Merry Christmas

Wishing a Merry Christmas to everyone out there.

Make sure you all take care on the roads because there will be a lot of alcohol flowing over the next week or so.
Also remember it is not only on the night you have to be careful but also the following day.  As a rule of thumb one unit of alcohol takes and hour to leave your body after you FINISH drinking.  So if you have a bottle of wine, only 3 large glasses that is 9 or 10 units and if you are drinking till 2am you CAN'T drive until midday the following day.  Also remember that bottled beer can be 1 and 1/2 units if it is 5% or more.

Sorry for the lecture, but spread the word and hopefully we can all stay safe this holiday.

Oh Well

Oh well, my pupil today didn't pass her test. 
She drove really nicelt but developed a new habit of signalling right every roundabout to go straight on and obviously this caused confusion to other drivers.
I have had pupils do this before and it is as though they are trying extra hard to be careful.
I know the Practical Driving Test is the best assessment we have but it does put a lot of pressure on the candidate and if they are not used to that they can go to pieces. 
Often the best drivers find it hardest to pass.
But what is the alternative? 

Hope she makes it

Driving test today for a girl who has failed before  She is a very nice driver but gets really nervous.
The last time she failed because she was at a really busy roundabout and was waiting for ages to be able to go.  She said to me afterwards that she was worried she would get a fail for being too hesitant so she took a chance, the other car speeded up and the Examiner had to put the brake on..immediate fail.
The funny thing is she knew stright away she had failed but came back quite positive because she said she knew she would have passd if not for that one mistake and so next time she would do it.
I think the best bit about this job is the psychology and the challenge of getting into their heads because they are all so different.  It is great how close you can get to a person in this small environment especially if they need to open themselves up to you to help them to sort out their mental blocks.
So, the next time is today.  Wish her luck everyone.

Mock Test

On a Practical Driving Test the examiner often uses an ice breaker to open a converssation with the candidate to put them at their ease.  They are so accountable that they have to make sure their questions are not sexist, racist, ageist in fact anythingist and so the stock phrase they have come up with is...
"So, if you weren't on a Test today what would you be doing?"
This is a very open and non judgemental question designed not to put pressure on the candidate but to allow them to chat if they want to. On a mock test I always use this phrase to get them used to it and reduce test shock (where the test is like nothing they have ever done before).  It also means that when they here this question on test they smile to themselves, or out loud, and this helps to relax them.

I was conducting a Mock Driving Test today with M, a 23 year old candidate who is a very good driver but nervous because he was a passenger in a bad crash.  He was a bit distracted because he had just had Virgin Media set up his new Broadband and TV package.
"So M," I asked him, "If you weren't on a Test today what would you be doing?"
"...erm I don't know" he answered, "Probably playing with my new virgin.."
We both burst put laughing.

I LOVE this job x

That time of year

Yes its that time of year again. 
The night are drawing in. 
The temperature is creeping lower and lower and you can feel the bite in the air that suggests snow in the near future.
It is time to get organised and prepare for the big event.
Yes...Self Assessment Tax is due in January!!

Every year I promise myself that I will keep my book at the end of each month and like all New Year's Resolutions this lasts for about 12 weeks and so every December I have the dreaded task of sorting out the accounts for all three of my businesses.  Yuk.

So, what to claim...
I had a lovely iPad for Christmas last year and I use it for work so yes that can go in, obviously the phone and the iPad Sim, a third of the broadband, mileage, car washes, lots ot tyres, stationary...hey this is looking good.
It would look even better if I earned enough to be able to claim all this lot back after I have covered all my expenses!!

MacDonald's Magic

I'm off in a bit to meet another ADI (Approved Driving Instructor) for coffee in MacDonald's.

It has occurred to me that this job would be so much more difficult without the regular occurence of these Golden Arches.
A Drive Thru Coffee or hot chocolate can be a life saver when you are cold or tired or both.
There is a guarantee of clean toilets with soap available and often a large enough cubicle to have a quick wash and freshen up with deodorant spray on a sticky day.
Best of all are the regular texts.."got time for a coffee at Maccie's?" from one of the other regular Instructors in the area.
It has been said that this is a lonely job but it is what you make it. Any job that involves working one to one with the public often means that you do not get a chance to interact with colleagues and so you need to make a special effort to create links.

I have met a lot of ADIs and try to get their contact details and arrange meet ups once a month in the pub so we can feel we are part of a community and so far the group is growing bigger.

So I will chat later after I have been to Maccie's

Pass Plus conclusion

I really enjoyed teaching that Pass Plus course over the weekend.
The lad turned out to be a really competent driver and could handle the car well so we took the opportunity to introduce some more advanced skills which he picked up really well.
He learnt that it is ok to straight line roundabouts (cut the lanes) if you have enough time and space to be sure there is no one at all around.  His reactions were definitely up to this.
Approaching roundabouts or junctions he no longer has to automatically select 2nd gear if he has enough information to stay in 3rd or not enough information and so will definitely need 1st gear.
His independent driving and route selecting improved a lot as well, and I got him to choose a destination and go there.  At first he was reluctant to make decisions amnswering my questions with, "I don't know, where do you want me to go?" or "Can I change line lanes cos the other one looks slower?" but these became "Let's go to Bromsgrove." or "I am changing lanes beacause the this one is moving slower."
I love this type of teaching as you can see immediate benefits and the pupil can feel the improvement and so feels they have received value.
Roll on the next Pass Plus

Paas Plus continued

Yes, he can drive.
In actual fact he is a really nice driver.  His previous instructor sounded like he may have been an illegal.  He didn't display a badge, a legal requirement, but he said he had one at home and didn't seem to know a lot of the rules of the road.  The pupil said he often disagreed with him and so we talked about it and agreed he had developed enough skills and knowledge to do it his own way because he had worked it ot for himself.
He is a good, sensible lad who was ipen to learning and so we had a good chance to take his driving to a new and more mature level whilst keeping safe.  At the beginning he was asking me what he should do in certain situations, "Can I overtake?", but at the end it was "I'm going to overtake now because.." a big improvement.
A lot of professionals criticise the Pass Plus because they only see it as a tool to give a motorway lesson but it can be used to develop a new driver to build their confidence and skills and bridge that gap betweeen being instructed and being out there on their own.
This jump is a large one and can often take a long time so it is nice if they can have supervision whilst they explore their independence and get a feel of what it is like to be a Full Licence Holder.

Pass Plus

So I have got a Pass Plus to teach today and tomorrow to a pupil I have never taught.
This is the first time I have done this and so I am very wary as I don't even know if he can drive properly. I know he has passed his practical driving test but that just means he has reached the minimum standard to drive on the roads.
Some Driving Instructors teach learners to pass their test and nothing more. As an instructor myself I feel it is very important to teach my pupils to drive in all situations and all conditions.
I teach them to drive at speed, drive in the city centre and to drive at night.  I hope this new lad had been taught the same otherwise it could be risky taking him on the motorway whis of course I have to do as part of Pass Plus.

I will let you know later how it goes...

Oh Dear

Well my pupil didn't pass her test today :(
She was the first to keep the radio on during her test and it had helped her to calm down during mock tests.  Unfortunately her nerves overcame her and she made a few mistakes that she wouldn't normally make.  She is confident that now she knows what to expect she should be less nervous next time.
Success in the Practical Driving Test does not usually correlate to driving ability and it is often the good ones who drive the car well but drives themselves too hard and end up going to pieces.
Better look next time Kid.

My first "Coached" pupil is going for a test today

So, I have got a test today, well I haven't got a test but one of my pupils has.
She has been learning to drive for 2 years now and was not the quickest of learners in the beginning but I have to give her 110% for effort.
She was the first pupil I used my newly learnt "Coaching" techniques on and I was delighted with her response.
If I ask this pupil why she did someting or how she felt about it I get a pause then a very well considered reply, her self analysis has become excellent and hopefully she will be a safe driver for all of her life.
Well done kid! I am gonna miss you when you pass x

Hello, form your local Driving Instructor

Hi,
This is a new blog that will attempt to give an insight into the life of a busy Driving Instructor in The Midlands.
I am hoping you will get a feel for the job including the pains and strains but mostly the comical side and just how much it can be.
A Driving Instructor not only teaches a pupil to drive but can also be a life changer.  We have to instill responsibility, decision making, reflexes and safety as well as listening to their fear and worries.  We end up being teacher, coach, mentor and often counsellor.
I will be relating my experiences on a regular basis but will not be identifying individual pupils.
Enjoy...