Trainee or trainer

Easier to be a Trainee or the trainer

  • Trainee

    Votes: 15 75.0%

  • Trainer

    Votes: 5 25.0%
  • Total voters
    20
saracelica

saracelica

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saracelica
Training someone on how to do my job (being outsourced) but I know recognize the work that is involved for you CFI's! It's got to be a little tricky to show someone how to fly a plane when you already do and get fustrated when they aren't getting it.

So it is easier to be the Trainee or Trainer?
 
If the trainer is lousy, then it would be dang near impossible to pick "trainee"
 
Is this a CFI only question, or did you intend a broader spectrum of activities?
 
I'm sure others have been the trainee and trainer in their professional lives. I just wasn't sure which is harder. Knowing how to do something and showing someone else or being the one taught.

CFI's can answer though too because they went through training to get there....
 
I think it's easier to tell someone how to do something I already know how to do, than understand instructions for how to do something I've never done.
 
For them or for you?

Sac Arrow said:
I think it's easier to tell someone how to do something I already know how to do, than understand instructions for how to do something I've never done.
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saracelica said:
I'm sure others have been the trainee and trainer in their professional lives. I just wasn't sure which is harder. Knowing how to do something and showing someone else or being the one taught.
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I think it depends on your personality and (possibly) your birth order. I always felt I was more of a natural student than a natural teacher. That doesn't mean I couldn't adapt, especially as I got older and put in that position, but it's more of a stretch.
 
wabower said:
For them or for you?
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In my experience, those are the same question.

If you're trying to explain something and the other guy isn't getting it, it's not fun for either. If the light bulbs go off, it's a blast for both.

Explaining something isn't something I do easily, but learning something is. So, I do better as the trainee. HOWEVER, I find there is no better way to learn something backwards, forwards, inside and out than to try to explain it to someone else. Especially if the topic is esoteric or complex.

So I guess the answer is....both.

It does matter what the topic is. I just had a really easy time training my new coworker on simulation techniques, 'cause he's just that sharp.
 
Easier to train but, more expensive and extra work just to get to that position, if an FAA Certified Instructor....

I've never found it frustrating to watch a trainee really struggle in flight training and it is fairly rare anyway. Just gives me more opportunity to demonstrate.
 
Teaching someone to do something is much different than doing it yourself. Teaching ANYTHING well requires a good amount of preparation and thinking about what you're teaching in new ways.

I've always been complimented on my ability to do things like give briefings, or explain technical stuff to non-techies.

But as I worked on my CFI I realized that there's a difference between getting something into someone's head while you have them in the room (and getting them to agree with you if that's the goal), and getting something to STICK in their head so that it becomes part of a foundation for a higher level of knowledge. If you're teaching a skill, you want the student to not just know "What" to do (rote), but the underlying reasons for doing it that way so that the student can do the work and adjust as things change.

I'm convinced that talent plays a role in teaching, and it and the dedication brought to the task is what distinguishes a great teacher from a good teacher. The difference between a good teacher and a bad one is often a matter of not knowing any of the basics of teaching in general.
 
ClimbnSink said:
That is what I was thinking. Or teach them wrong. Not a task that would inspire my best work.
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I agree totally!!! I am not able to teach them wrong or else I'm out the door with no severance package. If I do it right and show them what I know and how to do it - I get paid for 5 months to sit on my butt.

I was struggling watching them do the most meaningless task (opening/sorting mail) and realized my fab instructor and probably alot of you instructors are amazing - it's alot of work to teach something like "Landing" looking back it's putting the airplane back on the ground how hard is THAT. :)
 
I think it is harder to be the trainer, (Sometimes.) Depends on the applicant for whatever you are trying to train on. Sometimes they just get it.
 
My point to the question which I thought was clear is which is harder - being the trainer (being able to train and to mold the instruction to whomever you may have as the student easy or hard - if you don't have that skill set to be able to do that then that is another issue)

Or is it easier to be the trainee where you rely on the other person to teach you something you don't know. (Presuming the trainer has the skill sets needed to conform to the training at hand)
 
I think it depends on motivation, partly on the difficulty of the task. If it is simple, not fun, but does require instruction to figure out, say running the fryer at McD's likely it is a chore for both. On the other hand if you are paying good money for a helicopter lesson, you will amped up to learn, even though it might be overwhelming and a bit scary. Likewise despite knowing how to do it, teaching people to fly helicopters requires being full on. Being full on is great fun, however it gets old being full on for dangerous, underpaid work. Depends on the task and the motivation.
saracelica said:
My point to the question which I thought was clear is which is harder - being the trainer (being able to train and to mold the instruction to whomever you may have as the student easy or hard - if you don't have that skill set to be able to do that then that is another issue)

Or is it easier to be the trainee where you rely on the other person to teach you something you don't know. (Presuming the trainer has the skill sets needed to conform to the training at hand)
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The question is impossible to answer because the outcome cannot be measured. Any answer is purely subjective and might be contradicted by the person on the other side of the teach/learn equation.

saracelica said:
My point to the question which I thought was clear is which is harder - being the trainer (being able to train and to mold the instruction to whomever you may have as the student easy or hard - if you don't have that skill set to be able to do that then that is another issue)

Or is it easier to be the trainee where you rely on the other person to teach you something you don't know. (Presuming the trainer has the skill sets needed to conform to the training at hand)
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Of course it's subjective. I was looking for each person to have - wait for it - an opinion. CFI's are the best audience for this question I guess but I didn't want to just limit it to those because in almost everyone's lives they either have been trained on how to do something or were the trainer on a task (be it the fryer at McD's - which does training)

If no one wants to reply or have a conversation on this topic it'll slowly drop off the top of the page.
 
saracelica said:
Training someone on how to do my job (being outsourced) but I know recognize the work that is involved for you CFI's! It's got to be a little tricky to show someone how to fly a plane when you already do and get fustrated when they aren't getting it.

So it is easier to be the Trainee or Trainer?
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Depends on whether you're talking about a "good" or "bad" trainer/trainee.

IME it's much harder to be a good trainer than a good trainee and just the opposite with mediocre examples of both. A good trainer has to do a tremendous amount of preparation and follow up, discern the trainee's learning ability and style, evaluate the trainee's progress, and keep the result stimulating or at least interesting. A good trainee just has to pay attention if the trainer is doing their job.

But a mediocre trainer can get by with little extra effort in many cases and if things aren't working out they can just blame the "poor student". And a mediocre student working with a mediocre instructor has the most trouble if they want to complete the training. If learning is a struggle generally and the trainer can't/won't step up the result is usually a combination of much extra effort on the trainee's part, and a frustrated, minimally trained trainee.
 
Sorry I was still thinking about yesterday's topic regarding wife beating. :wink2:

saracelica said:
Of course it's subjective. I was looking for each person to have - wait for it - an opinion. CFI's are the best audience for this question I guess but I didn't want to just limit it to those because in almost everyone's lives they either have been trained on how to do something or were the trainer on a task (be it the fryer at McD's - which does training)

If no one wants to reply or have a conversation on this topic it'll slowly drop off the top of the page.
Click to expand...
 
Really thought the question was self explanatory. But I've explained it at least twice.

Forget it. Don't reply to this posting anymore.
 
saracelica said:
Really thought the question was self explanatory. But I've explained it at least twice.

Forget it. Don't reply to this posting anymore.
Click to expand...

And the only good answer to your question is- it depends. If a person is a great communicator, then teaching should be easy. If a person is good at listening and processing new concepts, then learning should be easy. It all depends on the individual. In some cases, learning and teaching can be very easy for a person and in others both tasks are equally horrible.
 
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