RaleighSS

Has anyone taken NASA SE Instructor Course? I was considering taking their level 1 course at CMP in February and wanted to hear from others who have maybe taken it.

jaa1992

Take it if you want to sit in the right seat.
Instructor needs to figure out the best way to communicate to all different kinds of students driving all kinds of different cars.
The NASA-SE course level I course helps. If you can also take the NASA-MA course.
Also PCA and BMW instructor courses are highly reccomended

varkwso

NASA-SE has 2 instructor courses. They are both pretty good. You will need a instructor license for NASA in 2011.

Z06Tracker

I am signed up for the course. Let me know if you decide to go.

AU N EGL

Go for it Paul

RaleighSS

Think I will sign up tomorrow... I am confident this the direction I want to go ... Looking to help others as well as keep building my skills ... Both can happen being an instructor then from there maybe into some sort of racing a few years down the road... We will just have to see how things go :-)

beerkat

I will be taking the course in Feb. I did the other part already. I only doing classroom instruction but you can never know to much.

RaleighSS

What other part did you do? This is the Level 1 course right?

95jersey

It has it's rewards and risks. I get lots of folks that are just thrilled and couldn't be thankful enough after how they improved and what they learned. I get lots of positive feedback, and most are very appreciative, and that is nice. I see real improvement in many of the students, BUT...there are "those" days.

Also, think how busy you are just getting through your own track day, now throw in 2 students one run group after another plus your sessions...add in some serious heat in the mid summer, throw in a novice student with a 600hp Z06 and your in for a treat. I have been lucky, after 4 years+ (knock on wood) I have never had one of those terrible students that won't listen and is a danger to him, you and others, but I am sure it is only a matter of time.

Sometimes it is like being at work, especially when you have 2 students the entire day (and the choice of how many you get is not up to you). Also, if you run late because you have to take a ****, they get real ticked off and don't understand why you are not there waiting for their beconing call. I remember jumping in one car after another just getting back from my session, and just desperately wanting to get a darn drink as I was getting dehydrated.

It is a LOT of work, and please consider that. Yes the track day is free, but you MORE than pay for every bit of track time in one way or another. There are lots of days, I decline and just pay so I can relax and enjoy my day.

RaleighSS

great point I know how drained 90/100 degree days can be just on me driving so with a couple of students I am sure it would be brutal some groups let ya get 1 student and pay partial fee maybe try that a few times.... I am most worried about the motion sick part as I have been with a few instructors that by the end of the session I felt like I could toss my cookies . Will just have to play it by ear and see how it goes :-)

Jason

Very rare is the student that will drive hard enough to make you sick.

varkwso

You can be sore from hitting walls at 100 mph though...

jaa1992

In two years of doing this I've had students scare the crap out of me. Two or three sessions later they finally decided to listen to me and things went much better.
For the most part the rest of them have been VERY appreciative of the instruction they get and they see the improvement. The best thing about instructing is getting the perma-grin on the students face - and seeing the "ah-ha" moment where they start thinking of doing track days on a regular basis.

DOUG @ ECS

Well said Matt,
honestly if I was not instructing customers of ours 99% of the time (so I know them first and can generally read what type of driver they are) I would not instruct unless it was the only way I could afford to be on track. It is a great deal of work to instruct and drive your own car too, when we have ECS sponsored days at the track, I usually dont even drive myself. The instructing takes up the entire day, if you needed to swap pads or do any maintenance to your car, you would have to miss sessions to do it.

ace996

Lots of work, hectic days, not enough time, but WORTH it at the end of the day.

There are instructors that shouldn't be doing it, you know them after a while...they get irritated, short patience, not happy...I suppose they're doing it for the wrong reasons.

I've had challenging students...all said and done they made me better at what I do. I am one who appreciates and, selfishly, takes pleasure when a student 'learns' and has that moment of 'clarity'. The bigger their smile at the end of the day, the bigger mine is too.
I remember the good instructors I've had in the past and the effect/influence they've had on me...I want my students to have similar memories and progress.

Give it a shot, you may just love it.

Be good,
TomK

beerkat

NASA-SE does it's Instructor clinic in two parts. It does not matter in what order you do them.

SPDYC6

RaleighSS, what region of NASA has a class in February? I would like to get signed up as well.

JRitt@essex

I used to enjoy instructing, but it became a burden for me as well, particularly with multiple students per day. I found myself a bit frazzled, practically running around the pits trying to track them down, etc. I started getting worried that I'd forget to do basic safety things like check my lug nuts, tire pressures, oil level, etc. between sessions.

When my first child was born earlier this year I finally decided that I'm more or less done with instructing. I've had a few scary incidents with students at the wheel, and I want to minimize my risk.

That said, I'm sure this type of class is probably the way to go if you are considering instructing. I'm sure my scary moments with students were probably at least partially due to my inability to communicate with the students as well as I could have.

"Instructor" is a very loose term with many, if not most, track day organizations. In many cases, the fastest guys out there tend to become default instructors. Note I said fastest, not necessarily the most experienced. Also, just because someone can pedal a car quickly around a track, or has tons of race experience doesn't mean that they can communicate to someone else how to do the same. The fact that NASA takes this topic so seriously is a good thing, and they've obviously put some effort into providing better, more well-trained instructors.

I'd say go for it. You have little to lose, and lots to gain! Even if you only learn one little tip that will help keep you out of a scary situation with any given student, it will be well worth it.

cire96

Interesting that no one's brought up the fact that NASA charges for thier Instructor classes. I instruct for SCCA and for a for profit track day group, but was prepared to take the NASA class when I learned I had to pay them to do so. Somehow, donating my time and skill to allow a for profit business to make more money and having to pay to do so seemed all wrong. Needless to say, I'm not a NASA instructor - despite the fact that I race with them regularly.
Cire

jaa1992

NASA-SE - check the website, its usually the Friday before the weekend. Sometimes you can also sign up to instruct that weekend.
If you do - make sure you have a communicator.

Good Luck! Maybe it won't snow mid-Feb at CMP