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they want me to teach?!?
Feb. 24th, 2008 05:45 pmAs you all saw a bit ago I was asked to put together a ground school for a scout group. I got my AGI last year and had been looking for a while for someplace to try teaching without much luck. Well, yesterday I got my start.
We are working from the new Jepp book. It's a LOT nicer than the old textbook. I did up my first set of slides, ordered plotters, e6b's, training sectionals, bought binders, made copies, assembled things and somehow managed to get it ALL done before the first class. It's a group of boys, pre-teen to teens and a few adults. I had been told earlier in the week to expect 8 or so, it turned out we had 13 show in total. 5 adults, the rest kids.
I have to say, I felt a bit shaky standing up in front of them and starting the class. While I know my stuff and I talk with lots of folks one on one, I am seldom in front of a group. A few too many 'uhhmm' and 'aaahhh' as verbal fillers as I considered where to go next but it wasn't bad. I used to be a lot worse.
I've discovered that I can extemporize fairly well when it comes to flying. Working from the slides I lost the boys interests a few times but was able to bring them back. Amazing what a well timed bad flying joke will do with teens and pre-teens in getting their attention.
The next session will be a bit easier for them I think. More to look at and sink their teeth into as we'll start aircraft systems and fundamentals of flight. We covered a basic intro to general aviation, some terms, what you need to do in order to get your license, what a medical is, how old do you have to be, a bit on human physiology in flight. They did pretty well, asked good questions, staid fairly connected, learned a fair chunk of the vocabulary we all pick up.
I have to say that even though I felt a little shaky at the start, I had the best time yesterday morning working with the class. I'm glad I went ahead and got my AGI and that they asked me to put the class together for them. It gives me the added spur I think I needed to get back to work on the Sport Pilot CFI now.
I can't think of many better ways to spend a saturday morning than exposing people to General Aviation. I think I like this job.
We are working from the new Jepp book. It's a LOT nicer than the old textbook. I did up my first set of slides, ordered plotters, e6b's, training sectionals, bought binders, made copies, assembled things and somehow managed to get it ALL done before the first class. It's a group of boys, pre-teen to teens and a few adults. I had been told earlier in the week to expect 8 or so, it turned out we had 13 show in total. 5 adults, the rest kids.
I have to say, I felt a bit shaky standing up in front of them and starting the class. While I know my stuff and I talk with lots of folks one on one, I am seldom in front of a group. A few too many 'uhhmm' and 'aaahhh' as verbal fillers as I considered where to go next but it wasn't bad. I used to be a lot worse.
I've discovered that I can extemporize fairly well when it comes to flying. Working from the slides I lost the boys interests a few times but was able to bring them back. Amazing what a well timed bad flying joke will do with teens and pre-teens in getting their attention.
The next session will be a bit easier for them I think. More to look at and sink their teeth into as we'll start aircraft systems and fundamentals of flight. We covered a basic intro to general aviation, some terms, what you need to do in order to get your license, what a medical is, how old do you have to be, a bit on human physiology in flight. They did pretty well, asked good questions, staid fairly connected, learned a fair chunk of the vocabulary we all pick up.
I have to say that even though I felt a little shaky at the start, I had the best time yesterday morning working with the class. I'm glad I went ahead and got my AGI and that they asked me to put the class together for them. It gives me the added spur I think I needed to get back to work on the Sport Pilot CFI now.
I can't think of many better ways to spend a saturday morning than exposing people to General Aviation. I think I like this job.