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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