Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 (Fortune) 6/7/84; site rhino.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!zehntel!hplabs!sdcrdcf!sdcsvax!akgua!whuxle!harpo!decvax!decwrl!amd!fortune!foros1!rhino!marcum From: marcum@rhino.UUCP (Alan M. Marcum) Newsgroups: net.aviation Subject: Re: CFIs -- SOB's vs. Mellow Message-ID: <154@rhino.UUCP> Date: Mon, 23-Jul-84 12:13:02 EDT Article-I.D.: rhino.154 Posted: Mon Jul 23 12:13:02 1984 Date-Received: Mon, 30-Jul-84 00:44:23 EDT References: <9400004@hp-pcd.UUCP> Organization: Fortune Systems, Redwood City, California Lines: 46 Much of one's preferences depend on - presonality (i.e. yours); - learning style; - motivation style (i.e. "carrot" or "stick"). Personally, I've found (both from learning and from teaching -- the latter, things besides flying) lots of positive reinforcement (strokes) to be a vastly better teaching style than lots of negative reinforcement. Students learn better when they enjoy the learning process; making them feel good helps them enjoy the learning process. Also, from an instructional psychology prespective, focusing on what's being done well, or on HOW TO IMPROVE what needs improving, yields much better results than focusing on what's being done poorly. How, then, does one make the check ride a piece of cake? Two parts to that: - send the student on a practice checkride ("phase check") with another instructor prior to the actual checkride (the phase checker should run the check just like a check ride, though maybe a bit tougher); - instill in the students enough (rightful) confidence in their abilities that the checkride itself is merely a formality, with its outcome essentially well known in advance. It's interesting that Nathan asks this question. I recall an article in a recent edition of _Flying_ about instructing. My own opinion is that, while instructors often (usually, we hope!) know a great deal about the fine art of flying, they often know scant little about the fine art of teaching. We all want a safer sky, right? We all want better pilots, right? We all want better primary instructing, right? Well, maybe it's time to stop waiting for Our Great Mentor In Washington (a.k.a. the FAA), and start doing it right ourselves. The FAA sets MINIMUM standards; how many of us want to consider ourselves MINIMALLY capable? Why do so many instructors no longer teach students about spins just becuase the FAA dropped the requirement? Ah, well, enough for now..... -- Alan M. Marcum Fortune Systems, Redwood City, California ...!{ihnp4, ucbvax!amd, hpda, sri-unix, harpo}!fortune!rhino!marcum