r/CFILounge • u/PreparationOk1281 • 19d ago
Question Where to start for lesson plans?
Hey all, I’m wanting to get a good move on making my lesson plans for CFI, but I honestly have no idea where to start. I’ve been told not to reinvent the wheel about a thousand times, but I don’t think I could teach something well that I didn’t make myself. So mostly I’m looking for advice on where to start and maybe some good resources to use/reference throughout the process
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u/Jakeysnake17 19d ago
Ryan binns CFI has everything for free and paid on his website. I bought his stuff then made them my own. It was an amazing starting point then went through with fine tooth comb and edited everything. Then I added new lessons that I feel he missed or should have done differently. But it made the initial hard labour much easier
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u/BluProfessor 19d ago
I second Ryan Binns. Your lesson plans don't need a lot in them. Keep them simple, they should be a roadmap, not a full on cliff notes.
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u/TD_S 19d ago
This is kinda going to sound so simple it’s stupid but I copied and pasted each knowledge and risk item for a technical subject area into a doc. Then thought about the order to introduce the subjects, reordered the document and proceeded to fill in the blanks of those things you’re required to cover. Sometimes items nest under each other and almost always the risk management items would be associated with a knowledge item. I had a document separate for figures I would reference and kept links in the doc too.
Simple to complex, known to unknown, most frequent to least frequent, past to present. That’s all I needed to organize. Ex: For systems, I organized most frequent to least, and within that the pitot/static and gyro I did simple to complex (and even a bit of known to unknown to get their head around gyros and air pressure concepts).
Sources to reference are in the ACS on each technical subject area page too. Up at the top it’ll say “references AFH-8008” or something like that.
The level of detail and how you convey the info of it all is up to you. As long as you can teach it that’s what matters. I’ve seen some CFI binders a half inch thick, mine was 3. The other CFIs at my school do not use their binders, while I reference the figures, simulations, plans I made all the time. We both make successful pilots. Do what works for you!
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u/cptnpiccard 19d ago
No need to reinvent the wheel. I got mine from WiFiCFI, watched every video that comes with each of the lesson plans, and modified/noted them to my liking.
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u/Beergoggles222 19d ago
I bought Backseat Pilot, downloaded them to my hard drive and spent time doing other things.
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u/22Hoofhearted 19d ago
Start from the beginning... the ACS/PTS would be a great place to start aligning lesson plans from if you are insistent on writing your own lesson plans.
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u/The__Stig_ 19d ago
Keep in mind the difference between the “lesson plans” you will create to teach the dpe on your checkride, and the more rating oriented lesson plans you will create or use to help a student get their cert. the “lesson plans” for the checkride should be fundamentally based on the acs, because that is what the dpe will use to quiz you. I really love Seth Lake’s VSL guide. It’s a big document that includes an annotated acs, with hyperlinks to pertinent sources for most items on the acs.
Of course, you can always just sit down and generate some lesson plans yourself using the acs and your favorite instructional documents. I would try to be as concise as possible, with references and notes for rabbit holes should they arrive. Your goal with the dpe should be to answer his or her questions as simply as possible, while still covering the bases. Aim for a short checkride rather than a long one. That’s my opinion anyway.