On Sep 23, 6:43 pm, Dudley Henriques wrote:
Mike Isaksen wrote:
"Robert M. Gary" ...
One of the major problems I've seen with some CFIs is that they
don't provide their students with a syllabus.

Wow Bob, I think you're being very kind. I'll top your "some CFIs" comment
with "I have seen zero freelance CFIs provide a written syllabus to any of
their students, Primary or Inst". I'll qualify my experience as being
limited to about 24 freelance CFIs since the early 1990's, both first hand
and second hand, mainly in the NY and FL area (I've mentored a bunch of
pilots over the years). This contrasts with the 141 CFIs and the part 61
CFIs from the more organized FBOs, who usually force you to buy a locally
created syllabus as part of the training package. Now I'll further say that
some of those freelance CFIs are rated excellent by their students and seem
to produce fine results (first time passed check rides in reasonable time),
but the consistent feedback from students to me is "it would have been
better with a written syllabus".

ANY good CFI should be involved in a running syllabus with each student,
and that syllabus should be a bit different for every student involved
due to the specific needs of each student.
If the instructor is using a written syllabus that is inflexible and not
geared to each individual student's learning curve, the instructor is
being too inflexible.

It should be flexible but there is no reason (in my experience) to not
have an up-to-date next lesson at the end of the current lesson.
Students should not show up and wonder what they are going to work on
that day. That's not to say it can't change. If winds are 15 knots
straight across the runway I'm going to spend the entire time in the
pattern but in general there should be no confusion.

-Robert