cruise475 Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 I am getting ready to schedule my initial CFI check ride, if I can ever get in contact with the person at the FAA I need to speak with, so far I have been trying for a week. I can honestly say that I am probably going to be a nervous wreck.. I was wondering if any of you instructors out there have any suggestions and/or pointers for me going into this thing. It seems the more research I do the more nervous I get. I think the biggest thing I am worried about is trying to teach to the examiner ground lessons. I guess it is a mental thing I have going on, because I find it very hard to teach someone who knows what you are teaching them. I don't want to go in there and completely stumble over myself and look like a fool. Any suggestions on ways to practice teaching. I have been practicing with my instructor but I am not sure if that is the best way to go about it. Thanks A lot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Hughes Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 I was also really nervous before it. I did a lot of practice with my instructor but I did a lot more with the other CFI students in my school. I basically took each subject and taught it so many times that it just flowed out of me. While doing that you can refine the flow and order of each lesson until it's perfect. If you don't know that many other people that are CFI students, practice on your girlfriend/brother/mother/dog/parakeet/whatever, as long as you are practicing. Or you could use this site to find guys in your area that are willing to listen to you teach. Just remember that what goes around comes around and you will have to listen and help those guys when it comes time for them to practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodoz Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 I guess it is a mental thing I have going on, because I find it very hard to teach someone who knows what you are teaching them. I don't want to go in there and completely stumble over myself and look like a fool. I used to teach CPR and FA for the Red Cross, and have defended research proposals or papers in meetings, plenty of times to people who don't want to be there. I am not a public speaker and always got worked up about these things. Even for 'friendly' groups, the last thing I wanted was to get flustered. >> Best thing you can do is practice. You'll find parts of the lesson that don't flow or fit together just right, or that confuse you and make you stop to think. The more times you go over something, the more comfortable and smooth it will become. You can do it alone in the car or in front of cooperative friends. Even the uncooperative ones are OK...you have to be cool and get them under control. >> When you practice, try to identify missteps that you need to work through and correct, but also recognize that you're not reading from a script, so there are some things you can let pass. >> Try to imagine the questions you might get asked, and remember that you can always say you don't know (but can find the answer). Run through some scenarios where you imagine your examiner is grilling you--asking you the hardest questions you can think of, or just being a dolt--and practice your way through them. >>If you know where your checkride will be, spend some time practicing in that room--laying your stuff out the way you want it, drawing things on the board, hearing yourself talk in there, and figuring out where you'll sit vs the examiner--so that everything in the room is familiar except for the examiner. If you can't get to the room, try any room that's got a board and table. >> Bring a big stack of papers to the exam...if all else fails, you can throw them up in the air as a distraction while you make your escape.>> The day of, get to the room early, get set up, and think about anything but the lessons. Guarantee if you do that you'll have a panic moment because you think you found something you can't remember or get straight. Remember you wouldn't be there if your instructor didn't think you were ready. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rotormandan Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 I am getting ready to schedule my initial CFI check ride, if I can ever get in contact with the person at the FAA I need to speak with, so far I have been trying for a week. I can honestly say that I am probably going to be a nervous wreck.. I was wondering if any of you instructors out there have any suggestions and/or pointers for me going into this thing. It seems the more research I do the more nervous I get. I think the biggest thing I am worried about is trying to teach to the examiner ground lessons. I guess it is a mental thing I have going on, because I find it very hard to teach someone who knows what you are teaching them. I don't want to go in there and completely stumble over myself and look like a fool. Any suggestions on ways to practice teaching. I have been practicing with my instructor but I am not sure if that is the best way to go about it. Thanks A lot! Like the others said, practice is key. It's all about getting the "flow" down. Remember you already proved that you know your stuff on your commercial ride so he/she is not really testing your knowledge. They are testing you on your ability to present your knowledge. If they ask you questions it's probably more to throw you off of your flow then to test your knowledge. Just practice, practice, practice and you should be fine. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruise475 Posted July 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 Thank You all for your responses. I still have not been able to get in touch with the FAA. Anyone remember what they had to teach to the examiner on the ground? How many lessons? Complete lessons? Thanks Again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Hughes Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 FOI's, Aerodynamics/Principles of Flight, Part 61(introduction), Performance, Endorsements, and the STOPE was a Pinnacle with High & Low Recons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelFire_91 Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 Thank You all for your responses. I still have not been able to get in touch with the FAA. Anyone remember what they had to teach to the examiner on the ground? How many lessons? Complete lessons? Thanks Again. I know how you feel, it took me almost 3 weeks to get a hold of the FAA for mine. But, it wasn't too bad and the minimum that you could be tested on is outlined in the PTS. I don't remember exactly what I had to teach, but it's wasn't all that bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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