C172 INSTRUCTOR OPERATES IMC WITH A VFR CLRNC.

Narrative

1) LAST STAGE CHK BEFORE CHK RIDE FOR IFR RATING CK RIDE. STUDENT (PVT PLT) WAS PIC DURING NORMAL OPS. I WAS PIC DURING EMERS. 2) DEPARTED 18TE IN VMC AND FLEW APPROX 56 NM TO GVT TO PRACTICE APCHS. UPON DEP FROM 18TE AND FLEW THROUGH ONE VERY SMALL CLOUD. THIS SHOULD HAVE CLUED ME IN TO WHAT WOULD BE IN OUR AREA UPON OUR RETURN. 3) APPROX 1/3 OF THE WAY BACK TO 18TE ENTERED IMC AT 2500 FT MSL. WE WERE IN AND OUT OF IMC/DSNDED DOWN TO 2000 FT STILL IN AND OUT OF IMC. CONTINUED IN AND OUT OF IMC BY USING GPS. DID NOT GET A CLRNC. 4) MY THINKING AT THE TIME: I DON'T HAVE APCH PLATE. WE HAVE GPS. I KNOW WHERE WE ARE. GETTING A CLRNC AT THIS POINT IS EMBARRASSING AND A HASSLE. LONG VIEW APCH IS CLOSED AND FORT WORTH HAS HAD PROBS 'SEEING' ME AT THIS ALT AND THIS LOCATION IN THE PAST. I CAN FLY BY INSTS. 5) I KNOW WHAT I DID WAS WRONG. I WAS NOT THE PROACTIVE PLT I TEACH NOR SHOULD HAVE BEEN. I SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN A WX BRIEFING. I SHOULD HAVE ANTICIPATED THIS TYPE OF PROB AND HAVE BEEN PREPARED BY HAVING A PLAN SHOULD THIS EVENT OCCUR AS WELL AS HAVE BEEN PREPARED WITH APCH PLATES TO GET BACK HOME.