Aristotle once declared, "The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet."
It’s as true in our world today as it was in his ancient Greece. Aristotle’s statement aside, few things evoke
more discontent and complaints than the mandated in-service training offered within most law enforcement agencies. While in-service
training is often an important component in disseminating updates, completing continuing education requirements or providing
for re-certifications, too frequently the training is administered with as little enthusiasm as it is received. Cops are not
an easily impressed lot and thus need more than the usual lecture to keep their attention.
So the big question looms for instructors wanting to lay out an appetizing and yet
educational course: What is it that instructors must do to capture the attention of the participants? Fortunately, there are
ways to improve both the presentation and the audience absorption of any block of in-service training. Using the acronym LOGIC,
we will discuss five keys to making your course more interesting and much more likely to be absorbed by the intended audience.
L-O-G-I-C
L = Lesson and Learning Methods
O = Open-ended Questions
G = Gratuities
I = Involvement by Participants
C = Confirmation by Examination
The "L" refers to spicing up the lesson and engaging the various learning methods.
Novelist Gail Godwin says, "Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths pure theater." The standard rote version
of "throw out the information and see if it sticks" format of instruction is almost always less effective than other methods.
Years of regimented primary and secondary education goes far to estrange students from yearning to sit in a room and heedfully
listening to the instructor. Lecturing is clearly the least productive in terms of garnering the full attention of your class.
Once the attention of students is lost it can be difficult to recover. With regard to lesson tools, you should seek out the
best audio/visual items you can get your hands on. While the slide projector still exists, that doesn’t mean we should
still use it. PowerPoint is a great teaching instrument that complements a prepared instructor and a strong curriculum. Eye
appealing graphics and easy-to-read fonts will go far in keeping eyes on the material. Dry erase boards, pre-drawn charts,
chalkboards and appropriate props are also great devices to use in unison. These tools encourage students to learn with their
eyes, a confirmation of what they are learning with their ears. As most instructors know, visual learners must see something
in order to understand it. Few people, including many of those in law enforcement, are able to learn something new by simply
listening. Using "hands on" methods are additionally good strategies. As passionate instructors it is our job to make sure
that we accommodate as many of the learning styles as possible during any course of instruction.
While improving on the presentation with visual items, the method in which the instructor
teaches should be "unpredictable." This requires the instructor to change tactics at strategic moments during the course.
For instance, when going over material that is particularly dry, turn it into a game of Trivial Pursuit. Play upon the experiences
and skills of your students. If you know one of your students has some experience regarding something your teaching, let that
student give a quick synopsis of a particular related incident, what happened, actions of the officers involved and/or the
result of those actions and discuss them with the class. Interact with the students so that the instructor’s voice isn’t
the only one reverberating through the room.
No one particular style of teaching is necessarily better than the rest, but by switching
styles throughout the course you will go a long way toward keeping your class attentive and willing to participate. In my
one hour racial profiling course, the set-up time for visual displays would probably take longer than the course itself. My
method of getting the attention of my audience is to use verbal scenarios. Near the end of the class, I give several verbal
scenarios that lay out interactions between police and members of a minority group. Based on the fictional actions within
those scenarios, I ask members of the class if there appears to be racial profiling, why, how it could have been handled better
and so on. Even the most seemingly boring courses can be spiced up.
The "O" stands for Open-ended questions. It’s important when seeking responses
from the class to not rely only upon yes or no inquiries and answers. As an example, say you are teaching a class on civil
liability. While trying to obtain an answer to the question, "Are vehicle pursuits one of the most common actions which result
in lawsuits?" you might be better off asking, "What police activity is more likely to get you sued than any other?" You will
elicit a variety of answers, which is great because it generates thoughts, ideas and healthy speculation, but you will also
likely get the right answer which is your goal. A good rule of thumb is to ask seven open ended questions for every one yes
or no question tendered.
The "G" in LOGIC is for gratuities. This may sound like a page out of an elementary
school teacher’s tutorial, but it does work. When seeking answers to questions, by providing prizes to the person with
the right answer, you will be encouraging more participation. Gratuities should be inexpensive, but satisfying. Candy, pens/pencils,
police patches or even gift certificates are ample ways of fostering more involvement from those wanting to "earn" a prize.
The "I" relates to involvement by participants. This is not only from the standpoint
of answering questions, but also in a physical sense, such as demonstrations or practical exercises. When instructing a standard
field sobriety testing course, I will use as many as a dozen different students throughout the course for various demonstrations.
When a fellow student is up in front of the class being used as the guinea pig everyone is wanting to see what’s going
to happen.
Group projects are also interesting for participants. During a Critical Incident
Management course I once attended, the instructor asked us to break up into groups of three or four and create "command teams."
A scenario of a critical incident was given to all the teams and each one was to come up with how to manage it from a law
enforcement standpoint. Not only was it fun to work with officers from other jurisdictions with varying degrees of experience
and knowledge, but as a group we picked apart each facet of the problem and designated the appropriate police response.
When using participants for demonstrations, keep in mind that we don’t want
to alienate future volunteers. It’s important that we never ask students to participate in activities which may be dangerous
or embarrassing. If, say, during one of my SFST courses a student stumbles while helping demonstrate the Walk and Turn test,
I am quick to offer my own admission that my balance isn’t great either. Giving some sort of token gift of appreciation
to participants will also help you get willing assistants.
The "C" refers to confirmation by examination. You’ll want to confirm that
the information presented was absorbed. The most effective way of determining this is by testing the participants’ knowledge.
Even a 10 question written test can do much for insuring that your material was learned.
In most courses I teach, I administer a "pre-test" before getting into the material
I’ll be covering. The pre-test serves two purposes: First, it shows the class how much they don’t know about the
subject(s) being taught. Second, it puts them on notice that I’m serious about the course and their performance. I always
mention that the pre-test is only for fun and doesn’t count against them. It helps alleviate the groans. Another way
to measure retention for some courses is the practical exam. This tests a student’s ability to complete some physical
task in a proper manner (such as defensive tactics or administering SFSTs).
Every instructor with any time in front of a class knows that there are always problems.
In handling "problem pupils," those whom persist in disrupting class or, as I came across once, someone who argues every point,
there is no exact formula. During an SFST course I was teaching, one of the class participants was constantly reminding me
that "in the academy they taught us ____." The blanks were filled in with numerous things and none of them were correct. Finally,
after spending several minutes with him while we were doing practicals, I called the class together and gave "them" (although
it was aimed at "him") this heartfelt statement: "What I teach is exactly what the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
demands that I cover during this course. Once you leave this class you can administer these tests any way you wish, but let
me say this for your benefit: If I am ever called upon in court to defend your training and your actions during a DWI case,
I can be your best friend or your worst enemy. If you fail to administer these tests as I have taught and I have to testify
in court about it, you will not see me as a friend, I promise. If you have followed all the guidelines, I’ll save your
hide." His argumentative nature seemed to dissipate immediately after that speech. This may not be perfect for every problem
pupil, but it certainly worked in my case.
Teaching an in-service course does not have to be a traumatic event for you or your
students. Use all means available to make your class as fun and interesting as possible. You’ll not only make your students
happy, but they’ll never groan again when coming one of your classes.
