Developing Lesson Plans

[Futterman]

Hi guys,

With a few days to kill before starting on my CFI with an instructor later this week, I'm trying to preempt any delays by studying FOI and preparing a few lesson plans in advance. Thing is, I'm having a little trouble figuring out what material to discuss, and when.

I've already developed a lesson plan on crosswind operations for another class earlier this year (attached), but I feel that I took the scope of it too far. 10 pages on any one thing is a little much, especially for a primary student.

A friend reminded me to make sure everything hits on what's in the PPL/CA/CFI Practical Test Standards, though I'm not quite sure which topics should be grouped together or when they should be introduced. Right now, AOPA Flight Training's "Complete Lesson Plan Libaray" looks like a great template: http://flighttraining.aopa.org/cfi_tools/lessonplans/

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks,

Brian

 

[Sidious]

Yeah 10 pages is to much. All you need to do is get your CFI PTS and go through all of the technical subject areas in detail using FAA publications and create an outline on them.

Once that is done then create a one page lesson plan for each. In the elements section, just have the basic elements of what you need to cover for each topic. If you need to, you will have your outlines with all the extra material.

For the FOI I would go into as much detail as you feel comfortable with for being able to explain each concept to the DPE. I don't think a lesson plan for FOI is needed but you must be able to explain all the concepts.

Bottom line- Use the PTS for the bulk of creating your teaching outlines, you can't go wrong and remember this license is about you. The amount of time and effort you put into it will directly determine how well you do on the checkride. Good job on starting early, with that attitude you'll be fine.

 

[bdhill1979]

While I agree with Sidious that a one page lesson plan is what you want to teach from. But when I was developing mine those 10-12 page ones were really good study time for me. I always tell everybody that making the lesson plans is the best studying you can do for the CFI. The more thorough the better in my opinion. You can always trim the fat later to use them.

 

[jrh]

On Entering Spins, Enter Into Stalls Slowly

Objective
Elements
Schedule
Equipment
Instructor's actions
Student's actions
Standards of completion


Objective--To develop a basic understanding of and ability to perform crosswind taskeoffs and landings.

Elements--Aerodynamics of a slip and how it relates to an aircraft's path through the air.
Intentional use of uncoordinated control inputs
Tracking a straight line along the ground while keeping the aircraft's longitudinal axis aligned with the runway centerline

Equipment--Model airplane for ground briefing.

Instructor's actions--Instructor will brief elements on the ground before flying. Instructor will then demonstrate crosswind takeoffs and landings in the aircraft, placing emphasis on visual cues and physical control inputs needed for proper crosswind takeoffs and landings.

Student's actions--Student will practice takeoffs and landings on a crosswind runway.

Standards of completion--This lesson will be completed satisfactorily when the student can keep the wings of the aircraft over the runway centerline at all times while taking off and landing with a crosswind component of at least 10 knots. Student must also touch down with minimal sideloading of the landing gear and instinctively apply correct crosswind control inputs at all times while on the ground.




There, that fits on a page and covers everything. I pulled that off the top of my head in about 10 minutes. A lesson plan doesn't have to cover every single detail of a flight, it just has to be a good enough outline to let you remember all the details.

 

[exleardriver]

if you take your work as a cfi seriously, you'll soon learn that time spent on the ground is well worth it not only to you, but to your students as well. so, the better your preparation, the better the lesson. you've probably as a student flown with more than a single instructor and realized yourself the difference between those that teach on the ground first, than those who try to 'rush teach' in the air..and you probably felt a bit cheated by the latter..and you were.

flying an airplane isn't all that difficult..we've been doing it by the millions for a century. but teaching isn't always easy - unless you've done your own preparation. and you'll be amazed your first year instructing (should you not get sucked up by the part 121 vacuum) at how much you'll learn yourself from watching students making errors..and their getting things right as well. it was always my experience that folks who spent time as cfi's did far better when it came time to move into part 121/135 flying, as opposed to those who did not. i'm just stating this from my own experience..there are always those exceptions to the rule.

i agree. shorthand briefs for teaching work best in the classroom..saves a lot of staring at pages of notes and trying to organize your lesson. but having your own backup information in the form of several pages to explain the concepts in better detail will also serve you well. good luck! stick with it! it's very rewarding to teach others.