DGS writes:

Hard to tell but judging from his age and lack of compassion over the
situation it's very possible. I don't really know of a tactful way to
ask him this.

Ask him how long he has been an instructor. If the answer is twenty years,
he's probably not just instructing as a stepping stone to a professional
pilot's job. If the answer is six months, then he probably isn't a career
instructor.

I always find it odd that the FAA has set things up so that practically all
instructors are totally amateur teachers who care only about accumulating
hours. Seems like a dangerous way to teach new students.