## Helping Students Learn 

Learning should be an enjoyable experience. By making each lesson a pleasurable experience for the student, the instructor can maintain a high level of student motivation. This does not mean the instructor must make things easy for the student or sacrifice standards of performance to please the student. The student experiences satisfaction from doing a good job or from successfully meeting the challenge of a difficult task. 

Learning should be interesting. Knowing the objectives, in clear and concise terms, of each period of instruction gives meaning and interest to the student, as well as the instructor. Not knowing the objective of the lesson often leads to confusion, disinterest, and uneasiness on the part of the student. 

Learning to fly should be a habit-building period during which the student devotes his or her attention, memory, and judgment to the development of correct habits. Any objective other than to learn the right way is likely to make students impatient. The instructor should keep the students focused on good habits both by example and by a logical presentation of learning tasks. 

## Providing Adequate Instruction 

The flight instructor should attempt to carefully and correctly analyze the student’s personality, thinking, and ability. No two students are alike, and no one method of instruction can be equally effective for each student. The instructor must talk with a student at some length to learn about the student’s background interests, temperament, and way of thinking. The instructor’s methods also may change as the student advances through successive stages of training. 

An instructor who has not correctly analyzed a student may soon find that the instruction is not producing the desired results. For example, this could mean that the instructor does not realize that a student is actually a quick thinker, but is hesitant to act. Such a student may fail to act at the proper time due to lack of self-confidence, even though the situation is correctly understood. In this case, instruction would obviously be directed toward developing student self-confidence, rather than drill on flight fundamentals. In another case, too much criticism may completely subdue a timid person, whereas brisk instruction may force a more diligent application to the learning task. A student may require instructional methods that combine tact, keen perception, and delicate handling. If such a student receives too much help and encouragement, a feeling of incompetence may develop. 

## Standards of Performance 

Flight instructors must continuously evaluate their own effectiveness and the standard of learning and performance achieved by their students. The desire to maintain pleasant personal relationships with the students must not cause the acceptance of a slow rate of learning or substandard flight performance. It is a fallacy to believe that accepting lower standards to please a student produces a genuine improvement in the student-instructor relationship. An earnest student does not resent reasonable standards that are fairly and consistently applied. 

## Emphasizing the Positive 

Flight instructors have a tremendous influence on their students’ perception of aviation. The way instructors conduct themselves, the attitudes they display, and the manner in which they develop their instruction all contribute to the formation of either positive or negative impressions by their student. The success of a flight instructor depends, in large measure, on the ability to present instruction so that a student develops a positive image of aviation. 

Most new instructors tend to adopt those teaching methods used by their own instructors. These methods may or may not have been good. The fact that one has learned under one system of instruction does not mean that this is necessarily the best way it can be done, regardless of the respect one retains for the ability of their original instructor. Some students learn in spite of their instruction, rather than because of it. Emphasize the positive because positive instruction results in positive learning. 

## Flight Instructor Responsibilities 

All flight instructors shoulder an enormous responsibility because their students ultimately fly an aircraft. Flight instructors have some additional responsibilities including the responsibility of evaluating student pilots and making a determination of when they are ready to solo. Other flight instructor responsibilities are based on Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 61 and advisory circulars (ACs). [Figure 10-2] 

## Evaluation of Student Piloting Ability 

Evaluation is one of the most important elements of instruction. In flight instruction, the instructor initially determines that the student understands the procedure or maneuver. Then the instructor demonstrates the maneuver, allows the student to practice the maneuver under direction, and finally evaluates student accomplishment by observing their performance. 

