I was a Certified Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor (handgun and shotgun) and a Law Enforcement Tactical Shooting Instructor for my department for about ten years. I loved teaching the officers as I knew it made a difference. I also taught private classes for years and coached friends and family on my private range. About Ten years ago, about the time I retired, I quit teaching "Officially" and quit accepting "formal" students. The world had gotten to litigious. It seemed that everyone was suing everyone else for anything. I had too much to lose, and nothing to prove.
It was time to bow out.
With more than 40 years of shooting and competition behind me, I knew my classes were much better than most of the folks could get at the local gun shows. I taught a quality class and spent four hours before lunch in a classroom setting and after the lunch break, four hours on the private range. I also limited my classes to no more than four students, and the only folks you would see in my classes were ones you brought with you. Nothing I hated worse when "I" was a student in a class was to have a cut up or wise AZZ ruin the class for everyone.
As I said,
I loved to teach and enjoyed seeing the student's progress and the light in their eyes as they "got it," but I had a responsibility to family. So I took down my shingle. It wasn't that big a deal for me anyway, as it was never about money. I turned down nine requests out of ten anyway when I WAS teaching. I didn't want to take anyone I didn't know or wasn't highly recommended by someone I trusted.
Once I quit, if I took a call from someone seeking a class, I pointed them to the few folks I know still teaching private classes with the experience and background I trusted. THAT list is getting shorter every year because those instructors are coming to the same conclusion regarding private classes. The benefits don't outweigh the risks.
As a Department instructor I had Five Million Dollars in Liability Insurance paid for by the County and the County Attorney's ready and willing to cover my butt. As a private instructor I had only my homeowner's insurance and whatever insurance the NRA offered as an instructor. I could have added a rider, but since I wasn't charging that much, or teaching that much, it didn't make sense. Even if you go to court and win... you still lose.
These days I still coach a few friends, unofficially while we shoot together. A very select few, it's a short list...
It's up to you. You can start to teach "professionally" or go on like you are going... coaching... and being happy that you learned what you did in the class and added to YOUR experience. The Range Officer class is a good one... but consider those risks and responsibilities as well. If you take the RO slot, be a tough one. If you get slack, that's when folks get hurt.
I ran ranges for years, and never a single injury. Not even the Department Chief got any slack on the range.
I was even rough on the folks on my home range... no slack there either, but no one ever got hurt, or was unsafe.
