In your local squadrons does the DCC play any role in testing cadets?
Anybody have an inflexible testing officer?
Well, as CDC, I'm also an ATO.
I'm neither the TCO or ATCO... But as CDC, I wrote the units inflexible policy on mentoring and testing. ;D
I do review boards though.
Quote from: CaptainT on August 19, 2006, 01:16:45 AM
In your local squadrons does the DCC play any role in testing cadets?
Anybody have an inflexible testing officer?
If your testing
officer isn't meeting the needs of the cadets in your unit, consider appointing additional senior members as Assistants TCOs. You can have several in your unit, and the DCC could (but does not necessarily have to) be one of them.
I am the Deputy Commander for Cadets in my squadron, and I am also an Assistant TCO and help oversee testing from time to time. It is convenient to have several SMs, in my opinion, as Assistant TCOs for this reason. It allows more division of labor (more opportunities to test, more people to help correct them, more people to organize and maintain the testing materials, etc.).
YMMV.
Do any other TCO have any problems with cadets who don't want to test?
Quote from: captbgraham on September 03, 2006, 05:28:32 AM
Do any other TCO have any problems with cadets who don't want to test?
I have, and it is not just a TCO problem, it is a plage for all involved in the cadet leadership.
I'm not a TCO or an ATCO.
I have problems with cadets being prepared for their test. They want to test but haven't even looked at the material -- or they barely look at it.
2Lt Robin Law
Quote from: rebowman on September 03, 2006, 06:34:39 PM
I have problems with cadets being prepared for their test. They want to test but haven't even looked at the material -- or they barely look at it.
Mentor the cadet a week or so prior to the test. Go through the chapter/module and quiz them on the material... This will force them to study, you will know when they haven't... and you can help them with parts they don't understand before test day.
"Inflexible" from who's side of the coin.
"inflexible" from the side that follows the regs and requires cadets do as well - that's called a "valuable Officer" (we're not SM's anymore, remember?
"Inflexible" as in being a PITA, and not meeting the needs of the unit? Those are pronounced "FORMER TCO's".
And cadets who "WON'T" test? Those are pronounced "FORMER Cadets".
Also, I agree that you should have several ATCOs, assuming you have Officers who are willing.
Since I took over the Squadron, we let our cadets test every week during the 1st 1/2 of the meeting, that way they only miss drill etc. and not classroom instruction. This removes the pressure to be ready for a test on a certain night, and it also relieves the Testing Officer from dealing with 30 tests in a single night. We've found that the Cadets are passing with better scores and at a faster rate than before with significantly less "re-takes". YMMV
My squadron used to let the cadets test every week, but no one did. We also had testing at 18:30 (6:30) so it would not run in to the meeting time, and again there was no cadet testing. We had been doing this for a year and half. So we finally stopped doing this.
One thing that helped recently was pointing out the loophole in the Wright Bros. Award that is closing up on Oct. 1st. It's got my C/A1C's humping for C/SrA so they can get the Wright Bros. without waiting. That got the C/SrA's going so they wouldn't be passed up. That got the C/SSgts going so they wouldn't chance losing their jobs, etc. Nothing seems to motivate them like missing an opportunity or having someone nipping at your heels, I just hope I can keep it going after the new 52-16 comes out.