You have heard this before, but it bears repeating because it is TRUE: A great teacher is committed to lifelong learning. I was reminded again of the truth of this statement on July 12 as I watched the SAFE webinar on flight instructor professionalism. Even though I’ve kept my flight instructor certificate “current” for the last 40 years, I still ended up with several pages of notes as I listened to four well-respected and highly experienced flight instructors discuss the finer points of marketing their flight training services to potential clients.
One of the things these four “seasoned” aviation educators — Greg Brown, Rod Machado, David St. George, and Russ Still – have in common is that they are continually learning and refining their teaching skills. They like to talk with other educators about teaching techniques – what works and what doesn’t work. By reading and attending aviation webinars and seminars, these professional educators stay abreast of current technology, engage in creative solutions to real world flight training problems, and learn more every day about how students learn.
Think what would have happened if Albert Einstein or Helen Keller had said, “I know everything there is to know and I don’t have to study any longer.” Yikes! Einstein would likely have never developed his formula for the theory of relativity and Helen Keller would not have gone on to author as many articles and books as she did. While Einstein and Keller are not really known for their teaching skills, they are well known for their learning skills. The point I’m making is that the best learners do not give up when the going gets tough. They keep trying to gain greater understanding of a problem or challenge they are facing.
You might have also heard more than once that “good teachers are good learners.” I believe that is also a true statement. A really good teacher wants to understand the subject matter in order to properly convey that understanding to their students. A good teacher isn’t afraid of doing research to ferret out the information he or she needs to foster understanding and mastery of a subject.
As modern day aviation educators, we have an incredible amount of information available to us almost instantly over the Internet. Just type a topic or even a question into your browser and a page of resources will pop up. If you are looking for some new lesson plans or an interesting article on stall /spin, check out SAFE’s online Resource Center [here]. There is a public side as well as a private side just for SAFE members.
An excellent article providing a good history of learning theory and a description of how people learn can be found at https://web.stanford.edu/class/ed269/inplintrochapter.pdf This article was written in 2001 by faculty from Stanford University’s School of Education. Another article on the importance of lifelong learning for educators of all stripes can be found at www.edudemic.com/lifelong-learning-educational-mindset/ A great online book (FREE) every educator can benefit from is How People Learn. This is available either as a downloadable PDF or in html on the website.
If you are finding yourself in a funk lately or just less excited about instructing than you used to be, you might be suffering from burnout rather than lack of interest. There is nothing like learning something new about a topic you are interested in to renew your energy, motivation, and passion for teaching. If you will be at AirVenture 2017 the end of July, there are literally hundreds of workshops and presentations you can choose from on a wide range of aviation topics. Many of those workshops will be presented by SAFE members (See this page for a growing list).
Finally, set a new goal for yourself to read a few pages a day of something either aviation-related or teaching-related for the next 30 days. At the end of that time, ask yourself if you feel more energized and excited about being an aviation educator. If the answer is yes, then you know what you need to do to become a lifelong learner *AND* a great instructor.
Please “follow” our SAFE blog to receive notification of new articles. Write us a comment if you see a problem or want to contribute an article. We are always seeking more input on aviation improvements and flight safety. There are many highly qualified aviation educators out there! If you are not yet a SAFE member, please Join SAFE and support our mission of generating aviation excellence in teaching and flying. Our amazing member benefits alone make this commitment worthwhile and fun. Lastly, use our FREE SAFE Toolkit App to put pilot endorsements and experience requirements right on your smart phone and facilitate CFI+DPE teamwork. Working together we make safer pilots!
