As some of you already know, I was the winning bid on a gift certificate to flight school. This entitled me to one discovery flight (the details of which is described ad nauseum in another thread. hee hee.) and 50 hours of plain, old FAA approved ground school.
I attended the first class on July 3. I did not know I was going to attend it until the very last minute. Thus, I did not get the materials nor read the chapters in the syllabus. The instructor gave me a copy of the textbook 20 minutes class start and, in best law school fashion, I looked at the pictures and skimmed over discussion of the empennage, monocoque, trim tab and conventional landing gears. I did not have time to read the sections on magnetos or the intricacies of the ignition systems or what in the world a four-stroke operating cycle is.
However, the instructors (there were 2 of them, for some reason) took us outside to examine a couple of planes with the cowlings off so we could see for ourselves what they just talked about. This is a roundabout way of agreeing with the first poster on mixing up lecture and show n' tell.
I also agree with rickair about getting background. Everyone in my class had every intention of becoming an airline pilot, while I am in it as a hobby. I also do not have any knowledge of engineering, physics or anything like that. I mean, I don't even work on my own car.
One final piece of advice - call for periodic breaks. It can get mind-numbing particularly since I have been at work since 8 am, put in a long day and going to a class that starts at 6 pm.