What the instructor does
- 1Be proficient in a skill — and be able to teach it, not just do it.
- 2Pick your subjects — first aid, camping, knots, cooking, etc., that scouts need.
- 3Teach with EDGE — Explain, Demonstrate, Guide, Enable.
- 4Help scouts get tested so they can advance.
- 5Coordinate with the troop guide and patrol leaders on who needs what.
The role
- Teaching the skills younger scouts need for advancement and the outdoors.
- Developing a scout's own teaching and leadership ability.
- Strengthening the whole troop's skill level — a troop can have several instructors, each with their own subjects.
Notes & safety
- Teaching safety-relevant skills — teach them right. First aid, fire, tools, and aquatics have real safety stakes; an instructor must teach the correct, current methods (defer to the verified skill topics and adult experts).
- Know your limits — teach what you truly know; hand off skills beyond your competence, especially safety-critical ones.
- Serve genuinely — advancement credit requires real service, not just the title.
Going deeper
- Doing isn't teaching. The instructor's defining trait is the ability to teach — a great camper who can't explain it isn't an instructor.
- EDGE it. Explain, Demonstrate, Guide, Enable — the four steps that turn "watch me" into "now you can."
- Many instructors, many skills. A troop can field several instructors, each owning the skills they know best.
Official source
Instructor — Troop Leader Resources, Scouting America →Duties are paraphrased. Teaching safety-critical skills must use current, correct methods — defer content to the verified skill topics; an instructor should not improvise safety procedures.