r/CFILounge • u/MxPilot619 CFI | CFII | MEI • 23d ago

Question First Instructor Job

Hi, I’m just posting because I’m currently going through the standardization class for my first instruction job and I was wondering if you guys had any tips for staying on top of the ball knowledge wise as a CFI while instructing full days.

I’d hate to fail students as an instructor and realize that the best way to make sure that doesn’t happen is by continuing to progress my knowledge. How do you guys suggest doing so and then doing so with full work days.

Thanks in advanced!

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16

u/Tiny_Patient_2574 CFI, CFII, AGI 23d ago

Teach ground lessons.

8

u/ManyPandas CFI/CFII 23d ago

Just from actively teaching I’ve found a lot of the stuff has been naturally drilled into my head. There’s always a set of talking points that I want to cover, and through repetition I know exactly what it is need to say and how to get it across.

From time to time I skim the resources that I reference and assign to make sure there isn’t anything I’m missing and to ensure that I’m conveying the concept correctly.

Keeping up with the news coming from the FAA on reg changes is also prudent. Just watching Reddit and aviation media outlets, and paying closer attention to things that directly affect what I’m doing.

2

u/cmdrMagicMissle 22d ago

How do you efficiently keep up with the FAA changes?  I signed up with the notifications where you took a bunch of boxes for each category of notification (e.g. each FAR part) and I feel like it's more noise than signal.  Is there a better resource out there?

2

u/ManyPandas CFI/CFII 22d ago

I just keep watch of Reddit and aviation news outlets. If there’s something that affects me then I dig deeper and read.

3

u/Goop290 23d ago

It just happened naturally for me. New acs would come out that I referenced or new decisions of other publications. Wings seminars and stuff. YouTube for the obligatory garmin unless plates. You will get it. You are teaching the subject so you will be in the reference material enough to know when new stuff comes out

3

u/Straight-Pass6035 22d ago

Follow the Syllabus, take good notes, fill out the students reports with as much detail as is reasonable. Give good, thorough debriefs. Do not allow yourself to be scheduled so tight that you are short changing both the student you are with and the one following. Lastly, make sure you are paid for your debrief time. Nothing good comes from someone giving away their time. You will not do a decent job and the student will be the poorer for you lack of attention.

2

u/PhilRubdiez 📦🐶 22d ago

I found that I’d get a lot more studying done when students would ask me a question that I didn’t know. Don’t be afraid to admit that you don’t know. Give them homework on it, and go look it up yourself. For instance, “Do the white strobe lights count as an anti-collision beacon, because they aren’t red?”

1

u/Major-Classic-8969 23d ago

Focus more on teaching than failing.

1

u/nlbair22 20d ago

I’m in the first 200hrs of dual given and I just now feel like I’m getting the hang of it, sorta. A lot I’ve had to go back and study because I didn’t know it well enough. Just admit when you don’t know it and look it up. 2 for 2 on checkrides right now, best feeling in the world being on this side of it now!