Last Updated on July 19, 2024
Driving is a significant milestone in many people’s lives, marking the beginning of newfound independence and responsibility. This is especially true for young drivers aged 17-21, who are at a critical stage in their development. The ability to drive opens a world of opportunities, from greater mobility and flexibility to increased job prospects. However, the journey from a novice to a skilled driver is fraught with challenges and anxieties. This is where the role of a driving instructor becomes crucial.
The Pivotal Role of Driving Instructors
As a driving instructor, you hold a unique and influential position in this transformative journey. Your role extends far beyond the mechanics of teaching someone how to operate a vehicle. You are a mentor, a coach, and a source of reassurance. The impact you have on a learner driver’s experience can shape their attitude towards driving for life. By providing the right support, you can help transform an anxious beginner into a confident, competent driver.
Supporting Learner Drivers: Beyond the Test
Supporting learner drivers goes beyond merely preparing them to pass their driving test. While passing the test is a significant milestone, it is not the ultimate goal. The true objective is to lay a foundation for a lifetime of safe and responsible driving. This involves instilling good driving habits, teaching defensive driving techniques, and fostering an understanding of road safety principles.
| Building Confidence | Supporting learners helps build their confidence, reducing anxiety and improving their overall driving experience. |
| Promoting Safety | Proper support ensures learners understand and practice safe driving habits, reducing the risk of accidents and promoting lifelong road safety. |
| Enhancing Learning | A supportive environment enhances the learning process, making it easier for learners to absorb information and develop necessary driving skills. |
1. Build a Positive Relationship
The bond between driving instructor and learner driver can be pivotal. The trust, patience and respect shown to students on their learning to drive journey can significantly influence the learner’s experience and success behind the wheel. The art of teaching is as much about empathy as it is about road rules and driving manoeuvres. Every learner driver will have their own unique set of expectations and fears.
Listen to your students and understand what their expectations are and how they learn best. This can help you to recognise and adapt lessons to individual learner needs. By focusing on a strong and positive relationship with your learner drivers, you are not just teaching them to drive, but empowering them to become confident, cautious, and considerate drivers.
2. Set Clear Goals and Expectations
A driving instructor can transform what may be a daunting journey for a new learner driver, into a smooth journey of learning. By setting clear goals and expectations, instructors can provide learners with an understanding of what they are working towards. This can give the learner a series of manageable and confidence building steps to work towards.
Setting clear goals and expectations is not a one-off task, but a continuous part of the learning process. Goals require attention and adaptation to the learner drivers growing capabilities and changing needs. By setting clear goals and expectations, you can facilitate a more structured lesson where the learner knows what to expect.
3. Encourage Questions
Learning to drive requires not just physical coordination but also critical thinking, problem solving and an understanding of road rules. Questions posed to you by learner drivers are a great indication of their engagement and desire to understand driving more deeply.
Questions can also provide an insight into areas of uncertainty and levels of understanding, which could allow you to further tailor your approach and lesson goals. By encouraging pupils to ask questions, it gives them a safe space to learn. This can help to build confidence and give your learners a better understanding.
4. Provide Constructive Criticism
Feedback, when delivered constructively can be an indispensable tool in a driving instructors toolkit. Constructive criticism can help to reinforce good driving habits. It is not just about pointing out errors, but more so about guidance and encouragement.
It is easy to point out what is wrong, but it is not always helpful to the learner to just hear what they are doing wrong. Instead, explain what they have done incorrectly and then explain what they could have done and what to do next time, for example “Your positioning was great on the roundabout; however you need to keep more space between you and other vehicles in case they stop suddenly, which could lead to a crash.” By focusing on specific, actionable, and balanced feedback, instructors can create a learning environment that addresses both the technical aspects of driving and the overall development of the student as a driver.
5. Stay Calm and Patient
Maintaining a calm and patient demeanour as a driving instructor is essential to helping learner drivers thrive. The instructor’s demeanour can play a critical role in shaping the experience of the learner driver, as well as impacting confidence, anxiety, and overall progress. A calm and patient driving instructor can act as a stabilising force when supporting learner drivers who may be dealing with nervousness and self-doubt. Creating an atmosphere that is supportive and not pressured can allow learners to absorb and practice new skills at their own pace.
Make sure during lessons you are not getting frustrated when a learner is struggling and that you are paying attention to their cues. If a learner is repeatedly failing at a new manoeuvre and getting frustrated this may knock their confidence. Be sure you react calmly and restructure the lesson if needed.
6. Encourage Practise Outside of Lessons
Private practice can be one of the most effective methods to reinforce the skills learned with a driving instructor. Whilst structured lessons with a professional instructor can provide a solid foundation, additional practice with a supervising driver can offer invaluable real-world experiences. The DVSA advise that learning to drive takes an estimated 45 hours of driving lessons with a driving instructor, plus 22 hours of extra private practice between driving lessons.
To help learners get that much needed additional experience, Collingwood offer learner driver insurance on a short-term and annual basis. You could even get a bonus too! Sign up to the Collingwood Instructor referral programme to boost your income.
7. Demonstrate and Explain
The principle of “Demonstrate and Explain” in driving combines visual and practical learning and involves 2 key parts:
Demonstration – The instructor physically shows the student how to complete the manoeuvre, breaking it down step by step.
Explanation – Whilst demonstrating the manoeuvre, the instructor explains the purpose and reason behind each step they take.
This method of instruction is tried and tested in helping to explain complex manoeuvres that may be difficult to grasp through a purely verbal explanation. By incorporating the “demonstrate” element into the teaching process, driving instructors can enhance the learner’s ability to apply the knowledge. Many people are visual learners, meaning they understand and remember information better when it is presented visually. Demonstrating a driving a manoeuvre can provide a clear visual reference for learners and make complex concepts more comprehensible. The demonstrate and explain approach places an emphasis on visual learning and active engagement which can be integral to preparing learner drivers for the complexities of real-world driving.
8. Prepare For The Driving Test
Preparing for a driving test involves not just mastering technical skills and knowing the road rules, but also managing test day nerves. The anticipation and anxiety leading up to a driving test can impact a learner drivers’ performance. It is essential that you equip your students with strategies and techniques to help deal with test day nerves.
Some ideas for supporting learner drivers preparing for a practical test could include:
Mock tests: Conduct mock tests that are as close to the actual test environment as possible. This can help desensitise learners to the test environment and reduce fear of the unknown.
Familiarisation of Test Routes: While it is not always possible to know the exact test route, practising on roads around the test centre can help learners become comfortable with potential test scenarios.
Test Day Checklist: Provide a checklist of items to bring on driving test day e.g. provisional licence, glasses (if needed) and tips for a good night’s sleep and a nutritious meal before the test.
9. Discuss The Importance of Mental Readiness
Mental readiness can sometimes be an underemphasised, yet crucial, component of supporting learner drivers. This includes the learner’s ability to manage anxiety and maintain focus. By creating a safe space for learners to express their anxieties and fears related to driving, whilst acknowledging these feelings as normal can help reduce stigma and intensity.
Introducing stress-reduction techniques, such as deep breathing or guided visualisation can help reduce a learner’s stress and anxiety levels, not just during driving lessons but also in everyday life. Incorporating mental readiness into driving tuition goes beyond teaching driving technicalities; it is about preparing learners for the demands of the road. By addressing anxiety, focus, emotional regulation and other components of mental readiness, instructors can help learners develop a holistic set of driving skills.
10. Celebrate Progress
The learning to drive journey is filled with milestones, from getting through the first driving lesson to mastering complex traffic scenarios. By recognising and celebrating milestones, instructors can help to build a learner’s confidence and maintain their motivation. Acknowledging achievements can help to reinforce a learner drivers self-belief and determination.
At the end of each lesson, you could recap what you have covered and how the learner did during the driving lesson. This can help pupils to understand how they are progressing and encourage continued learning. Celebrating progress should not just be about acknowledging current and past achievements, it is about inspiring future success and fostering lifelong safe and confident driving.
Conclusion
Incorporating these tips into your teaching methods can significantly enhance the learning experience for your students. By fostering a supportive and positive environment, you ensure that learners feel valued, understood, and adequately prepared for their driving journey. The role of a driving instructor is not just to impart the technical skills necessary to pass a driving test but to cultivate a comprehensive understanding of safe driving practices and instil confidence in every learner.
FAQs
1. How many hours of driving lessons do learners typically need?
According to the DVSA, learners typically need around 45 hours of driving lessons with a professional instructor, complemented by 22 hours of private practice. (link through to the Ready to Pass website)
2. What should I do if a learner is consistently struggling with a specific manoeuvre?
Stay calm and patient and consider restructuring the lesson. Break down the manoeuvre into smaller, manageable steps and use the “Demonstrate and Explain” method to provide clear guidance.
3. How can I help learners manage their anxiety about driving tests?
Conduct mock tests, familiarise them with test routes, and provide a test day checklist. Teach stress-reduction techniques like deep breathing to help manage test day nerves.
4. Why is private practice important for learner drivers?
Private practice reinforces skills learned during lessons and provides real-world driving experiences. It helps learners gain confidence and competence outside of structured lessons.
5. How can I celebrate a learner’s progress effectively?
Recap each lesson, highlighting achievements and areas of improvement. Celebrate milestones and provide positive reinforcement to build their confidence and motivate continued learning.
