Fleming claimed that visual learners have a preference for seeing (think in pictures; visual aids such as overhead slides, diagrams, handouts, etc.). Auditory learners best learn through listening (lectures, discussions, tapes, etc.). Tactile/kinesthetic learners prefer to learn via experience—moving, touching, and doing (active exploration of the world; science projects; experiments, etc.). Its use in pedagogy allows teachers to prepare classes that address each of these areas. Students can also use the model to identify their preferred learning style and maximize their educational experience by focusing on what benefits them the most.
And then there are global learners who benefit from all 3 types of instruction. That being said not all people are suited for just any one of these. Some people will excel at the online courses and others will not. Then the global guys, and girls, like myself have to have SOME hands on. Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket when it comes to teaching any topic.
George, that reminds me. Being from the corporate world, I attended a 5 day seminar to learn the 4 different types of people in the world. Everyone is one of these:
Analytical
Amiable
Expressive
Drivers
All you have to do is learn each one, to be able to communitcate with people.
Over 25 people tested, interviewed and asked questions about me. I ended up being the worst, a driver. I guess that fits me on this message board. Expressive came in second. Anyone who teaches anybody about anything needs to study these 4 traits before teaching classes. Great way to deal and respond to different people.
How many of you veteran inspectors provided ride alongs for newbies fresh out of a school and after the first day, they found out that they did not have what it took. I have had eight inspectors so far decide to find a different profession after they found out how much you had to know, after being with me the first day. Only 2 out of the 14 mentored made it through the apprenticeship. Steve Wessler was the last one to make it through and the last one I personally mentored. Most people calling me wanting to be inspectors cannot even make it pass the NACHI education. Sad but true.
Well said and I have only two who made it to become a HOMIE .
But from the other side you and I have save these who wish to be Inspectors a lot of time and Money . We have also helped many other Homies because these who decided to stop did not get into the industry and give lower Cost inspection well trying to get established .
WE all might be better of if more like James and Roy helped the new homies find the facts and learn how to do a proper Inspection from the get go . Thanks James for your post… Roy
Sounds like we need some state regulation and licensing. Just kidding!! I don’t mean it!
I totally understand what you guys are saying, but I don’t think you can just lump everyone into the same category. I am one of those new guys and I have not gone through an “apprenticeship” HI program. However, I am 48 years old now. When I was 18, right out of high school, I got a job with a roofing company. I roofed mostly commercial buildings for a couple of years before moving to residential roofing. We didn’t roof a lot in the winter, so we did quite a bit of remodeling. I have done just about everything in a home from wiring entire houses, plumbing entire houses, and everything in between. After going through a lot of online courses in home inspections, I found out my experience alone didn’t qualify me for the HI industry. It did help A LOT though.
My point is, I believe I have a lot to offer in the HI industry. I have found that I really enjoy it. I have always been good at dealing with people. I’m thorough. I care. I’m easy to get along with.
I’ve been on a couple of ride alongs, but no mentoring or apprenticing. I’ve been studying hard for the past 4 years planning on getting into this business. But still, I’ve mostly only had classroom (online) training.
Well I don’t think its right for an organization to pick and choose who makes the grade or flushed down the drain. You have already set a precedence taking in hearing aid salesman to plain desk jockeys let the public thin them out. You created what you have live with it
David, business here in KC is dead, at least for me, and I am one of only a handfull of CMI’s in Missouri and Kansas. If you are cheap, and write only languages that protect you, and do not write up defects, you may get some business. It is sad what licensing has brought to Kansas, and soon to Missouri.
I did 50 inspections with another inspector who has performed over 32,000 inspections in 2001 before I went out on my own, and I am still learning. Feel free to contact me for some; but I am only doing one to two a week. Be prepared to starve your first year.
I have had several people ride along once, and they never showed up for the second one.
Big problem many teaching centers have is a failure to understand adult learning is completely different than youth / child learning. They continue to try and use a didactic method of teaching adults and it rarely if ever works. The Navy did exhaustive studies to learn how and why adults learn and found there are four basic adult learning styles. We all have one “preferred” method. Some like to read the instructions while another will throw the instructions in the trash and just go at it. The ideal course of instruction uses ALL four styles incorporated into the curriculum, forcing the adult to move out their comfort zone and use the other styles or methods. What they found was if left to their own devices, the learner using only the one preferred method, the retention of the course material was only about 30% but it properly applied teaching methods were employed, with each new style being used the retention would greatly increase to at the end of using all four styles, the retention was around 90%. Adults learn for totally different reasons than children. Nothing will turn off the adult faster than treating them like a child through antiquated teaching methods. Have written many courses back in my other life and using this adult learning styles works like gang-busters. No one wants to sit in a class and have some jackass regurgitate useless information at them and force them to take notes.
My daughter’s mother-in-law happens to be a real estate agent in the south KC area. She mentioned there is not much happening right now for her either. It will pick up I think. I hope the best for all of you guys out there.
Even though I’m new, I don’t ever plan on stooping to the low quality side of inspecting. I really don’t think it’s in my nature to do it that way. I would rather not do inspections at all if I can’t do them properly. I can wait it out for a long, long time. I have plenty to do in between.
As far as the education side of this business goes, I have noticed that much of this message board is about learning. Nobody knows everything. I think if anyone ever quits learning, they must be either dead, a liar, or extremely arrogant. Don’t get me wrong. I know a lot of you guys have been inspecting for a long time and have a wealth of knowledge in this field. I appreciate how a lot of you guys are willing to share some of that knowledge. The InterNACHI courses are great, too!
When I teach, I always say one or two lines of what I want them to learn, then tell a small story. Adults love stories. Keep them all short, and you will keep their attention. Same during inspections.
David, if I get an inspection your way, I’ll give you a call and you can “assist”. I suggest also that you explore the web sites of all local inspectors. It will help.
“Should Brain Surgeons with only classroom training be banned from the profession AND we only allow Surgeons with Online or Correspondence classes to do Brain Surgery”.
Classroom will involve hands on training & mentoring or residency or apprenticeship.
To be honest I would not let a correspondence course or online guy touch me.
I’ve done, online, that took a long time, it was a big learning curve for me, as everything was new to me, then I did classroom, that was a slow process for just about everyone but me in the group I think, probably because I was the only one that had any prior knowledge of HI, then I completed more online. Still not satisfied that I would be a competent inspector I seek hands on through mentoring, it’s the only way to go as far as I am concerned. I wouldn’t want a classroom trained only or an online trained only inspector inspecting my home. I still feel like I have a long way to go.
I did 2 weeks of classroom
and 6 months of tandem with another inspector (over 100 Inspections)
before starting out on my own.
worked for me… maybe not work for others…
The NJ license requirement is currently 140 hrs. of classroom and 40 hrs. of mentoring (16 inspections) I would like to see it raised to 100 hrs. field training.
