I attended our motorcycle instructor update this past weekend. With a few changes to what I had requested to teach, I have ended up scheduled to teach 26 Basic Rider Courses. My stepson Neil has been scheduled to range aid for 45 classes this season. The first class of the season for both of us begins April 3rd at South Suburban College. The goal for me is paying of 2 credit card accounts with the money made this season. Neil saves the majority of his money to last the year, buy his college textbooks. He is a miser (in a good way) with the money he earns.
There are a few changes for our region this year. All of the basic classes are the MSF Basic Rider Course. The BRT out of Team Oregon is no longer being field tested. This was announced at the instructor banquet to the major disappointment of instructor who became fond of the BRT. The region is refocusing on the BRC and getting everyone to follow the standardization of the delivery of the course. Many instructors haven't taught a BRC for a few years because of the field testing of the BRT. I have my own opinions and there is no perfect curriculum. Whatever is being used is what I will teach.
We will be on a tighter schedule with less flexibility at some of the sites. The region has been tasked to increase last years total from 4200 students to over 7000 students this year. One way of achieving this is overlapping classes. 2 classes do the 4 hour classroom together on a weeknight. For Saturday and Sunday, 1 class has the range from 7-1 classroom 2-4, the other has the classroom from 10-1, range 2-7. I am sure it will work as we stay on target. It's hard enough getting people to show up for the 8 am classes with some showing up late and being dismissed. I am teaching mostly classes that will begin on the range at 7 am. There may be an increase in the number of students being dismissed for tardies although I sincerely hope not.
2 years ago
