A C172 INSTRUCTOR PLT AND STUDENT WHILE IMC SUFFER FROM SPATIAL DISORIENTATION AND TURN THE WRONG WAY FOR AN AIRWAY INTERCEPT AND EXPERIENCE A POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER ACFT S OF BJC; CO.

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MY INST STUDENT AND I WERE TRANSITIONING OVER THE BJC VOR IN IMC INTERCEPTING V81 TO BRK; 9000 FT CLBING 11000 FT. WE INADVERTENTLY CONTINUED OUR TURN TOWARDS A NE HDG INSTEAD OF 147 DEGS ON V81. BEING IN ACTUAL CONDITIONS FOR THE FIRST TIME I LOST SPATIAL ORIENTATION AND THOUGHT WE NEEDED THE RECIPROCAL HDG. AS I REALIZED THE ERROR; ZDV STATED 'OK; I'M CONFUSED. WHAT IS YOUR HDG? MAKE AN IMMEDIATE R TURN TO 210 DEGS.' WE MADE THE TURN AND REINTERCEPTED V81 WITH NO FURTHER PROBS. ATC ALSO ADVISED US THAT THEY 'HAD TO DIVE A BAC JET OUT THERE; BE CAREFUL; YOU COULD GET INTO BIG; BIG TROUBLE.' FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ERROR WERE THE COCKPIT WORKLOAD OF MY STUDENT QUESTIONING AND MY SPATIAL DISORIENTATION IN IMC. WE HAD 4000+ FT ALT BELOW CLOUDS IN VFR AND I FELT COMFORTABLE WITH MY DECISION AT THE TIME TO PROCEED INTO IMC. HOWEVER; I HAVE NOW RE-EVALUATED MY MINIMUMS. TO PREVENT FUTURE PROBS; I HAVE COMMITTED MYSELF TO BE 'MORE' CURRENT THAN REQUIRED BY FARS AND I WILL GAIN MORE EXPERIENCE IN IMC WITH ANOTHER MORE EXPERIENCED CFII BEFORE FLYING PIC IN THOSE CONDITIONS. I WILL REQUIRE THAT MY STUDENTS REMAIN QUIET OF MULTIPLE QUESTIONS IF I LOSE ORIENTATION UNTIL REGAINED -- HAVING THEM ASSIST WITH ONLY PERTINENT INFO AT THE TIME. I HAVE ALREADY STARTED REVIEW WITH ANOTHER CFII TO GAIN A GREATER UNDERSTANDING. I'VE ALREADY GAINED INFO REGARDING INCORRECT IFR FILING PRACTICES. I LEARNED THROUGH MY INST RATING TO FILE IFR UNDER MY NAME (STUDENT AT THE TIME) AND I DID NOT REALIZE UP UNTIL NOW THAT THE FLT PLAN UNDER IFR MUST BE IN AN INST RATED; CURRENT PLT AND/OR CURRENT CFII. MY STUDENT FILED THIS IFR PLAN UNDER HIS NAME. I WILL FILE THEM FROM THIS POINT ON. THIS WAS MY FIRST STUDENT FILING IFR AND A LESSON I WON'T FORGET. I ALSO QUESTION WHY ATC ALLOWED US TO CONTINUE IN A TURN TO A SIT WHERE THEY HAD TO 'DIVE' ANOTHER ACFT. I UNDERSTAND MY ACTIONS WERE INCORRECT BUT THE SIT (ATC) RECOGNIZING MY TURN SEEMS A LITTLE LATE.