Valuable:
When finding an instructor or a course, how do you go about ensuring that you are getting the best value for your time and money? Often, we find ourselves looking at various instructors and wondering "what's the difference between these folks?", and "why should I take this persons training?".
Find the Differences:
Different teachers have different ideas of what is important. This ends up being the focus of much of the instructors curriculum simply because it is something that has been found valuable to them. For instance, a teacher may find that clearing malfunctions is an overlooked skill, and build it into their curriculum. Similarly, some may find that nobody practices single hand shooting, therefore, it must be emphasized in their class.
These differences are just the points of instruction on which the teacher will focus. If you are looking at a standards class, such as Pressburg Consulting "No Fail Pistol" or Citizens Defense Research "Technical Handgun", you know that the basic pistol skills will have to be established before testing your skill against the curriculum. If you are looking at an advanced defensive handgun course, some instructors will focus more on keeping the gun running (malfunctions, reloads, etc.) while others focus on longer range pistol work and high levels of precision.
All of this training is valuable simply because it comes from an experience that is unique. Each of the emphases are important, but the instructor has assigned them specific value based on their experiences. Their fight is not your fight, but their experience can still make you better!