2.3.6 Be consistent
Students want to please their instructors, and will have a keen interest in knowing what is required to please them. If the same performance appears to be acceptable one day 'and unacceptable the next, students become confused. Instructors must, therefore, be consistent in philosophy and actions.
2.3.7 Admit errors
No one, not even students, expect instructors to be perfect, and they should not try to project that image. Instructors can, win the respect of their students by honestly acknowledging their mistakes, rather than trying to cover up or bluff. If in doubt, they should admit it to their students, then give them the correct information at the earliest opportunity.
2.4 EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS
The ability to communicate effectively is essential for a successful instructor. Communicating effectively, like most human endeavors, is complex, variable, and at times, uncertain. Communicating as an instructor is even more difficult because of the variations and complexities of the teaching-learning process. In a technical field such as aviation, an additional difficulty is encountered as a result of the different vocabularies used by the instructor and the student.
To understand the process of communication, at least three characteristics of students must be understood-their abilities, attitudes, and experiences. First, they exercise their ability to question and comprehend the ideas that have been transmitted. Instructors can capitalize on this ability by providing an atmosphere which encourages questioning. Second, the students' attitude may be one of resistance, willingness, or passive neutrality. To gain and hold the students' attention, attitudes must be molded into those which promote reception. The more the communicative approach is varied, the greater the success in reception. Third, the students' background, experience, and education frame the target at which instructors must aim. The students' knowledge must be assessed as the fundamental guide for the selection and transmission of ideas. The major barriers to communication are usually found in this particular area and are as given below: -
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