Where do I start here? This could run to 20 pages...... Ok the short version.
I was a very very weak student who scraped into rotary, scraped combat ready and then found instructing was great. I ended up as a CFS Sqn Cdr ffs!
Some of my instructors were basically tools, who didn't understand that some people were not naturals. On JPs, no teaching took place, initially it was read the book, why can't you do it? Steve Petherick then saved me with a 5 flight 'Crammer' before FHT. Shawbury was better, but The Puma OCU was shocking!
I still struggle to this day being civil to my old instructors. The mentality was see how much it takes to break them. The percentage of JPilots not getting CR in the Puma force was rediculous.
Then I met the finest instructor that I have ever seen, Jack Robson. Along with a great bunch of crewmen, he mentored me, it finally clicked into place. Jack said that I should instruct, because I would understand the struggle for students. The rest is history.
On CFSH, we adopted the cuddly but firm and fair methods. It isn't a step back, it works so well. If someone struggles, find out why! Don't just chop. If you do chop, look at yourself, was it your fault? Try to improve next time. Don't be a dinosaur. That said, some students are just tossers.......