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A few weeks ago I received a question from an instructor that made me stop and think for a moment.
For me answering the question was a bit like trying to decide which eight records I would choose if I was on ‘Dessert Island Discs' (For those who are not familiar it's a Sunday morning Radio 4 programme.)
The question:
"Hi John,
A question for you; you will have seen loads of instructors over the years.
What would you say is one of the most recurring themes you see where instructors are making life unnecessarily hard work for themselves and their pupils?
I know it's a bit of a general question but there must be one or two things that stick out like a sore thumb!
Tony"
A very general question indeed!
But as Tony suggests there are some very common recurring themes. I've attempted to list my top five in order of importance below but the reality is that they are often all present in lessons…
These are 'core' issues that can create lots of different problems and symptoms – unless the core issues are tackled an instructor can waste lots of time dealing with the problems that arise as a result.
I've said it several times before, in fact I say it several times every year, and will probably say it several times again!
If I could change just one thing for every instructor in the UK it would be their attention to route planning. I estimate that in some cases this can result in the learning process taking twice as long as it needs to. In the worst cases it can lead to learners giving up learning to drive completely.
I'm sure it also results in some instructors losing customers because the customer feels that they are not learning. The irony here is that I have heard instructors say things like “I like to get them on busy roads as soon as possible so they feel that they are progressing”!
When routes are well planned client-centred training becomes easier, motivation improves (helping referral business) and learners almost ‘teach themselves'.
This follows on from route planning. If the route is too complex for the learner at any given stage of training the instructor will need to place a disproportionate amount of attention on what's happening outside the car to ‘fire-fight' developing situations. Because of this errors are missed inside the car.
This problem can be exacerbated by a reliance on eye-mirrors; these only offer a very small insight into what is happening in the driving seat, however, some instructors believe that by using an eye-mirror they are doing a good job in watching the learner.
My advice, ditch the eye-mirror and watch the learner directly. If doing this makes you nervous refer to route planning above.
For tips about how and when to watch the learner sit in on a few driving tests with different examiners and notice how and when the watch the driver.
It's not unusual to hear learners say, after a test, that they felt the examiner was staring at them. If you ever hear this from a customer it's a sure sign that you aren't watching enough – if you were, the examiner experience would seem perfectly normal and the learner wouldn't even notice.
All good courses need a structured syllabus. This is designed by the instructor and the relevant elements will be taught to all customers doing the course.
Having a ‘fixed' syllabus is totally compatible with a client centred approach and can help learners to take responsibility for their own learning when couples with study materials such as books or web programmes like DriverActive.
On a lesson-to-lesson basis elements of the syllabus will be taught in conjunction with the learner's wants and needs – this is why watching is so important; otherwise you may be unaware of some needs. Although the syllabus remains fairly constant the nature of one-to-one training means that it will be delivered in different ways to different customers.
DVSA stats put failing to adapt the lesson plan as one of the top five Standards Check problems.
A major course planning issue is moving on too soon. Everything is covered in the first fifteen hours and then simply ‘practiced until it's right'. This can lead to the learning process taking far longer than it would with a better planned approach.
Instructors sometimes explain to me that they have to move learners on and do manoeuvres early in the course, otherwise the learner will think they are not progressing. What they are really telling me (without realising) is that they need to improve their communication and rapport skills in order to ‘sell' the concept of well-paced learning to their customers.
Quality feedback is essential for effective learning.
One of the most important, if not the most important, areas of feedback during a driving lesson is feedback from the instructor. Without sufficient feedback from the instructor, learners will not have the information needed to solve their own issues and develop their skills and knowledge.
The DVSA Standards Check stats show that lack of feedback both during the lesson and after safety-critical incidents.
In addition to a lack of feedback many instructors offer feedback in a negative frame and tend to only give feedback when things go wrong rather than balanced feedback.
Here's a simple feedback check for you: When did you last ask a learner to pull up on the left with the sole reason of discussing something that had gone really well?
I'm amazed that in 2020 this still happens – but I often see it when following driving school cars, particularly on right turns and bends. When I visit the UK there is one instructor I see in the area in which I stay who seems to have this issue with every customer!
The most common error here is where the learner is ‘looking short' or concentrating on an obstruction/hazard rather than the space where the car need to go in order to negotiate the situation.
Watch out for ‘chin up' when emerging from junctions to turn right – particularly when turning into narrow roads.
As your learner drives forward on right emerges, or on the final leg of the turn-in-the-road, notice what their chin is doing...
This might sound a little strange, but if they lift their chins up they are looking in the wrong place - the front of the car.
Doing this you will result is a struggle with accuracy. They should be looking out of the driver's window and letting their hands follow their eyes, this way it will be easier to judge the position of the car.
This can also be an issue when turning right into narrow roads or roads with parked cars near the junction.
So there you have it, my top five…
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