I am booked for an upcoming Canadian Red Cross First Aid & CPR/AED Instructor Course.  I want to be completely prepared.  Do you have any advice?

This is an excellent question.  Here are some of our thoughts:

1) Pick up your course materials as soon as you can.  The more time you have to familiarize yourself with these materials the better!

2) The Canadian Red Cross First Aid and CPR / AED Instructor course is about how to teach.  The focus is on adult education and the effective delivery of first aid courses.  There is an expectation that you will enter the instructor course with strong first aid and CPR skills.  All of the skills are clearly depicted in both of the student textbooks (the CPR/AED Manual and the First Aid & CPR Manual).  There are also key points in your instructor guide, as well as video based demonstrations on the multi media presentation.  Practice hard to ensure consistency with these materials.

3) As mentioned above, completely familiarize yourself with all of the content of the student and instructor resources you are provided.  Be clear on the Red Cross standards, as opposed to St. John Ambulance, The Lifesaving Society, the Canadian Ski Patrol, the Heart & Stroke Foundation, WorkSafe BC, etc.   Each organization does things a little bit differently and it is important to always teach Red Cross courses consistent with the Red Cross course materials.

4) Plan out your assigned teaching presentations before your instructor course.  You will probably end up modifying them based on things you learn in the instructor school, but getting the heavy lifting done before your instructor course will take a lot of the pressure off.