CHAPTER 5: THE POLICE LEADER AS AN EDUCATOR

Question 1

Virtually all law enforcement agencies retain some form of the old
“do as I do” training for new police officers. This training is conducted by Field Training Officers, or FTOs. Much of ______ can be passed on in this way. The practice is invaluable to common sense police work, though there are additional, equally valuable sources of job knowledge available to today’s recruit officer.

Answer 1

Value

Question 2

His primary supervisor is one such source and plays a large role in preparing the novice police officer for a ______ career in an increasingly complex profession.

Answer 2

useful

Question 3

RESPONSIBILITY TO INSTRUCT

It is by now no surprise to the reader that the police supervisor
plays a ____ part in the welfare of both his subordinates and the organization of which they are components.

Answer 3

vital

Question 4

TOPICS FOR POLICE INSTRUCTION

There are as many potential topics of study for a police educational program as there are areas of human knowledge. Generally speaking, however, a certain core curriculum can be found at the heart of most police recruit academies.

Answer 4

There are enough topics to train police officers ranging from 600-1200 hours of content.

Question 5

TOPICS FOR POLICE INSTRUCTION

A department located near a national border might, for instance, wish to add a substantial section on United States Customs and Immigration Law.

Answer 5

customs and immigration law because that is specific to their area.

Question 6

TOPICS FOR POLICE INSTRUCTION

The sergeant who has the best interests of his people at heart will
not wait until his own boss demands that some attention be paid to the inservice education endeavor. Instead, he will _______ his peoples’ needs for training and get it scheduled for them.

Answer 6

assess

Question 7

TOPICS FOR POLICE INSTRUCTION:

In order to best perform his tasks as a competent teacher of police
officers, the supervisor will find a need to develop and refine a spe-cific set of skills. He will need to know:
(1) how to _______ what he is going to teach,
(2) which instruction method he is going to use, and
(3) how he will evaluate the results on his officer “students.”

Answer 7

organize

Question 8

PROPER USE OF LESSON PLANS

An effective lesson plan can range from some ________ notes and plans on a lined card or a single sheet of notebook paper to a comprehensive, typed outline with supporting notes, PowerPoint slides and material in a fancy binder.

Answer 8

hand-printed

Question 9

PROPER USE OF LESSON PLANS

Regardless of the format, the aim is the same: to provide instructor and instructed alike with an idea of what is to be accomplished, how it is to be done, and in what ways the student will show his ______ of the material covered. The plans also include the instructor’s notes to be used in his presentation.

Answer 9

mastery

Question 10

PROPER USE OF LESSON PLANS

In the attempt to accomplish these objectives, the lesson plan may
be divided into _____ categories: (1) overview, (2) objective(s), (3) out-line and/or notes, (4) evaluation, and (5) sources

Answer 10

five

Question 11

PROPER USE OF LESSON PLANS

1. Overview

The overview is something that can (at the instructor’s discretion)
be given to the students at the ______ of the training session. They will thus have some idea as to what is expected of them and where the instructor is planning to lead them.

Answer 11

beginning

Question 12

PROPER USE OF LESSON PLANS

2. Objective(s)

The overview offers a broad statement of what the lesson will ______ to achieve. The objective(s) should list the specific skills or knowl-edge that will be imparted in order to attain the aims of the goal. The objective(s) will get down to specifics.

Answer 12

attempt

Question 13

PROPER USE OF LESSON PLANS

3. Outline/Notes

This is the real _____ of the lesson plan, that is, the outline or notes
on the material to be given to the class. This is the factual information that will enable the student to meet the requirements and expectations noted in both the overview and objectives of the lesson plan.

Answer 13

meat

Question 14

PROPER USE OF LESSON PLANS

4. Evaluation

When the lesson presentation is complete, the instructor will want
to know how successful he has been in obtaining the desired ______ in knowledge and/or job skills performance of his students.

Answer 14

changes

Question 15

PROPER USE OF LESSON PLANS

4. Evaluation

Every training effort is made to achieve some kind of a change in
the student: he will be more attentive to ______; he will shoot better; he will write better reports. In the long run, however, it will be the job of the student’s supervisor to determine if the desired changes are real-ly taking place.

Answer 15

detail

Question 16

PROPER USE OF LESSON PLANS

5. Sources

The instructor _______ conclude his lesson plan with a listing of
sources or resources from which the material was derived. Once again (depending upon the subject) the list may be lengthy or brief.

Answer 16

should

Question 17

PROPER USE OF LESSON PLANS

5. Sources

The sources section also can provide a direction for further study by the interested student. The ideal classroom presentation should end with the instructor supplying information on where the pupils can go for more ____.

Answer 17

details

Question 18

THE PRESENTATION

With the prepared lesson plan in hand, the police leader is ____________ on his instructional enterprise.

Answer 18

ready to embark

Question 19

THE PRESENTATION

Lecture:

One of the oldest methods of teaching something to someone is to
explain it ______. This way of communicating knowledge is known as the lecture approach, particularly when used in a formal setting, such as a classroom. The lecture is often accompanied by audiovisual aids such as a PowerPoint presentation or video clips.

Answer 19

orally

Question 20

THE PRESENTATION

Lecture:

This sit-down, classroom approach is ________ used for handling topics such as law, procedures, rules and regulations, and background information for mechanical skills

Answer 20

traditionally

Question 21

THE PRESENTATION

Lecture:

The lecture has one advantage. It conveys a volume of _______
knowledge in a no-nonsense fashion in minimal time. Its limitations lie in the students’ abilities to remain engaged, take notes, and grasp the points being made.

Answer 21

factual

Question 22

THE PRESENTATION

Lecture:

The lecture, with its limitations upon student ________, is probably most useful when used with another instructional approach.

Answer 22

endurance

Question 23

THE PRESENTATION

Discussion

This approach works well when used with the lecture. The instructor who allows a general discussion of the topic under study is making use of the collective knowledge of the class members in addition to his own insights. Virtually everyone knows more about something than anyone else. The _____ class discussion allows the opinions, insights, and feelings of various people to be heard.

Answer 23

open

Question 24

THE PRESENTATION

Discussion

It is not necessary that every discussion contribution be factually
correct. Without _______ the contribution’s donor, the instructor can seize on incorrect assumptions or answers to illustrate common errors or misconceptions.

Answer 24

belittling

Question 25

THE PRESENTATION Demonstration/Participation Many of the skills that must be taught to law enforcement officers require some ____________. One cannot teach a student offi-cer how to fire a handgun properly and accurately while seated in the classroom, though safety rules, weapons nomenclature, and principles of proper shooting can be taught there.

Answer 25

physical participation

Question 26

THE PRESENTATION Demonstration/Participation The demonstration/participation phase may follow the _____ and discussion phases as one of the final steps in the instructional process.

Answer 26

lecture

Question 27

THE PRESENTATION Demonstration/Participation The well-prepared instructor checks __________ to make sure that everything he needs is ready for his presentation.

Answer 27

ahead of time

Question 28

THE PRESENTATION Demonstration/Participation Evaluation should not be limited to the students’ performance. The skilled instructor will be _______ interested in grading his own performance.

Answer 28

equally

Question 29

THE PRESENTATION Demonstration/Participation Such evaluations can be helpful in a number of ways. They allow the student to have some involvement in selecting the highest caliber of instructors available. They allow the agency to either improve or ______ the poor teachers from the instructional staff. Finally, they enable the interested instructor to identify his own weak points. For this to occur, of course, the written, anonymous evaluations are passed on to the teacher after the academy director or departmental training officer has had a chance to review them.

Answer 29

remove

Question 30

THE PRESENTATION Demonstration/Participation The instructor need not accept every criticism as _____. His own common sense should help him determine those opinions that are not soundly based on factual observations.

Answer 30

valid

Question 31

THE PRESENTATION Demonstration/Participation The list of most frequently encountered shortcomings of police instructors includes few surprises: 1. The instructor talked too fast. Solution: Slow down. 2. The instructor’s voice was monotonous. Solution: Add a few anecdotes, change positions at the podium, use facial expressions and hand gestures occasionally. 3. The session was too long. Solution: Have one ten-minute break per hour; condense the material. 4. Difficult or new words were unclear. Solution: Use a whiteboard or flip chart. Slow up the presenta-tion for new words, and make sure that they are understood. Definitions may be needed. 5. The instructor did not know his _______. Solution: Know the material before beginning the presentation. Do not bluff. Admit shortcomings, but get the needed informa-tion later and put it out. 6. The instructor spoke too loudly or too softly. Solution: Engage in some self-monitoring. If in doubt, stop and ask the class if voice level is about right for everyone. 7. The instructor appeared to be bored or uninterested. Solution: Learn the material thoroughly along with some practical examples or anecdotes to illustrate vital points. Attempt to relate the material to be learned to the officers’ practical needs.

Answer 31

subject

Question 32

THE PRESENTATION Demonstration/Participation Self-evaluation can be of _______ to the instructor. By using it, he can improve both his performance and the student officers’ success rate in absorbing the material presented.

Answer 32

great worth

Question 33

AIDS TO INSTRUCTION Any presentation can be made more interesting and more clear if its highlights are demonstrated visually. PowerPoint is great for this task.

Question 34

AIDS TO INSTRUCTION The instructor also can make excellent use of a _______ or white-board to illustrate important words, figures, or diagrams in his lecture presentation.

Answer 34

chalkboard

Question 35

AIDS TO INSTRUCTION The supervisor/teacher also should have copies of the material being discussed _______ for each student to examine during the session itself. Audio cassette and DVD can also be effective teaching aids.

Answer 35

available

Question 36

AIDS TO INSTRUCTION: Word of caution: video presentations can teach a lot in the realm of how-to information. Nonetheless, they are no substitute for ___________ in such areas as safe driving, handcuffing, baton use, and firearms training. Used along with hands-on training, video is an excellent tool for the supervisor-trainer.

Answer 36

hands-on-practice

Question 37

AIDS TO INSTRUCTION: The smart instructor will not overlook the usefulness of ________ in his teaching efforts.

Answer 37

tangible objects

Question 38

AIDS TO INSTRUCTION: ``` The instructor who gets results attempts to stay in close touch with his listeners. He makes _______ with each member of the group, he watches his class members for signs of restlessness or discomfort, and he stays flexible enough to go into a break period early or start a lively discussion session if he senses that he is losing his audience’s interest and attention. ```

Answer 38

eye contact

Question 39

SUMMARY The __________ utilizes a carefully prepared lesson plan, complete with identifiable learning objectives that can be measured to help guide him in his work.

Answer 39

effective instructor

Question 40

SUMMARY Likewise, he uses demonstrations, class participation, field exercises, and learning aids such as video presentations to get the _______ across.

Answer 40

message

Question 41

SUMMARY Finally, he questions, talks with, and observes his student officers after the training is given to see if the desired results have been ______. In so doing, he recognizes that the learning process for a law enforcement professional never ends.

Answer 41

attained

Question 42

POINTS TO REMEMBER 1) The supervisor’s job includes that of ______ his subordinates.

Answer 42

training

Question 43

POINTS TO REMEMBER 2) His role includes discovering where his people need _____ training and helping them obtain it.

Answer 43

additional

Question 44

POINTS TO REMEMBER 3) A good training lesson plan includes an a) overview, b) objectives, c) out-line, d) e) sources section.

Answer 44

evaluation

Question 45

POINTS TO REMEMBER Teaching methods include lecture, discussion, demonstration/participation, and a combination of ___________.

Answer 45

more than one method

Question 46

POINTS TO REMEMBER There are effective ________ techniques for some common instructional problems.

Answer 46

troubleshooting

Question 47

POINTS TO REMEMBER Computer-driven aids can make the law enforcement instructor’s efforts more ______ and his task easier.

Answer 47

effective