I recently started my first course of training with a new Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) applicant and have been reminded of all there is to know as an instructor. I did my initial CFI training in 2023 and have been out teaching in the field for some time now, and I am looking forward to another opportunity to review all the information I first compiled so long ago.
Much of the information hasn’t escaped me, of course; it’s not like I need a complete refresh of everything there is to know. But looking over traditional concepts I use daily with a more detailed lens (not only at the instructional level but at the level of providing instruction to an instructor) should provide refreshment that proves beneficial to my teaching across the board.
Of particular importance are the Fundamentals of Instruction (FOI). Looking back on the FOIs helps me appreciate the value of refreshing these critical concepts. It is never too early nor too late to ensure your teaching and perspectives are aligned in a way that allows for effective communication and teaching.
Hearing lesson plans on well-known topics from a new perspective also opens me up to new ways of considering and conveying. When instructors view something from a new vantagepoint, their students will ultimately benefit from the added perspective. This new perspective and the questions my instructor-applicant may ask me will challenge me to expand my understanding of concepts in unique ways that I didn’t always see with initial student pilots; this isn’t to say that student pilot questions don’t achieve the same purpose, because they do—but hearing questions from someone with a higher base level of knowledge brings a unique thought process that adds value.
Aside from helping me refresh my knowledge, teaching new instructor-applicants is incredibly helpful with my interpersonal relationships at work. I need to challenge myself to approach in-depth concepts in a manner that allows for effective communication. A certain amount of growth is always required in new situations, and given internal reflection and attention, that growth can help me as an instructor in a variety of ways.
By focusing in-depth on FAA source material, I can develop new ways to communicate critical information to a variety of students. I will develop ways to work critical information into lessons and briefings with students at every level and in every stage of their training.
Over my time instructing, I have gotten into a certain rhythm when it comes to teaching. I have information I like to focus on, certain methods I prefer, and specific ways to attack a given problem. Getting back to the basics of instructing helps me refresh information I need to know and will also give me the opportunity to expand the tactics and information I use to teach which makes my students and me safer day after day.
Flight instructors have an incredible standard on initial checkrides, and helping a pilot reach that consistently is a unique challenge that demands attention and focus. For me, the good thing is that attention and focus will help me prepare to teach all my students, not just this flight-instructor applicant. With the amount of information that flight instructors are expected to retain and apply on a daily basis, new opportunities to review and refresh are always welcome.
I am excited to embark on this new journey and to work with other instructors at my flight school to complete the required training and help this student achieve his certificate. I am excited for everything I will learn and gain from teaching another teacher, and I’m looking forward to seeing how my own teaching will improve as a result.
