Definition
The various structural layouts an instructor can use to organize a lesson plan. Common formats include the standard block format, the mental outline (used by experienced instructors for simple lessons), the participatory training format (where students help build the plan), and integrated flight instruction format. Each format arranges the same core elements -- objective, content, schedule, equipment, instructor and student actions, completion standards -- in a way suited to the lesson type, the student, and the training environment.
Plain English
Different ways of laying out a lesson plan on paper. The information is similar across formats, but the structure changes depending on the kind of lesson being taught and how the instructor prefers to organize it.
Context Anchor
Seen in the Aviation Instructor’s Handbook when learning how flight and ground instructors prepare lessons before teaching.
Why Pilots Care
A clear format prevents gaps in training that could leave a student pilot unprepared for real situations.
Intuition Check
Do not read “format” as meaning only the look of the page. Here, it means the working structure that organizes what the instructor will teach and how the lesson will flow.
Example Sentence 1
The CFI applicant reviewed several lesson plan formats before deciding which one to use for the stalls lesson.
Example Sentence 2
Using the performance-based lesson plan format helped the student practice each maneuver with clear evaluation criteria.