B727 CAPT; GIVING IOE TO THE FO; HAD AN ALTDEV AFTER THE IOE CAPT WAS DISTR A VERY STRONG BURNING ODOR IN THE COCKPIT.

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I AM AN INSTRUCTOR PLT (CHK AIRMAN) ON THE B727. I WAS GIVING IOE TO A STUDENT FO WHO HAD JUST 3 LNDGS IN THE ACFT. AFTER SWITCHING TO DEP FREQ; AND WHILE ACCELERATING; ATC ASSIGNED A HEADING CHANGE AND A NEW ALT ASSIGNMENT WHILE IN ACTUAL IFR WITH STUDENT FLYING. DURING THE TURN; A VERY STRONG BURNING ODOR BECAME NOTICEABLE IN THE COCKPIT. AFTER THE FO HAD ROLLED WINGS LEVEL ON THE NEW HEADING; I DIVERTED MY ATTN AWAY FROM THE FLYING TO WORK WITH THE SO IN ATTEMPTING TO IDENT THE SOURCE OF THE ODOR. THERE WERE NO SMOKE OR FIRE INDICATIONS ANYWHERE; AND WITHIN A MIN OR SO; THE ODOR HAD DISAPPEARED. I REJOINED THE FO AROUND 3000 FT MSL AND REALIZED THE ALT ALERTER WAS SET TO 5000 FT; THE SID ALT. I KNEW A DIFFERENT ALT HAD BEEN ASSIGNED AND THOUGHT IT WAS 11000 FT; BUT WAS UNSURE. I CALLED ATC AND REQUESTED CONFIRMATION; BUT ATC WAS BUSY AND REPLIED 'STANDBY.' I DO NOT RECALL IF THE 'STANDBY' WAS ON MY FIRST CALL; BUT I ATTEMPTED TO GET A CONFIRMATION AT LEAST 3-4 TIMES BEFORE REACHING 5000 FT. AFTER RECEIVING THE 'STANDBY' THE CTLR ISSUED NUMEROUS CLRNCS TO OTHER ACFT. MEANWHILE; WE LEVELED THE ACFT AT 5000 FT WHILE HE ISSUED OTHER ACFT CLRNCS. WE WERE LEVEL 1-2 MINS (ESTIMATE) AT WHICH POINT WE GOT OUR CONFIRMATION AND WE STARTED A CLB. THE CTLR CHANGED OUR HEADING AND THAT OF ANOTHER ACFT. ALTHOUGH WE DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING ON TCASII. THE CTLR GAVE US A TONGUE LASHING THAT WAS VERY BIT AS UNPROFESSIONAL AS MY FAILURE TO RESET THE ALT ALERTER. I SHOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED MY ATTN TO HAVE BEEN DIVERTED DURING THE ACCELERATION/HEADING CHANGE/ALT CHANGE PORTION OF THE FLT BY ANYTHING. BY THE SAME TOKEN; THE CTLR COULD HAVE RELEASED THE IMPORTANCE OF AN ALT CONFIRMATION AND PRIORITIZED IT ACCORDINGLY. THE CTLR SEEMED TO BE MORE INTERESTED IN GIVING US A HARD TIME; RATHER THAN FIX THE PROB.