Over the last week I spent some time in Hilliard, Florida at Jacksonville Center to attend the OJT Instructor course. For those that are not familiar with some of the real world terms, a trainee/developmental must go through OJT (On the Job Training) with an OJTI (On the Job Training Instructor) to achieve certification. My class offered a good mix of those from ZJX, TLH, AGS, & SAV so the conversation among us about training experiences was informative and eye opening. I want to give a quick shoutout to all of those involved in VATUSAs training program (especially Mark!) over the last few months that put many man hours into making it even better than what it was before. I hope this post will generate good conversation from students in their own training as well as MTRs/INS' and what challenges/successes they have experienced.
Day one laid out the agenda which I was very eager to see! The OJT environment, the learning environment, the training team process and OJT process. As this will be my 9th year on VATSIM, I must say to all of those in a staff/training position how much the students look up to us! Most people do not see age because when you have MTR or INS next to your name it should speak for itself. With that being said, there are many, many factors to take into account from just the OJTI perspective and it's something you definitely need to consider prior to training someone.
From the start the MTR/INS must realize that those joining VATUSA consist of a wide range of age groups and personalities. Within this are those that have various learning styles and abilities. So you ask yourself, what do we do with all of this DK? Remember two things, prebrief, and postbrief.
Prebrief is something that a lot of us MTRs and INS' do involuntarily and you don't even realize it. Prebriefing is taking the time prior to the actual start of the training session to get a feel for the trainee. Ask them how they are feeling? Are they ready to train? Do they have any questions about the SOP/LOAs and if so, go over them. Utilize JOIN.ME as a way to get your training up to a more interactive level. Remember, the disadvantage for us is that we are behind a computer and ASSUME the developmental is taking in everything we are throwing at he or she. I love the concept of prebriefing because it allows you to set a goal for the session, and depending on where the developmental is at in training, it may be even more important in the radar environment rather than ground control.
A common occurrence as OJTIs is that we assume the student is ready. Well you're probably saying to yourself "that's our job DK". What I'm really trying to say is, we need to take a second to ask the student how he or she feels about working the position solo. I have had several gentleman at ZNY say, "Hey, ya know what Derek, I appreciate your time and all of the technique you showed me today, but how about you give me two or three days, we'll come back again and run the sweatbox again or conduct a LIVE OTS. I want some extra time to hit the books (7110.65/SOP)". That right there should be a sign to the OJTI that there is commitment and dedication. That type of learning is infectious and I hope more consider utilizing that idea when necessary. Note, there are those that need motivation/encouragement to make their first transmission on the network, and others that really do need another day or two to go over more material.
Take notes during the session so you can recall situations that may have occurred earlier or prior to it becoming busy. If taking notes is not your thing, record the session and go over problematic areas and even areas where better technique could have been used. Technique is what makes controlling easier, so remember that when you teach, the trainee does not have to control turn for turn and say word for word as you would. If they are separated and efficiency is shown, give the trainee a chance to develop his or her own technique.
This leads me to my next point of Knowing When To Intervene. In specific situations the OJT may require an on the spot correction but most times, if you let the trainee "go", he or she will figure it out and generally will fix it. The disclaimer to this is knowing where the student is "at" in reference to their skill set and time on the position. I say it time and time again, be strong in your ability to control because your awareness level as a MTR/INS is always being tested. Listening for tone of voice and speech rate can easily cue you in on whether or not the developmental "has the picture". Certain moments in training may call for you to stop the OTS and turn it more into a training session. It may also mean disconnecting form the network and providing reassurance to the student by letting them know that MORE will be gained in a controlled environment (sweatbox).
In your "classroom" sessions, by having a toolbox of learning strategies the ability to train anyone with any learning style is endless! Create a visual image such as suggesting the student learn traffic calls when he or she is driving down the road or walking in the mall. Use the cars! Use the people! Start basic for those starting new and work your way up to more advanced learning styles. One of the biggest things we try to teach in air traffic is "chunking". If we instill the concept of combined transmissions early on, it will carry with them all the way to the en-route stage of training. Personally, the ending goal for the MTR/INS in my opinion is being able to see the OJT make a decision and be sure of themselves. If it is the incorrect decision, no biggie, just fix it and move on. The more confidence you can instill in someone, their trust in you and themselves when making judgement calls will improve overnight!
So as a MTR/INS there are two final important concepts to understand. That is, objective and subjective information. Don't worry, I won't make this a block period of English class
The objective information is what the student will tell you, such as his or her concerns, and whatever other factual information they will communicate. This is great because we can instantly provide guidance and feedback for the student based on their performance. This line of open communication is what we need to ensure success. The challenging part comes in when you are dealing with subjective info. This is tough because we cannot see the student but it is what you perceive based on what you sense of hear (tone of voice, attitude). Typically this is a common occurrence in those that are new to the network with no previous experience of ATC or aviation. The moment I sense this, I ensure that I actively listen and am supportive of the student. I try not to overwhelm the student and most of the time, I either crack a joke and allow them to speak to get a feel for them. It is hard as an INS to not talk because we want to impart our 10 years of VATSIM knowledge on a trainee during their first session. Because subjective information can be a difficult task to deal with, it is important to always follow through with a proper debrief.
It's fair to say that after a longgg session everyone asks themselves the one question "how did I do?". For the most part, training sessions are mild but there are some where the student may have been overwhelmed and his or her confidence is broken. This is where I ask YOU, the MTR/INS to
make the difference. Although it is important to explain to the student what they did incorrectly, I will always suggest you end the session on a positive note. Provide them with honest feedback and get them motivated to come back and take another stab at it! Set a goal for the next training session and maybe even speak about what situations you dealt with when training and how you overcame them. When someone can relate to another certified controller, it calms them down and provides a sense of reassurance.
Although every trainee is different from the other, the common goal is to get them certified but to always have fun! If you need to develop a training plan for an individual on what needs to be the focus for Mon-Wed and another topic for Thurs-Saturday with a mental break on Sunday, make it happen! It is worth the investment guys! For those that are training, always give it your best because when the MTR/INS sees your best effort, they will always go the extra mile!
If you guys need anything, give me a shout dvento27@gmail.com
See ya on the scopes!
DK
