What makes a good student a good student?

Ashlyn Maria

Ashlyn Maria

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Ashlyn Maria
The "Special Student" topic inspired me to ask you current and former instructors about your favorite students.
Did you have students that are enjoyable to teach? What about their approach to flight lessons makes your job easy? Conversely, what makes a student more challenging to instruct, i.e. pull your hair out? Student pilot here, hoping to get a little insight and learning from experience.

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You didn't specify and I'm assuming you meant student pilots but since I'm not a CFI, my answers are based on air traffic students but it is similar in any career.

A good student to me is someone who gets angry with themselves for their mistakes and who learns from their mistakes and tries very hard not to repeat them. A good student comes prepared to perform with good study skills. Students who are more challenging to instruct are those who think that the rating is just going to be given to them regardless of what they do or how they perform as well as students who don't take the time to prepare or study for exams. I'm also convinced that there are a lot of students who are just not cut out for what they are trying to learn. Not everyone can be a pilot or a controller and that is okay.
 
Timbeck2 said:
You didn't specify and I'm assuming you meant student pilots but since I'm not a CFI, my answers are based on air traffic students but it is similar in any career.

A good student to me is someone who gets angry with themselves for their mistakes and who learns from their mistakes and tries very hard not to repeat them. A good student comes prepared to perform with good study skills. Students who are more challenging to instruct are those who think that the rating is just going to be given to them regardless of what they do or how they perform as well as students who don't take the time to prepare or study for exams. I'm also convinced that there are a lot of students who are just not cut out for what they are trying to learn. Not everyone can be a pilot or a controller and that is okay.
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Exactly the same for student pilots.

Mods, you can close the thread now. :)
 
If you show a little initiative, show up on time and having completed the home work I have assigned it goes a long way.
 
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Same thing that makes airplanes fly: money. Lots of money. ;)
 
Always be humble, always be learning, think critically
 
Just having a general ability to learn goes a long way. I've dealt with students that either just can't fix a mistake, no matter how many times they make it, no matter how you try to help them. Or others that are nearly combative, they didn't make a mistake, they know what they are doing. Both types will drive an instructor up the walls.

I've often said, flying is part science, part art-form. It requires the ability to study and learn, but it also requires the "touch". A good student possesses both. The average student has one or the other. The even more rare bad student doesn't have either, and IMO probably doesn't belong in the cockpit.
 
I'm not a CFI
but I might consider that a good student doesn't necessarily make the teacher's job "easy".
Sometimes there is good in a challenge.

Also, this idea is an onion...with lots of layers.
For example....An easy student might be one that just does it the instructor's "way"... without question, argument, or further thought.
an easy student might be one that comes with tons of time in dad's airplane as a kid...already knowing how to fly.
etc...
 
Brad W said:
I'm not a CFI
but I might consider that a good student doesn't necessarily make the teacher's job "easy".
Sometimes there is good in a challenge.

Also, this idea is an onion...with lots of layers.
For example....An easy student might be one that just does it the instructor's "way"... without question, argument, or further thought.
an easy student might be one that comes with tons of time in dad's airplane as a kid...already knowing how to fly.
etc...
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I'll challenge your statement with this. The student that does question the instructor or has further thought shows a student that is trying to move beyond basic rote knowledge and is trying to understand the concepts deeper. This makes them the better or easier student quite honestly. The student that just does things one way because that was the way they were taught becomes quite difficult, because they never pass that early stage of knowledge.

I've often joked about installing a dummy switch on the panel and making students flip it. Never explain why, or what it does, and just wait and see how long it takes a student to either ask what it is doing, or why they are doing it? I've had students that are that way. Even when you try to explain or teach them what something does, all they retain is I flip the switch because the checklist says so.
 
My first instructor had a sign inside on the left of the cockpit that read, "Don't do anything dumb." I really tried to follow that rule. A few years later he told me that he almost felt guilty for taking my money for lessons. When I asked him why he said, "Because you were so hungry to learn." I took that as a compliment.
 
midwestpa24 said:
I'll challenge your statement with this. The student that does question the instructor or has further thought shows a student that is trying to move beyond basic rote knowledge and is trying to understand the concepts deeper. This makes them the better or easier student quite honestly. The student that just does things one way because that was the way they were taught becomes quite difficult, because they never pass that early stage of knowledge.

I've often joked about installing a dummy switch on the panel and making students flip it. Never explain why, or what it does, and just wait and see how long it takes a student to either ask what it is doing, or why they are doing it? I've had students that are that way. Even when you try to explain or teach them what something does, all they retain is I flip the switch because the checklist says so.
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You don’t need a dummy switch, just have them pushing the mute switch for the marker beacon receiver.
 
Being able to listen and follow directions. Remembering previous lessons. Preparing by reading, studying, or chair flying. Going the extra mile to try to learn more/deeper than just whatever the instructor tells them.

Bad students...repeat the same mistake over and over, don't review between lessons, use inappropriate study techniques (e.g. watching YouTube), don't retain what they learn, forget entire lessons like they never happened, lack ability to self-critique.
 
Brad W said:
An easy student might be one that just does it the instructor's "way"... without question, argument, or further thought.
Click to expand...

Personally, I'm not the one who can fly with a CFI who says "do it this way because I said so." and doesn't explain why. At first, fine, but eventually I have to know why I am doing procedures a certain way. My brain needs to know why L/D max is important, why vfr mins are 500' below and 1000' ft above, etc.

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Ashlyn Maria said:
Personally, I'm not the one who can fly with a CFI who says "do it this way because I said so." and doesn't explain why. At first, fine, but eventually I have to know why I am doing procedures a certain way. My brain needs to know why L/D max is important, why vfr mins are 500' below and 1000' ft above, etc.

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If the instructor doesn’t explain the why then they are failing in my opinion.

Tim nailed the best student earlier with his ATC comments. I’ve trained both and he was right on.

My favorite student was Valuejet’s ceo or founders kid. He was just trying to pacify his dad and just wanted to rack up hours without touching the controls. Perfect for the 19 year old CFI I was. :)

Wish you luck on your training!
 
I have given a lot more advanced training than I have primary, but all my “easy” students had one thing in common which was motivation. These students all wanted to fly so bad that they studied anything and everything they could find, regardless of whether I told them to study or not. They’d come to lessons with questions about what they were studying and were serious about getting the most out of their lessons. Some people also have some natural flying ability, which also helps.

My absolute best (and favorite) primary student had all the qualities I listed above and then some. I could ask him questions about almost any aviation related topic, including things we never discussed, and he would think for a few minutes and 99% of the time would give a more advanced and complete response than the majority of flight instructor students would provide. His flying was excellent too, and passed his checkride easily. He’s now flying for the military.
 
I know it happens a lot, but it amazes me that student pilots aren’t doing the homework without being told. I don’t see the appeal of being a pilot if the whole concept doesn’t fascinate you enough to be studying it without being told to.
 
There seems to be a common thread: be motivated, be committed, do your homework(and then some), ask lots of questions, don't repeat the same mistakes. It's good to hear from people who have been flying and teaching for years already.
@Timbeck2, I'm glad you shared your experience--these things do apply to all areas of education. Thank you all for the great advice!

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