The FAA seems to think so. I'm studying for the #$!@###! fundamentals of instruction test right now. I'm not having fun.
The concepts the test covers are very sound and useful, but I just wish I was better at memorizing arbitrary string of words.
I hear you... currently studying for the CFI-Glider, and the fundamentals part is the same.
I think I already
get this stuff; the challenge is remembering it the way the FAA wants me to.
But back to the topic: there is definitely a psych aspect... no matter how good a stick you are or how much you know about all things aviation, you have to be able to
communicate it all, and determine, by observing the student's responses and actions whether or not that exchange is complete and lasting. You also have to gauge the student's mental and emotional state whenever a ground or flight lesson is in progress, and adjust your approach accordingly.
It's definitely more a coaching sort of thing than a rote training exercise... I've been "playing instructor" with some of our club's students this season (with their CFIs' blessing and briefings with them), and I'm really starting to appreciate how much more there is to it than spouting encyclopedic knowledge, or expecting students to keep moving forward with maneuvers and procedures just because they're repeating them and you're repeating your demonstrations and explanations.
The "a ha!" moments come from a synergy between student, instructor, and the lesson plan- there's no "cookie cutter" approach that will be effective with every student and every lesson.
There may be all kinds of reliable diagnostic "tricks" an instructor can use, but the "headshrinking" aspect, at its core, is a matter of sort of putting your mind somewhere between you and the student, as far as I can tell. It's harder, and more complex, than it sounds...