initial CFI help-lesson plans

[Da Vinci]

i have less then a week and a half to my CFI check in atlanta ga fsdo...someone just told me i should have a lesson plan for every task listed in the pts. ok...i have all my maneuvers but is this true????? holy steep turns that means i'll be writting lesson plans for the next month???!!!! can you fail if you don't have a lesson plan for something??? i'm open to any opinions!!!

 

[moxiepilot]

a good response if you don't have a lesson plan for the particular subjets is: "one of my overall goals as a flight instructor is to put the time of preparation into the presentation for my students. because I don't know everything to the level of a seasoned instructor i prepare each night for the following day's lessons. that way I can evaluate what I might have left out so the student gets a thoughtful and thorough lesson."

don't worry about it.

 

[Inconceivable]

Go to Jedi Nein's site and she has links to a number of pre-made lesson plans.

I, too, was blindsided years ago in training by the "requirement"--I photocopied someone else's lesson plans, bought a gleim practical test prep book, sliced off the backing, bought 300 page protectors and a 4" binder. One cr@ppy night in the hotel later, I had lesson plans and teaching notes that covered everything I needed for the oral without any additions or omissions.

Improvise, adapt, overcome. Good luck.

 

[Da Vinci]

wow...i'm a dork for never considering COPYING SOMETHING!! that web site you pointed me to is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Thedude]

The examiner will proabaly go a little easier on you if you already have some prepared. In my inital CFI, many moons ago, he actually asked me to write a lesson plan so I just flipped ope my notebook and voila.

 

[greyhound]

When I did my Lesson plans, I just bought the Gleim "Flight instructor Maneuvers and PTS" book.

It's the PTS, only it has detailed info on what you are expected to teach.
For example....
1.Look under each Area of operation.
2.Then You'll find tasks...
3.Then under each task you'll find a list of objectives.
These objectives are what your lesson plans should cover.

The Gleim book already gives detailed notes on how you can cover these objectives.

It took me about one month though....

 

[LewisU_Pilot]

Jedi Nein's site?? Where is that located? I myself am preparing for my CFI ride in a month or so. I have a lesson plan made up for pretty much everything listed in the PTS. There are a couple I have yet to do. Curious to see this Jedi's site....

 

[Ralgha]

I didn't have lesson plans for ever subject, not even close. What's more, the ones I did have I have never, ever, looked at again after I made them.

 

[JediNein]

http://www.slantgolf.com

Enjoy! They're being replaced by the end of the year.

Jedi Nein

 

[nosehair]

I didn't have lesson plans for ever subject, not even close. What's more, the ones I did have I have never, ever, looked at again after I made them.

Golly, Gee Whillikers, Mr. Ralgha, you are so awesome. When I grow up, I want to be just like you.

 

[JAFI]

I didn't have lesson plans for ever subject, not even close. What's more, the ones I did have I have never, ever, looked at again after I made them.

Kind of courious, how did you know 1. What to teach for each lesson, 2. When the lesson was done if you had no idea what to teach for each lesson, 3. if you covered each item for the lesson, 4. for standardization - what teaching points you wanted to make for each part of the lesson, 5. what references you used for each teaching point/lesson objective, 6. If you followed any regulatory compliance for some part of the lesson. 7. if any information or regulation has changed, where must/should you change any lesson plan ????????? I would have many more questions, but these would do for now.

In the education field, the basic rule is 4 hours of lesson plan preperation for each hour of teaching, 8 hours (of prep for every hour of lesson) if you are teaching a new subject or having to research material. Once you develop a lesson plan you can use it over and over again as long as the material has not changed.... (you can even update a lesson plan to make it better---- what a concept!!!)

Your lesson plans should be living (constantly revised) documents, full of examples, pictures, diagrams, references, and stuff you will use every day teaching this aviation thing - a ever changing, dynamic subject. To not do so, You must be super human to have it all memorized --- or have you forgotten something....????

I used my lesson plans as a plan to show the student what we would do for the next lesson and what I expected them to read and be ready for - before the next lesson. IMHO You guys are really missing the boat if you do not have a plan for a lesson.

I will step off my soap box now. You can be as prepared or not prepared as you want. IMHO a good teacher is prepared. Your students can see that.

JAFI

 

[depthfinder]

Flight Instructor's Lesson Plan Handbook, by Edwin Quinlan. This book contains each and every lesson plan you will need. The cost is roughly $60.00 and I used these lesson plans for my CFI practical. The FAA Inspector ( not DE ) told me to write up a lesson plan for S-turns across a road. I opened the book, pulled out the lesson plan within 10 seconds, and handed the lesson plan to the inspector.

Do a google search with the name of the book and author. The book is a white, spiral bound book, with a commander and red lettering on the front. Get this book and worry no more about lesson plans.

 

[Goose Egg]

wow...i'm a dork for never considering COPYING SOMETHING!! that web site you pointed me to is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You'll definitely want to have a plan for each task area, but I wouldn't spend the time to author them all yourself (again). No need to reinvent the wheel.

-Goose

 

[Ralgha]

Kind of courious, how did you know 1. What to teach for each lesson, 2. When the lesson was done if you had no idea what to teach for each lesson, 3. if you covered each item for the lesson, 4. for standardization - what teaching points you wanted to make for each part of the lesson, 5. what references you used for each teaching point/lesson objective, 6. If you followed any regulatory compliance for some part of the lesson. 7. if any information or regulation has changed, where must/should you change any lesson plan ????????? I would have many more questions, but these would do for now.

In the education field, the basic rule is 4 hours of lesson plan preperation for each hour of teaching, 8 hours (of prep for every hour of lesson) if you are teaching a new subject or having to research material. Once you develop a lesson plan you can use it over and over again as long as the material has not changed.... (you can even update a lesson plan to make it better---- what a concept!!!)

Your lesson plans should be living (constantly revised) documents, full of examples, pictures, diagrams, references, and stuff you will use every day teaching this aviation thing - a ever changing, dynamic subject. To not do so, You must be super human to have it all memorized --- or have you forgotten something....????

I used my lesson plans as a plan to show the student what we would do for the next lesson and what I expected them to read and be ready for - before the next lesson. IMHO You guys are really missing the boat if you do not have a plan for a lesson.

I will step off my soap box now. You can be as prepared or not prepared as you want. IMHO a good teacher is prepared. Your students can see that.

JAFI

Wow, you guys are amazing. Where, exactly, did I say I did not use lesson plans? Can you point it out to me? No, because I DID NOT SAY THAT.

What I said was, and I quote with a bullhorn:

the ones I did have I have never, ever, looked at again after I made them.

Allow me to explain for those who can't seem to comprehend what they read.

I made a few lesson plans for my CFI training. Those lesson plans I have never looked at again, however they still reside somewhere on my computer. When I actually began teaching, I made new lesson plans, which I used while teaching, because I knew I didn't like the ones I already had. Rather than trying to bend and twist them into something that I liked, I started over. I have found, more often than not, that others I have talked to have done similar things.

 

[Ralgha]

Golly, Gee Whillikers, Mr. Ralgha, you are so awesome. When I grow up, I want to be just like you.

It was intended to show that A) you don't need a lesson plan for every task/subject, and B) that you don't have to use (and many don't) the ones you created in training when teaching.

 

[JAFI]

I didn't have lesson plans for ever subject, not even close. What's more, the ones I did have I have never, ever, looked at again after I made them.

Perhaps if you added the statement "I made better lesson plans before I started teaching" Then there would be less confusion. I commented only on what you wrote.

FWIW, I still wonder how any one can know what specifically to teach - in any lesson - (when you are done with the lesson and how to prepare your student for the next lesson) without comprehensive lesson plans. May be it is just me. I have taught (aviation and technical programs) on and off for 20 plus years.

JAFI

 

[pilotmiketx]

Perhaps if you added the statement "I made better lesson plans before I started teaching" Then there would be less confusion. I commented only on what you wrote.

FWIW, I still wonder how any one can know what specifically to teach - in any lesson - (when you are done with the lesson and how to prepare your student for the next lesson) without comprehensive lesson plans. May be it is just me. I have taught (aviation and technical programs) on and off for 20 plus years.

JAFI

MEMO FROM CHEEF PIOLET'S OFFICE:

1. The lesion plans should all be in the FAA Approved format.
3. The instuctor should include ALL the information in the lesson plan ir-regardless of the circumstances encountered during training.
2. The lesson plan will not be altered to accommodate any needs of the student.

ANY INSTUCTOR PIOLOT NOT ADHERING TO AFOREMENTION RULES IS HERETOFOUR SUBJECTED TO DISSIPLENARY AXESHUN.

Signed,
Some Short Bald Asshole
CHEEF PIOLET

What a load of crap. A lesson plan is a PLAN. Not a mold that every lesson is stuffed into. That's where the cookie cutter 141 flight schools get it wrong. But what do I know? I've never had an applicant fail a checkride.

PS Spelling errors are intentional to add realism. (Anyone ever had a CP who didn't spell like the Chick Fil-A cows?)

 

[Goose Egg]

A lesson plan is a PLAN. Not a mold that every lesson is stuffed into. That's where the cookie cutter 141 flight schools get it wrong.

PS Spelling errors are intentional to add realism. (Anyone ever had a CP who didn't spell like the Chick Fil-A cows?)

Good point. I think it is really a good idea to specify goals for the particular flight, but any instructor unable to personalize a lesson to a particular student really has no business instructing in the first place.

And about the CP's spelling thing; no, now that you mention it.

-Goose

 

[Hipster Loser]

you should create your own lesson plans for every task in the CFI PTS. Use the FAA handbooks for the maneuvers. It lists all you need to have on the lesson plan. plus, when you create them yourself you'll learn them much better.

lesson plans also help you as a new CFI as well. It gives you the guidelines to cover duinr your lessons.

 

[JAFI]

It is interesting that many many instructors outside of aviation use lesson plans with success. They are part of the education environment. IMHO, they are like a tool in a tool box. How you use a tool is up to you. If success is the only criteria, you can successfully hammer nails into wood with a big wrench. It is not the correct tool, or can it be very efficient (too many bent nails and smashed fingers), but it can be done.

Use lesson plans, don't use them - I could not care less. I think they are an important planning tool.

JAFI