materials. Examples of the training and reference materials include textbooks, video, compact disks, exams, briefings, and instructional guides. 

## How To Use a Training Syllabus 

Any practical training syllabus must be flexible, and should be used primarily as a guide. When necessary, the order of training can and should be altered to suit the progress of the student and the demands of special circumstances. For example, previous experience or different rates of learning often require some alteration or repetition to fit individual students. The syllabus also should be flexible enough so it can be adapted to weather variations and scheduling changes without disrupting the teaching process or completely suspending training. 

Effective use of a syllabus requires that it be referred to throughout the entire course of training. Both the instructor and the student should have a copy of the approved syllabus. However, as previously mentioned, a syllabus should not be adhered to so stringently that it becomes inflexible or unchangeable. It must be flexible enough to adapt to special needs of individual students. 

A syllabus lesson may include several other items that add to or clarify the objective, content, or standards. A lesson may specify the recommended class time, reference or study materials, recommended sequence of training, and study assignment for the next lesson. Both ground and flight lessons may have explanatory information notes added to specific lessons. 

While a syllabus is designed to provide a road map showing how to accomplish the overall objective of a course of training, it may be useful for other purposes. As already mentioned, it can be used as a checklist to ensure that required training has successfully been completed. Thus, a syllabus can be an effective tool for recordkeeping. Enhanced syllabi, which also are designed for recordkeeping, can be very beneficial to the independent instructor. 

A recordkeeping function may be facilitated by boxes or blank spaces adjacent to the knowledge areas, procedures, or maneuvers in a flight lesson, much as the syllabus designed by the Balloon Federation of America does. Most syllabi introduce each procedure or maneuver in one flight lesson and review them in subsequent lessons. Some syllabi also include provisions for grading student performance and recording both ground and flight training time. Accurate recordkeeping is necessary to keep both the student and the instructor informed on the status of training. These records also serve as a basis for endorsements and recommendations for knowledge and practical tests. 

Another benefit of using a syllabus is that it helps in development of lesson plans. A well constructed syllabus already contains much of the essential information that is required in a lesson plan, including objectives, content, and completion standards. 

## Lesson Plans 

A lesson plan is an organized outline for a single instructional period. [Figure 10-15] It is a necessary guide for the instructor in that it tells what to do, in what order to do it, and what procedure to use in teaching the material of a lesson. Lesson plans should be prepared for each training period and be developed to show specific knowledge and/or skills to be taught. 

A mental outline of a lesson is not a lesson plan. A lesson plan should be put into writing. Another instructor should be able to take the lesson plan and know what to do in conducting the same period of instruction. When putting it in writing, the lesson plan can be analyzed from the standpoint of adequacy and completeness. 

Lesson plans serve many purposes, such as: 

• Assure a wise selection of material and the elimination of unimportant details. 

• Make certain that due consideration is given to each part of the lesson. 

• Aid the instructor in presenting the material in a suitable sequence for efficient learning. 

• Provide an outline of the teaching procedure to be used. 

• Serve as a means of relating the lesson to the objectives of the course of training. 

• Give the inexperienced instructor confidence. 

• Promote uniformity of instruction regardless of the instructor or the date on which the lesson is given. 

## Characteristics of a Well-Planned Lesson 

The quality of planning affects the quality of results. Successful professionals understand the price of excellence is hard work and thorough preparation. The effective instructor realizes that the time and energy spent in planning and preparing each lesson is well worth the effort in the long run. [Figure 10-16] 

A complete cycle of planning usually includes several steps. After the objective is determined, the instructor must research the subject as it is defined by the objective. Once the research is complete, the instructor must determine the 

