Please Forgive My Ignorance

[fargon]

My lack of formal education has risen up and bit me on my a$$ again. Saturday morning at the monthly meeting of the local Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla, I was In formed that because, I do not have a collage degree I can not teach the Flotilla how to tie knots, or operate boats in an emergency situation.
Even the fact that I am a licenced Captain (100 Tons), and a Coast Guard Coxswain. I'm not qualified to impart my knowledge to any one. Instead I have been replaced by some guy that can't pilot a rubber duck in a bath tub.

Provided that you are a bonafide Subject Matter Expert in the skills that you wish to teach, you may simply be lacking teaching credentials. While a Masters degree often qualifies one to teach at university level and a Bachelors degree (with coursework in methods of instruction) may qualify one to teach grade school and/or paraprofessionals, there are provisions in the US Armed Forces for specialists in various tradecrafts to become instructor qualified.

For example, as a Senior NCO, I was a US Army Special Forces Medical Instructor credentialed through the Academy of Health Sciences (AHS), Fort Sam Houston, TX, which is the medical proponent for all branches of US Armed Forces. Every AHS instructor, from medic to orthopedic surgeon, is required to go through the AHS Faculty Development Course. The course consists of 2 weeks of didactic training in methods of instruction, followed by 6 months of formal (i.e. evaluated) apprenticeship as an assistant instructor, then another week of didactic training in advanced teaching techniques. Those with advanced degrees and professional licensure are exempt from the apprenticeship phase [as are all Special Forces qualified personnel since that is included in their training (i.e. the Green Berets - Fighters/Teachers)]. I not only taught 6 iterations of 50 students per year at the Special Operations Medical Course [Army Green Berets & Rangers, Navy Seals, and Air Force Para Rescue]; also, I worked in Training and Doctrine where I wrote a training manual and skill qualification test that everyone in my specialty was required to take annually. Additionally, I was designated a Special Operations Medical Subject Matter Expert at large for AHS which entailed teaching the medical aspects of Low Intensity Conflicts to classrooms full of military physicians (from all branches of the Armed Forces; also, the occasional CIA doc) and liaison duties with other major commands (e.g. Training and Doctrine Command & Special Operations Command). Not only did I do the job [Be all that you can be!], I did it well and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for it.

I recommend that you first find out who the proponent is for the skills you wish to teach and contact that organization about becoming instructor qualified. Even though the Coast Guard falls under the Dept. of Homeland Security (DoHS), a Dept. of Defense branch (DoD, e.g. Navy) may be the proponent for those skills. Then find out about the availability of both resident (i.e. active duty) and non-resident (i.e. correspondence) instructor training courses. There may be reciprocity between DoD and DoHS courses of instruction. If the Coast Guard Auxiliary won't spring for resident instructor training, you may be able to eliminate the cost to them by taking non-resident course didactics and having a qualified local instructor supervise your apprenticeship.

Those with advanced formal education have become acquainted with teaching skills as consumers of those skills just as you have become acquainted with your tradecraft skills by practicing your trade. Simply knowing what you are doing is not enough. You have to demonstrate that you know how to teach to the satisfaction of teaching industry standards. This can be accomplished through generalized formal education to a certain level; or, through specialized (adjunctive) training in education (methods of instruction). You can do it; but, you don't have to do it. It's up to you!

PS: All Green Berets are required to be cross-trained in a second specialty. I was cross-trained in Operations and Intelligence (O&I, i.e. Sneaky Pete stuff). I'm not going to do the legwork for you; but, if you come across any stumbling blocks that your Commanding Officer can't resolve, feel free to contact me.

[BigV]

I am not a Subject Matter Expert in the areas described here, so I will restrict my comments to those areas where I am Qualified.

NoBoxes has provided a classic, dare I say "textbook" example of the cellar's greatest strength--the vast breadth of experience of the members of this community. And when there is this much breadth, there's bound to be depth, as NoBoxes clearly displays in his reply.

fargon put a nickel in and NoBoxes gave him a dollar's worth. I applaud both of them. Thanks for the great answer NoBoxes. And go get'em, fargon! Show that bureaucratic punk your stuff!

[Beestie]

Originally Posted by NoBoxes

What he said .

I would only add that this requirement is probably in place simply as a doofus filter and was never meant to keep qualified individuals such as yourself from handing down their extensive knowledge and experience to the next generation.

Jump through a hoop or two and you should be all set.

[fargon]

Thank You for your input. I/We have resolved the problem, I have been asked to help another flotilla with their coxswain qualifications this winter. My local flotilla will continue to have focus groups and committee things to death. I'm very sad to see this, but all I ever wanted to do was help out.

[fargon]

GOD BLESS THE CELLAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Griff]

Originally Posted by fargon

I have been asked to help another flotilla with their coxswain qualifications this winter.

Cool.

[JayMcGee]

Glad it worked out for you, Fargon.

I fell into a similar situaton a few years ago. My then employer was 'downsizing' and to evade the various legalities decided to make us all redundant and then re-apply for our own jobs back. The 'new' jobs requiered a uni degree in computing, and so I was disqualified despite being the senior programmer and the only one to have produced revenue-earning software. MY crime? I entered the computing industry too early, before they even had degrees in computing.

[wolf]

One of my friends ended up in a similar quandry ... he was a senior programmer who left college before finishing his degree because programmers were in great demand, and skills meant more than puppy papers. Silly him. And then, of course, the dotcom bubble burst.

[Pangloss62]

because, I do not have a collage degree I can not teach the Flotilla how to tie knots, or operate boats in an emergency situation.

I'm just surprised they require you have a background in art in order to teach boating skills. Macrame maybe, but collage? What on earth does that have to do with boating?

Yes, I know that I'm an ass. But that did sound funny.