FIA Blog Post #3

On the student's very first expectations talk I would cover many different areas to ensure that the student and I are both on the same page and there is no question about what to expect from each other.  Some of the things the student could expect from me would be: To show up for each lesson on time and if needed,  call the student at least 24 hours ahead of time for all cancellations except  for special cases such as emergencies or sicknesses in which I would let the student know ASAP.  The student can also expect me to be available at all reasonable hours for any questions or concerns they may have regarding their training.  I would also let the student know that they can expect me to come fully prepared for each and every lesson with my full and undivided attention directed to them.  I would also be sure to let them know that I will be honest with them at all times.

I would expect the student to also show up to each lesson on time and cancel at least 24 hours in advance.  I would let the student know that if they have any questions about cancelling a flight, I expect them to come to me first and let me know the circumstances whether it is due to weather, sickness or any other reason.  Another thing I'd expect from the student is his/her honesty at all times.  I'd also expect the student to show up for each lesson fully prepared and ready to give their full attention and effort, with all assignments completed beforehand.  I'd expect the student to ask questions at anytime they are unsure.  I would also make sure to tell them that if they ever feel unsafe or uncomfortable in any situation, to let me know right away; as this may be something that I'm unaware of or something that I need to explain to them.

FIA Blog Post #2

One of the first things I would look at when picking up a new student from a flight instructor is the last lesson that the student has completed in their folder.  This will give me a general idea of where the student is in their current rating or certificate.  Then I would check the notes that go with the lessons to see what may have to be reviewed again and what the students weaker areas might be.  Another imortant thing to look at in the folder is the ground briefings that the student has completed.  Looking at these will give me an idea of their ground instruction.  Another indication of the student's ground knowledge would be their grades they are recieving from groundschool tests and knowledge exams.  These can also give me a feel for the students study habits.
When talking with the student's previous instructor, one important thing to ask is what are the students strong and weak areaes.  This will let me know where I will have to spend more time with the student.  Another important thing to ask is how the student learns.  For if the student is more of a visual learner, I can gear my lessons to be more visual in order to use our time together better.  Another thing to ask the previous instructor is what kind of hazardous attitudes the student has displayed.  This will help me to prepare for the attitude once it arises.
As far as asking the student questions, one of the most important questions to ask him/her would be where they want to go with their flying.  Using this information I will be able to tailor the lessons so they better prepare him/her for where they want to go.  This will also help the student to become more motivated.  I would also ask the student the same basic questions as I did the flight instructor.  This will give me an idea of where the student feels they are at compared to where the instructor believes they are at.  I then can use this information and compare it to an actual flight that I have with the student to really pinpoint where the student is at in their training and what kind of knowledge base they have acquired.
A technique to use to figure out where the student is in their ground knowledge would be oral questions.  Asking the student random knowledge questions of different subject areas will give me a good basis for seeing what the student has learned well and what may need some reviewing.  Making a general written quiz to give to the student would also help.  However, if using this technique, I would tell the student that the quiz does not affect anything and that it is just a tool for me to see where they are at.  Depending on what questions the student answers wrong or seems unsure about for these written quiz and oral questions, I would then be sure to go more in depth on these subject areas until I am confident that the student knows them well.