Hey!
I have a question about FOI’s on the CFI initial. Obviously, most of you know that there are a lot of definitions and acronyms when it comes to that section of the CFI PTS and I don’t really know how to approach it. Some of the people I know tell me that i need to memorize all of them because the DPE may ask me about them. for example, he may ask" Tell me about defense mechanisms" and I will need to tell them every single defense mechanism there is. Others tell me that the checkride will start from the lesson plans about technical subject areas of the PTS and DPE will look for application of FOIs in my lesson plans. What you guys think would be the best way to tackle this with two different views?
Most people find the CFI checkride to be the most challenging. You’re asking the FAA to allow you to train other pilots which is a huge responsibility they take very seriously. Memorization is fine for the written but will only take you so far in an oral. If you truly understand the information and how to correlate it you really don’t need to memorize much. Most DEs I know don’t simply want you to rattle off lists as in your example of defense mechanisms. They do want you to understand them and be able to explain why they’re dangerous and barriers to learning.
To answer your question the best way to tackle and cover both is to be as knowledgeable as possible so neither approach is an issue. This isn’t about simply passing it’s about having the knowledge you need to be a safe and successful flight instructor.
In addition to this, using defense mechanisms as an example, you can tie in your own personal experience, to get the bigger picture across. I had my mock yesterday and when I started talking about anxiety and stress, I tied in how I was anxious and stressed about doing spins, since I had just done them and Atleast for me EXERCISE was the one way to get my nerves to calm down. Which lead me into briefly talking about the laws of learning etc.
Anyway what I’m trying to say is that initially I thought the FOIs were going to be hard to teach through as well, but with those, experiences are key, as well as just using some common sense.
Knowing the acronyms is a great start though but most of the instructors I’ve talked to said it’s just that, a good start to better understanding what they all mean
Adam’s response was right on. Learn as much as you can, but most importantly be able to articulate it. Each examiner conducts their check rides differently, so it is hard to know how any one examiner will proceed with an exam. Knowledge is your best friend in these situations.