INSTRUCTOR WITH STUDENT HAS ALTDEV AND HDG DEV. ON IFR FLT PLAN.

Narrative

I WAS GIVING INSTRUCTION ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM LAS VEGAS; NV; TO SANTA MARIA; CA. WHILE ON RADAR VECTORS NW OF PALMDALE VOR; THE CTLR SAID SHE WAS VECTORING US TO GAVIOTA VOR. WE WERE FILED PALMDALE TO SAN MARCOS TO GAVIOTA. AT THIS POINT I WAS IN THE MINDSET THAT WE NO LONGER NEEDED TO WORRY ABOUT NAVIGATING TO SAN MARCOS. (SAN MARCOS AND GAVIOTA ARE 16 NM APART.) AFTER HANDING US OFF; THE NEXT CTLR TOLD US TO FLY DIRECT TO SAN MARCOS. UPON REACHING SAN MARCOS WE WERE STILL AT 14000 FT AND I WAS TOLD WE COULD EXPECT A DSCNT OVER THE VOR; AND THEN TOLD NOT UNTIL 5 MI AFTER THE VOR. THE PROBS AROSE WHEN I GOT FIXATED ON TRYING TO GET A DSCNT FROM ATC; AND NOT THINKING AHEAD OF THE AIRPLANE. AFTER XING SAN MARCOS WE CONTINUED TO FLY OUTBOUND WITHOUT CHANGING COURSE BECAUSE I WAS STILL THINKING IN TERMS OF EXPECTING RADAR VECTORS; AND I WAS WAITING FOR 5 DME SO THAT I COULD GET MY LONG AWAITED DSCNT. I WAS NOT MANIPULATING THE CTLS; SO I WASN'T REALLY AWARE THAT WE WERE FLYING OFF COURSE. MEANWHILE; I TOLD MY STUDENT TO REDUCE PWR; EXTEND FLAPS AND GEAR; AND REDUCE AIRSPD IN ANTICIPATION OF OUR BIG DSCNT. AFTER FLYING PAST THE VOR ABOUT 4 MI; I REALIZED THAT I WAS UNSURE OF MY CLRNC AND CALLED ATC TO ASK THEM; I REALIZED THAT I WAS UNSURE OF MY CLRNC AND CALLED ATC TO ASK THEM IF I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FLYING VECTORS. THE CTLR SAID THAT I SHOULD BE FLYING AS FILED; AND TO GET BACK ON COURSE AND CLRED US FOR ONLY 1000 FT OF DSCNT. DUE TO THE HIGH DRAG CONFIGN OF THE ARPT; OUR DSCNT RATE WAS VERY RAPID; SO I WARNED MY STUDENT THAT WE WERE ONLY CLRED DOWN 1000 FT. I THEN GOT INVOLVED WITH PLANNING OUR DSCNT; GETTING ON COURSE; AND TUNING IN ATIS; WHILE MY STUDENT BROKE OUR ASSIGNED ALT BY 500 FT. WHEN I NOTICED OUR 2ND DEV; I TOOK CTL OF THE AIRPLANE AND INITIATED A CLB; JUST AS ATC CALLED TO ASK OF OUR ALT. I BROKE AN ALT AND A COURSE IN 5 MIN TIME BECAUSE I BECAME FIXATED ON OTHER FACTORS OF FLT AND I PUT TOO MUCH FAITH IN MY STUDENTS ABILITY TO HOLD ALT. THE HDOF WAS CONFUSING BECAUSE I RECEIVED AN AMENDED CLRNC AND DIDN'T REALIZE IT. I WAS STILL EXPECTING VECTORS TO GAVIOTA; AND I WAS TOO FIXATED ON GETTING A LOWER ALT TO NOTICE THAT WE WERE EXPECTED TO FLY AS FILED. THE CLOSE PROX OF THE 2 VORS ALSO HELPED TO CONFUSE MATTERS. I WAS SO FLUSTERED WITH OUR COURSE DEV THAT I LOST TRACK OF MY STUDENT ON THEMSELVES IN THE COCKPIT.