Valley Park High School PE and Health teacher Zach Turner recently traveled to Indianapolis for a hands-on professional learning experience with the Student Air Rifle (SAR) Program. The day was packed with purposeful instruction and the trainer moved quickly without cutting corners and always checking for understanding often.
The training felt familiar to Mr. Turner in the best way. It echoed the archery certification he completed years ago, though with its own set of rules and even stronger safety measures in the air rifle setting. The experience left him confident and excited to bring this new skill set back to his students.
Mr. Turner has started introducing the program in the classroom and then followed it with field experiences in his Adventure Pursuits classes, giving students a chance to build both the knowledge and the hands-on skills they’ll need.
As he put it, “By completing this course and teaching it at school, I can help students learn how to handle rifles safely and inspire an interest in outdoor shooting sports as a lifelong recreational activity.”
When teachers have opportunities to learn in real-world settings, they come back with fresh skills, stronger safety practices and new ways to create meaningful experiences for students. It gives them the same kind of learning space their students get, where trying, practicing, adjusting and growing are all part of the process. And when teachers grow, their classrooms benefit right along with them.