I agree with all the above. Its one big mind game. I always sit down with a student that I have just inherited. I get them a coffee, and let them chat away about what they have done and there thoughts and experiences. I can learn a lot about their character and aptitude. I then get them topre-flight the aircraft while I go and read their records, and learn the instructors point of view. By then I have built a reasonable picture and we brief on what we're gonna do and let him do it. I tend to say very little in terms of teaching to begin with. I let them show what they know. That allows me to confirm what I believed about them when we chatted.
I believe a good instructor is confident that he knows enough about a subject that he can attack it from varying angles.
The problem is when you start, you only have the way the FIE taught you, its upto you to go out and learn from your students! Flying for everyone is a learning curve. And sometimes I get the wrong end of the stick with students............I will always be honest to them and say I cocked that one up, but lets try it another way. Never blame the student.
When I get frustrated with a students progress, I have to mentally stop and think, "could I have just done what he/she did?" The answer is always yes.........so I then remember to be patient with the poor fellow.
Some students have to be brought down a peg or two!
Some need straight talking.
Some need empathy and gentle persuasion.
Some need to be pushed.
Some need a actual telling off if they are young and flying like a rip!!!!.
Some need to be laid traps so that they find them themselves as they will not listen to the instructor either way.
Some need to be treated with humour.
Some sincerity.
Some with very large kid gloves.
Some even need to be frightened.
That reminds me of a 16 year old who I was finding very cocky. To the point he would tell me how I should run the lesson and that he was bored and stalling was a waste of time! (Mum and Dad were paying!). I soon showed him a quick way to get home as requested by entering a spin. He screamed, kicked and severely lost his street cred. He soon listened to my briefings and words after that!
Thats what I think is so fun about instructing. The lessons are always the same. But the way we go about them is always different.