURE TO TRAIN

Source: Holytaco.com

42 U.S.C., Sec. 2000d (Title VI) prohibits discrimination

No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race,

color, or national origin, be

excluded from participation in,

be denied the benefits of, or

be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity

receiving federal financial assistance

DISCRIMINATION

Civil action may be filed in federal court (Title VI)

Training centers and agencies receiving federal funding are

common targets of Title VI litigation

DISCRIMINATION

Integrity – do the right things for the right reasons! Also,

doing the right thing when no one is looking.

Ethics

Just as important as being a legally correct instructor

Commit to respect students and their rights, and avoid bias

Do not be offended or defensive by differences of opinion

Inspire –reinforce positive behavior rather than criticize

REDUCE OR AVOID LIABILITY

Common sense and caution

Making jokes or rude comments are easy ways to become a target

Watch your language

Professionalism

Your instructional purpose is to educate and or train students

Represent the Training Center or your agency as if you were the CEO

REDUCE OR AVOID LIABILITY

Source: maxody.wordpress.com

1. General Instructor

2. High-Liabi l i ty Instructor

a. Vehicle Operations

b. Firearms

c. Defensive Tactics

d. First Aid

3. Special ized Topics Instructor

a. Law Topics

b. Speed Measurement

c. Canine Team

d. Breath Test

THREE TYPES OF INSTRUCTOR

CERTIFICATIONS

Source: Knoxnews.com

1. Florida General Instructor Techniques graduate

2. Affiliated with an agency or training school

3. Internship in a lecture setting (no clock hour requirement)

4. Apply for certification through FDLE within 4 years

6. FDLE representative will approve or deny within 30 days

7. Teach documented class at least once every four-year cycle

8. Renew every 4 years with CJSTC-84 form

GENERAL INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATION

1. General Instructor Certified

2. Three years experience in the high-liability topic

3. Complete the applicable instructor course – 85% exam and

no remediation

4. Apply for certification through FDLE within 4 years

5. FDLE representative will approve or deny within 30 days

HIGH-LIABILITY INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATION

Removing examination materials from the exam site

Reproducing and/or reconstructing any portion of the exam

Aiding in the reproduction of any portion of the exam

Selling, distributing, buying, receiving, or possessing an exam

MORAL CHARACTER VIOLATIONS

Source: Tollynbolly.com

Having books, notes, or data, not supplied or required for, the

exam

Communication with an examinee during the exam

Copying answers or allowing one’s answers to be copied

Falsifying or misrepresenting info required for admission to

the exam

MORAL CHARACTER VIOLATIONS

Impersonating an examinee

Having an impersonator take the examination on one’s behalf

Disrupting the test administration

Revealing questions or other information compromising

integrity of exam

MORAL CHARACTER VIOLATIONS

Lesson 2DIVERSITY IN THE

CLASSROOM

To provide effective instruction in a diverse

instructional environment

LESSON 2 GOAL

Understanding and valuing the wide range of characterist ics and beliefs among individuals

Sources of diversity include:

Race

Religion

Ethnicity

Nationality

Appearance

Gender

Sexual orientation

Age (generational)

Socio-economic background

DIVERSITY

Personal biases may reduce your instructional impact

Cultural dif ferences may influence student participation

Derogatory or biased statements can stop learning

Symbolic or written messages on clothing may be offensive

Addressing only students of a particular sex, race, ethnicity

Ridiculing the sex, race, or ethnicity

OBSTACLES REGARDING DIVERSITY

Source: Readysetroll.com

Treat each student as an individual

Convey similar respect and confidence in the abil ities of all

students

Praise and or criticize across groups

Avoid language or examples that exclude or demean any group

Use parallel terms - men and women rather than men and ladies

Use both “he” and “she” in lectures and instructional materials

Avoid personal or stereotypical assumptions

Use diverse case studies, examples, and anecdotes

OVERCOMING PERCEPTION OF BIAS

Explore divergent perspectives

Learn from each other

Listen actively — don’t interrupt

Challenge one’s ideas, not the person

DIVERSITY-RELATED TEACHING TIPS

Avoid invalidating another person’s story

Body language can be disrespectful

DIVERSITY-RELATED TEACHING TIPS

Demand participation of all students

Encourage the quiet ones

Give adequate feedback to all students

Don’t let small groups dominate discussions

DIVERSITY-RELATED TEACHING TIPS

Vary methods to engage all learning styles

Avoid stereotypical gender roles

Avoid sexist language in lectures and written

materials

Stop sexist or sensitive remarks immediately

DIVERSITY-RELATED TEACHING TIPS

Source: Schoolworkhelper.com

Ensure all students are being reached

Facilitate student interaction with both genders

Vary group composition

Move around the classroom to make eye contact with

different groups of students

DIVERSITY-RELATED TEACHING TIPS

Treat students as individuals not as representatives

of their gender, race, ethnicity, religion, etc.

Don’t comment on a student’s physical appearance

Derogatory remarks about gender could constitute

sexual harassment

Don’t assume that minority students

share a collective identity or ability

DIVERSITY-RELATED TEACHING TIPS

Be sensitive to students’ cultural heritage

Do not make assumptions regarding a student’s

language capability based on his or her race,

ethnicity, etc.

Don’t assume a student’s sexual orientation

DIVERSITY-RELATED TEACHING TIPS

Don’t make a student(s) feel excluded or singled out

Admit when an answer is unknown and then follow

up; this helps build trust

Keep an open mind in the classroom and allow for

diverging points of view

DIVERSITY-RELATED TEACHING TIPS

Utilize life experience and perspectives the older

students’ bring to the class

Accommodate important religious holidays when

planning and scheduling

Religion and politics should be discussed only if

applicable to course

Avoid geographic stereotypes

DIVERSITY-RELATED TEACHING TIPS

Lesson 3LESSON PLAN

DEVELOPMENT

To provide the student with the principles of

creating lesson goals, objectives, and lesson

plans

LESSON 3 GOAL

1. Presentation

2. Application

3. Evaluation

STAGES OF INSTRUCTION

Usually takes place in classroom

Provides concept of the item being taught

Demonstrating items, conducting verbal sequential lectures,

facilitating group learning exercises, and giving students

assignments

STAGES OF INSTRUCTION - PRESENTATION

Source: dwighttowers.wordpress.com

Most important stage for the students

Helps adult learners retain more information

STAGES OF INSTRUCTION - APPLICATION

Adults want immediate feedback on what they have learned

Effective evaluation reveals how much learning has occurred

Unsatisfactory results are remediated with more presentation

and application

STAGES OF INSTRUCTION - EVALUATION

Source: rockypatterson.com

Focus instruction

Focuses instructional purpose

Helps attain appropriate student response

Instructor guidance

Road map for planning and delivering instruction

Provides a schedule, appropriate timeframes, and methods

PURPOSE OF LESSON PLAN

FOCUS GUIDANCE STANDARDIZATION DOCUMENTATION

Standardized instruction

Ensures the uniformity of instruction across multiple sections

Each student gets the same quality instruction

Documentation

Establishes what was taught protecting against legal liability

PURPOSE OF LESSON PLAN

FOCUS GUIDANCE STANDARDIZATION DOCUMENTATION

Lesson title

Topic title – when part of a larger block of instruction

Lesson goal – training purpose

Objective(s) – what is expected and the circumstances

Date – developed or revised

Author and agency

Presentation length

LESSON PLAN CONTENTS

Practice and/or proficiency demonstration

timeframe

Instructional methods – lecture, demonstration,

simulation, and questioning

Instructional aids - audio/visual, simulators,

PowerPoint, equipment

Assessment methods – verbal, written,

demonstration

Attachments/Handouts/Activities

References – APA 6 th Edition – check out Purdue Owl

LESSON PLAN CONTENTS

Available for download on ATMS

Check for latest version

Instructor guide

Collection all lesson plans and course materials

Text’s contents with delivery instructions

Specifically tells what to deliver - not how

Student guide

FDLE PowerPoint presentations are sometimes available

COURSE GUIDES AND PRESENTATIONS

Statement of what the student is to know or do at the

conclusion of the lesson

Does not require the same level of specificity that objectives

require

Gives both the instructor and the student an overview of the

objectives of the lesson or program

LESSON GOAL

Audience

Behavior

Conditions

Degree

OBJECTIVE(S) – ABCD METHOD

Audience

Usually the student

May be stated or inferred

Behavior (Task)

Measurable or observable product of the student

Should be described by the use of action verbs – see Attachment 5-2

Must be observed or measured (will know, learn, understand – cannot

be measured)

OBJECTIVE(S) – ABCD METHOD

Conditions

Circumstances under which a performance is to be performed

…given a multiple-choice question…

…using proper marking tools…

…in order of priority…

OBJECTIVE(S) – ABCD METHOD

Source: wpclipart.com

Degree (Standard)

Minimum acceptable performance level

…two out of three attempts…

…pass or fail…

…within 30 seconds…

…must score a minimum of 85% per FDLE…

OBJECTIVE(S) – ABCD METHOD

Lesson 4

FACILITATION SKILLS

AND GROUP

MANAGEMENT

To provide students with a basic

understanding of classroom management,

facilitation skills, and working in groups to

help manage classroom activities and

facilitate learning

LESSON 4 GOAL

May refer to supervision, refereeing, facilitating, and

corrective action

FDLE expects you to:

Maintain a learning environment

Track student attendance

Evaluate learning

Maintain course documentation

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

Participation – students should willfully interact and

contribute to class discussions

Organized

Well-organized presentations are easier to follow

May further demonstrate relevance and applicability

EFFECTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Comfortable environment

Physical space and room temperature should be comfortable for the majority

of the students

FDLE must inspect and approve all classrooms before class begins!

EFFECTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Clear of distractions

Cell phones, inappropriate talking, extraneous equipment, or other

annoyances

Instructors must be proficient with the A/V equipment

Feedback

Essential to the learning process

Should be compatible with the objectives and aligned with

assignments

EFFECTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Share responsibility of achieving the objectives with the

students

Respect certain rights of the students

Allow the students to make suggestions, ask questions, and

disagree

CLASSROOM CONTROL

Source: glostercom

Instructor

Provides information concerning skills and/or knowledge

Speaks more than listens

Offers new understanding, demonstrates new skills and

competencies, or further develops skills

May provide new information and switch roles to facilitate learning

INSTRUCTOR V. FACILITATOR

Source: sheolux.blogspot.com

Facilitator

Encourages the examination of ideas and stimulates discussion

Promotes student involvement in a focused, goal-oriented manner

Builds upon student experience

Listens more than speaks

Adapts to various learning styles and adjusts the pace as needed

INSTRUCTOR V. FACILITATOR

1. Planned Ignoring — ignore inappropriate behaviors

2. Proximity Control — move or stand near disruptive students

3. Signal Interference — nonverbal signals may subdue

disruptive students

4. Physical Restructuring — change the instructional plan,

sequence, format, task, or location to reduce anxiety

5. Support from Routine — Do not extend sessions or over -run

scheduled breaks

INTERVENTION TECHNIQUES

Source: 710keel.com

6. Support through humor — appropriate humor helps students

deal with stressful topics

7. Minimal Assistance — enable students to overcome

obstacles

8. Shift of Focus — unscheduled breaks or temporary

departures from the agenda may dissipate classroom

tension

9. Seduction Control — set up or change the environment to

eliminate distractions

INTERVENTION TECHNIQUES

Source: funnypica.com

Lecture

Demonstration

Simulation

INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS

Lecture

Create interest and stimulation, develop opinion, exchange

information

Encourage the student to use critical thinking processes

Auditory learners learn best with this teaching method

Visual learners will learn well with this method - require variety

INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS

Demonstration

Show how to do a procedure, process, technique, or application

Combines at least two of the senses into the learning process

Auditory and visual learners learn well with this teaching method

INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS

Simulation

Abstract representation of real-life events, situations, or conditions

Kinesthetic/tactile learners learn best with this teaching method

INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS

Source: TCPSTC at IRSC

Lesson 5

EVALUATION,

MEASUREMENT, AND

SIMULATION

To introduce the student to measurement and

evaluation elements in the learning process

LESSON 5 GOAL

Measurement

Quantitative assessment

Assigning numbers or symbols to a subject to represent one’s quantity of

comprehension or proficiency

Qualitative assessment

Measured by the quality of something; more of a subjective evaluation

You need decision-making data or rubric to manage this objectivity

MEASUREMENT V. EVALUATION

Evaluation

An informed judgment or interpretation regarding a particular

attribute

Includes learning achieved, behavior changed, and/or instructional

quality

MEASUREMENT V. EVALUATION

Validity

Degree to which a test

measures what it is intended

to measure

Test is valid if: items

measured were effective,

appropriate, and an accurate

representation of the task

Reliability

Ability of a test to provide

consistent measurement over a

series of tests

TEST VALIDITY V. RELIABILITY

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ File:Reliability_and_validity.svg

Good test are both!

Objectives – tell the student how to attain the goal for a block

of instruction

“Hit the dart board”

Evaluation criteria – measure the extent to which the

objectives have been met

“Score maximum points with one dart – bulls eye is worth 10 points”

OBJECTIVES V. EVALUATION CRITERIA

Source: Microsoft

Objective when the correct answer is well defined and the

same, regardless of who is scoring the item

Subjective when the correct response is open to interpretation

or judgment by the scorer

OBJECTIVE V. SUBJECTIVE TEST ITEMS

Source: Sithtech.net

Formative

Ongoing feedback during class or course

Similar to a quiz – periodic feedback

Results may necessitate changing the lesson plan

Learning deficiencies enable immediate corrective action

FORMATIVE V. SUMMATIVE EVALUATIONS

Summative

Done at the end of the instruction

Determine whether the student has met the goals

Typically final examinations and/or proficiency demonstrations

Usually determines a pass or fail result

FORMATIVE V. SUMMATIVE EVALUATIONS

1. Student evaluation of instructor – use standard form

2. Administrative review – observe and provide feedback

3. Student performance – quiz and exam scores may indicate

instructor effectiveness

4. Peer evaluation – instructors evaluate each other

5. Self-evaluation using video – personal review and evaluation

INSTRUCTOR EVALUATION

CJI EXCELLENCE

Instructors are proxies of the CJI Director

Instructors are recruited, interviewed, and contracted based

on their skills and expertise

You must be FDLE Certified before applying

Processing sometimes takes up to 8 weeks

Numerous forms in addition to FDLE forms

At least two meetings on campus

CJI HIRING PROCESS

Source: bigthoughtsfromasmallmind.com

Training Center Director sanctions all CJSTC classes on or off site

Coordinator

Facilitates class administration – FDLE class folder and printing

Reviews syllabus, lesson plan, presentation, videos, equipment, quizzes, exam, etc.

Exam development, administration, and security

Current curricula – supplemental material approved by Director

Follow attendance policy

Director must approve in advance on Request for Excused Absence

Commensurate make-up work (500-words per hour on topic missed)

Clock hour requirements v. proficiency

REQUIREMENTS FOR CJSTC COURSES

Sy l labus to inc lude schedule

Inst ructor proof of cur rency – ATMS Global Prof i le Sheet

A gency Tra in ing Author izat ion forms

Trust Fund Expenditure Sheet and IRSC Requis i t ion

Attendance Log and S ign - in Sheets

End-of -Course Exam wi th answer key

Ind iv idual Student exams

Student evaluat ions of inst ructors

Per formance Evaluat ions for inst ructor courses

Copies of Cer t i f icates of Complet ion

CJSTC-67 FDLE Tra ining Repor t form (ATMS Complet ion Credit )

CJSTC-16 Specia l ized Tra in ing Documentat ion Form (when appl icable)

FDLE AUDIT FOLDER

Florida Department of Law Enforcement. (2011). 1115 General

instructor refresher course (Updated March 21, 2013) .

Tallahassee: FDLE

Florida Department of Law Enforcement. (2011). 1186 Florida

general instructor techniques course (Updated March 21,

2013). Tallahassee: FDLE

REFERENCES