Randy, suppose you knew two instructors....
Joe is a mediocre "recognized" level instructor who means well, but often misses major problems in students that you see from across the room. He is diligent about getting his students to fill out evaluation forms, and since Joe is a nice guy and tries to help, his students uniformly turn in good evaluations. He is about an APA 5 or 6 and has played for about three years. He has never been to any national championship as a player or spectator.
Willie has been giving lessons since he opened a pool hall in the 70s. He has met all the champions since then and many from before. He is an avid student of the game, and owns many books and tapes, which he has read and watched. He plays well enough to have finished in the top 10 in two divisions at Derby City. He helped referee when the World Championships (9B) were in Chicago in the 1990s. He still has his pool hall, and enjoys teaching a high school class of 50 that comes in twice a week in the morning before he normally opens (he takes a nap in the afternoon so he can close at 2AM). He also makes sure that all the new league players in his room get started on the right foot by giving them very cheap lessons. He is proud of his "BCA Certifed" certificate posted above the cash register, but he can't see any point in asking his students for evaluation forms -- he knows whether he helped them or not from their results, and he has no plans for a higher level of certification.
I know which one I'd recommend. Which would you recommend? And no, this is not entirely a straw-man example.
