CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 2, Issue 2 - 3

ing. As the teacher develops the lesson, the old information can get in the way. The advantages of board lessons can be undermined by the omission of one easy step: Erase the board before moving to a new idea! Eliminate unnecessary words and symbols quickly so that the student can stay focused upon the intended lesson elements. A cluttered board can lead to lost concentration and a much less effective learning session. Check for understanding. Asking a student “Do you understand?” is a frequent question I hear flight instructors ask. Unfortunately, this is not always a good way to assess progress. Aside from the natural tendency to avoid embarrassment by claiming something is understood when it is not, students don’t always know whether they fully understand a concept or not. Have the student take the board and explain what has just been taught. This additional opportunity for informal evaluation will help determine whether the student requires additional training. There is an added benefit to this step. By requiring the student to verbalize and write or draw, you are providing an excellent opportunity to reinforce the memory encoding process and immediately review the material. Practice. Any skill improves with meaningful practice and board presentations are no exception. Practice both the delivery and the supporting artwork. Time management and confidence with content will definitely improve with practice or dry runs. Videotape your practice to alert you of distracting habits like jingling your car keys or swinging the pointer like a pirate’s sword.

Adding personal animation with appropriate gestures and changing tone or inflection will keep things a little more interesting. If you start to notice some droopy eyelids during presentations, ask some questions to raise students’ level of concern and keep things more interactive. The more student involvement you can generate, the better. One common presentation problem involves the poor quality of board artwork. Airplanes, wings, propellers, and most of the common aviation symbols flight instructors use are fairly easy to master. Practice enough so that your symbols add to understanding rather than cause confusion. Likewise, think of the presentation from the student’s perspective. Any depiction of an aircraft should show whether it is coming or going. Additionally, the picture should be identifiable as a plan view (overhead looking down) or a profile view (side view). Oblique or slant views can be especially helpful when illustrating three-dimensional maneuvers. At any rate, the aircraft symbols should fit the lesson. Stick figures don’t cut it. You definitely do not want inadequate drawing techniques to impede the learning process. In conclusion, boards have been so enduring for a reason. They remain highly effective educational tools when used properly. Despite new innovations, the board session is likely to remain a primary tool for flight instructors of all experience levels. Effectiveness varies according to the skill of the instructor but we can certainly improve by using the tips provided. Dave Hensley is an independent flight instructor and learning specialist. He has been a CFI since 1981 and is a former USAF U-2 instructor pilot.

ASI Online

safety on the spot
BY MACHTELD SMITH
The Air sAFeTy insTiTuTe publishes

safety spotlights online (www.airsafety institute.org/safetyspotlights) to gather in one place essential courses, quizzes, publications, and links associated with a specific topic so you don’t have to hunt for these items throughout the ASI website. And from time to time, ASI launches a new spotlight to emphasize a topic of special interest not previously published.

safety Quiz: spring weather
Warm fronts. Cold fronts. Sun. Wind. Rain. Even ice. No other season has such wide meteorological mood swings. Teach your student to safely navigate spring's everchanging weather with this ASI Safety Quiz (www.airsafetyinstitute.org/springwxquiz). The quiz is underwritten by the AOPA Insurance Agency, Inc.

Aeronautical Decision Making, ASI’s latest spotlight topic, unveils the difficult process of making good decisions, all the time. Poor decision making is the root cause of many—if not most—aviation accidents. Good decision making, on the other hand, is about avoiding the circumstances that lead to really tough choices. The goal is really very simple: Learn to make good choices every time you fly. Share this spotlight with your students. Have them review with you the recorded "Decision Making Made Simple" webinar and get expert advice from ASI’s Chief Flight Instructor J.J. Greenway and panelist Doug Stewart (FAA designated examiner) for a realworld look at ways to improve aeronautical decisions. Help your students avoid making poor choices and hone this single most important safety skill—good judgment (www.airsafetyinstitute.org/ safetyspotlightADM). Machteld Smith is a senior aviation technical writer for the Air Safety Institute. She holds a commercial pilot certificate with multiengine, instrument, and seaplane ratings. www.airsafetyinstitute.org | 3

http://www.aopa.org/asf/hotspot/ http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/safetyspotlights http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/safetyspotlights http://www.aopa.org/asf/hotspot/decisionmaking.html http://www.aopa.org/asf/hotspot/decisionmaking.html http://www.aopa.org/asf/asfquiz/2011/110311springweather/index.html http://www.aopa.org/asf/asfquiz/2011/110311springweather/index.html http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/safetyspotlightADM http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/safetyspotlightADM http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/springwxquiz http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org

CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 2, Issue 2

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CFI-to-CFI Newsletter - Volume 2, Issue 2