It takes a lot to wind me up, which is a good thing in my line of work, but I am starting to get seriously peeved.
I can't help but notice the poor driving standards of other Driving Instructors when they are alone and don't have a pupil with them. This is not just independents but also those who franchise with the big name schools.
I regularly see them breaking the law by blocking crossings, waiting in yellow boxes but the worst must be use of a hand held mobile phone. These are all things that we tell our pupils they MUST not do and so it seems hypocritical that these Instructors cannot follow their own code of conduct. It seems to be "do as I say, not as I do"
I was in front of a famous Driving School car yesterday on a very steep hill at a junction. My pupil, luckily, was test ready and so had good clutch control but this instructor was less than a metre from the back of my car and that looks extremely close in the mirror. My pupil didn't roll back but felt the extra pressure and so was very nervous. It was totally unnecessary for this driver behind us to put so much pressure on an obvious learner and it could have knocked her confidence if she hadn't been so competent. It was tempting to roll back for her and give him a scare.
I take pride in teaching my pupils to be good drivers and drive the way I do and, if they are ready for it, I include some Advanced Driving Techniques like cutting lanes on a roundabouts ONLY if you have ample time to look and be SURE there is no one else around. I have been trained to a high standard and it seems ludicrous for me to drop those skills and drive in a lazy, thoughtless manner. Perhaps this is why I have 22 years no claims and have never had points on my licence.
Ok, rant over!
Thursday, 16 February 2012
Thursday, 9 February 2012
Victim of success
The one drawback of this job is the fact that the better you are at your job, the quicker pupils pass their test and so you have to keep going out searching for fresh leads to new pupils.
I know some driving schools who say that you have to pass 3 mock tests before you are allowed to book a practical test which then takes 6-8 weeks, these are often the schools that insist on 2 hour lessons and are the most expensive.
By my calculation that means that when they have proven that they are ready to take their test they still have to fork out for another 10-12 hours at about £25 per hour so that is an extra £250 to £300 it will cost them. Is it just me or does this seems slightly unethical?
I think my system takes more judgement and co-operation. A mock test lets the pupil know what standard the examiners are looking for and so we discuss what is needed. When they are nearly ready I give them another mock and based on that we decide whether to go ahead and book a test for 8 weeks time, the earlier you book the more choice you get of times and dates. They book their test on the understanding that if I believe they are not quite ready with 3 weeks to go we will re-schedule the test. This gives the pupil a certain amount of say in their progress and goals but also does not make them take more lessons than they need.
Oh well, horses for courses I suppose...
I know some driving schools who say that you have to pass 3 mock tests before you are allowed to book a practical test which then takes 6-8 weeks, these are often the schools that insist on 2 hour lessons and are the most expensive.
By my calculation that means that when they have proven that they are ready to take their test they still have to fork out for another 10-12 hours at about £25 per hour so that is an extra £250 to £300 it will cost them. Is it just me or does this seems slightly unethical?
I think my system takes more judgement and co-operation. A mock test lets the pupil know what standard the examiners are looking for and so we discuss what is needed. When they are nearly ready I give them another mock and based on that we decide whether to go ahead and book a test for 8 weeks time, the earlier you book the more choice you get of times and dates. They book their test on the understanding that if I believe they are not quite ready with 3 weeks to go we will re-schedule the test. This gives the pupil a certain amount of say in their progress and goals but also does not make them take more lessons than they need.
Oh well, horses for courses I suppose...
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
Peer Pressure
There was a tragic accident in Stratford Upon Avon at the weekend in which two young lads were killed in a collision with a Sight Seeing bus.
As they came from our town a lot of the local kids knew them well because they were well liked and popular so, being a small town, it stands to reason that quite a few of my pupils were friends with them.
I gave a lesson to a lad today that had previously been a passenger in a crash where the driver had been driving recklessly and so had come to lessons with a lot of fears. We have worked hard addressing those fears and he came to realise that it was not other drivers he was scared of but his own lack of skills. He has made excellent progress mainly through his acceptance of my probing questiuons as we try to analyse his feelings towards his driving and the driving of others. Consequently he is ready to take his test but, more importantly, he is ready to be a safe responsible driver out there on his own and will not be at the mercy of the peer pressure around him.
Unfortunately one of those killed, the passenger, was a good friend of his.
His lesson today began with him being visibly shaken and extremely tense hence a slightly rough drive, but he settled down to have a really good lesson.
It just struck me how lucky I am not to be a young man today in the 17-24 age bracket. A lot of their friends drive and have cars and the emphasis seems to be on bravado and showing off your speed skills.
These are new drivers who don't have embedded skills and are not equipped to handle those situations when things go wrong and this is one of the reasons why the accident rate is so high in this demographic.
I feel real sympathy for those sensible lads, and there are a good number of them out there, who feel goaded into behaving in a way in which they are not comfortable.
But I feel real admiration for those young men who fight the pressure and remain safe drivers who put neither themselves nor others at risk.
That takes real courage.
As they came from our town a lot of the local kids knew them well because they were well liked and popular so, being a small town, it stands to reason that quite a few of my pupils were friends with them.
I gave a lesson to a lad today that had previously been a passenger in a crash where the driver had been driving recklessly and so had come to lessons with a lot of fears. We have worked hard addressing those fears and he came to realise that it was not other drivers he was scared of but his own lack of skills. He has made excellent progress mainly through his acceptance of my probing questiuons as we try to analyse his feelings towards his driving and the driving of others. Consequently he is ready to take his test but, more importantly, he is ready to be a safe responsible driver out there on his own and will not be at the mercy of the peer pressure around him.
Unfortunately one of those killed, the passenger, was a good friend of his.
His lesson today began with him being visibly shaken and extremely tense hence a slightly rough drive, but he settled down to have a really good lesson.
It just struck me how lucky I am not to be a young man today in the 17-24 age bracket. A lot of their friends drive and have cars and the emphasis seems to be on bravado and showing off your speed skills.
These are new drivers who don't have embedded skills and are not equipped to handle those situations when things go wrong and this is one of the reasons why the accident rate is so high in this demographic.
I feel real sympathy for those sensible lads, and there are a good number of them out there, who feel goaded into behaving in a way in which they are not comfortable.
But I feel real admiration for those young men who fight the pressure and remain safe drivers who put neither themselves nor others at risk.
That takes real courage.
Monday, 16 January 2012
Rubbish week
Not a good week as far as tests are concerned, no doubt my pass rate would go up if I didn't support pupils who need extra help to get through the system.
Pupil 1.
Lovely girl who I have only taught for about 4 months cos she had taken a test previously and failed. She said herself that she didn't feel prepared for the test but we worked on it and we both felt she was in good control and was very aware and totally ready to take to the streets.
Every lesson she comes bouncing out of the house before I even have time to finish parking. She is bubbly and lovely throughout the lesson but still works really hard and so is a very reliable and competent driver.
But she can't pass a test!
She introduces a new fault that she never does, e.g pulling on to a roundabout with a car coming cos she is scared of failing for hesitation, pulling out when she is flashed without checking for the overtaking car, and the best was a 3 point turn without moving the steering wheel so she just kept going backwards and forwards (?).
I promise you that without the examiner she drives really well and is totally safe or I wouldn't let her take a test at all.
Pupil 2
I have taught this girl form the beginning and her sister before her. As a 3rd year law student she is surprisingly slow at learning but she cannot be faulted for effort.
At the beginning she was very challenging because she just did not have the ability to retain information at all and so we spent a lot of time reviewing the previous lesson and often having to start from scratch.
But she was the first pupil I introduced to Client Centred Learning (Coaching) nine months ago and she flew with it. If I ask her a question I don't get an answer until she has really thought about it and so the reply is well considered and insightfull. She has become excellent at self analysis and improvement and has hence become a really good driver even though it had taken 2 years and 84 lessons.
Again she can't do tests.
On her first test she came away with the usual few minor faults and a serious that could be put down to nerves.
Her last test on Wednesday was a disaster. 20 minor faults, 5 Seroius and a Dangerous so the test was abandoned and the Examiner walked home!
He spoke to me, with her permission and said that it was as though her vision had closed down and so she couldn't see ahead, a common side effect of panic, and so her driving was all over the road with him having to intervene regularly to avoid problems.
The problem I have is how do I help these two decent, safe drivers who have got now psychlogical hurdles to overcome. So against all my better instincts I have had to suggest to them that they see their GP to see if they can get any medical help to handle their panic.
On the other habnd I am really fond of both of them and will miss them terribly when they eventually sort it out.
So that is why I have a rubbish pass rate but also why I love my job helping the girls that every one else would have given up on.
Come on kids....you WILL do it x
Pupil 1.
Lovely girl who I have only taught for about 4 months cos she had taken a test previously and failed. She said herself that she didn't feel prepared for the test but we worked on it and we both felt she was in good control and was very aware and totally ready to take to the streets.
Every lesson she comes bouncing out of the house before I even have time to finish parking. She is bubbly and lovely throughout the lesson but still works really hard and so is a very reliable and competent driver.
But she can't pass a test!
She introduces a new fault that she never does, e.g pulling on to a roundabout with a car coming cos she is scared of failing for hesitation, pulling out when she is flashed without checking for the overtaking car, and the best was a 3 point turn without moving the steering wheel so she just kept going backwards and forwards (?).
I promise you that without the examiner she drives really well and is totally safe or I wouldn't let her take a test at all.
Pupil 2
I have taught this girl form the beginning and her sister before her. As a 3rd year law student she is surprisingly slow at learning but she cannot be faulted for effort.
At the beginning she was very challenging because she just did not have the ability to retain information at all and so we spent a lot of time reviewing the previous lesson and often having to start from scratch.
But she was the first pupil I introduced to Client Centred Learning (Coaching) nine months ago and she flew with it. If I ask her a question I don't get an answer until she has really thought about it and so the reply is well considered and insightfull. She has become excellent at self analysis and improvement and has hence become a really good driver even though it had taken 2 years and 84 lessons.
Again she can't do tests.
On her first test she came away with the usual few minor faults and a serious that could be put down to nerves.
Her last test on Wednesday was a disaster. 20 minor faults, 5 Seroius and a Dangerous so the test was abandoned and the Examiner walked home!
He spoke to me, with her permission and said that it was as though her vision had closed down and so she couldn't see ahead, a common side effect of panic, and so her driving was all over the road with him having to intervene regularly to avoid problems.
The problem I have is how do I help these two decent, safe drivers who have got now psychlogical hurdles to overcome. So against all my better instincts I have had to suggest to them that they see their GP to see if they can get any medical help to handle their panic.
On the other habnd I am really fond of both of them and will miss them terribly when they eventually sort it out.
So that is why I have a rubbish pass rate but also why I love my job helping the girls that every one else would have given up on.
Come on kids....you WILL do it x
Monday, 9 January 2012
Petals
Just got back from my first night at college.
I am doing an introduction to teaching course called PTLLS, affectionatley known as "Petals". It is the first in a line of professional qualification that enable you to become a fully qualified teacher in the 16+ market.know I do not need this for my job as yet but there is talk that it will soon be made compulsory for all Driving Instructors in the future so, not being one to drag my feet, I decided to gain the qualification voluntarily. If I wait till I have to then there is a risk that all the courses will be full and if I do get a place I will be surrounded by know-it-all ADIs who will use it a platform to inform the rest of the community just how wonderful they are at their job.
Now, don't get me wrong, there are some great Instructors out there who have loads to offer and are friendly and supportive of their colleagues but as an estimate about fifty percent are pompous and full of themselves and will not miss the opportunity to tell you how wonderful they are, how they have 100 per cent pass rate (yeah right!!) and they are the best in the area.
There are over 52,000 qualified Driving Instructors inthe UK at the moment so it is easy to imagine the number of these insufferable individuals. I have to endure them in Test Centres whilst my pupil is out on test, that is when the good ones aren't there, so why on earth would I want to put up with them on a course too?
So instead I am the only Instructor out of 14 on the course and have the privilege of learning from other potential or current trainers from all walks of life. I am looking forward to the lesson taught by the restaurant chef, apparently we will be able to take it home and eat it. Yummy!
I will keep you posted...
I am doing an introduction to teaching course called PTLLS, affectionatley known as "Petals". It is the first in a line of professional qualification that enable you to become a fully qualified teacher in the 16+ market.know I do not need this for my job as yet but there is talk that it will soon be made compulsory for all Driving Instructors in the future so, not being one to drag my feet, I decided to gain the qualification voluntarily. If I wait till I have to then there is a risk that all the courses will be full and if I do get a place I will be surrounded by know-it-all ADIs who will use it a platform to inform the rest of the community just how wonderful they are at their job.
Now, don't get me wrong, there are some great Instructors out there who have loads to offer and are friendly and supportive of their colleagues but as an estimate about fifty percent are pompous and full of themselves and will not miss the opportunity to tell you how wonderful they are, how they have 100 per cent pass rate (yeah right!!) and they are the best in the area.
There are over 52,000 qualified Driving Instructors inthe UK at the moment so it is easy to imagine the number of these insufferable individuals. I have to endure them in Test Centres whilst my pupil is out on test, that is when the good ones aren't there, so why on earth would I want to put up with them on a course too?
So instead I am the only Instructor out of 14 on the course and have the privilege of learning from other potential or current trainers from all walks of life. I am looking forward to the lesson taught by the restaurant chef, apparently we will be able to take it home and eat it. Yummy!
I will keep you posted...
Saturday, 7 January 2012
Where is the snow?
So what happened to the snow this year?
I know it is early days yet and there is plenty of time for the weather to turn but last Spring the forecasters were predicting that this winter would be worse than the last one.
I personally didn't mind the heavy snow last year as it didn't really affect me very much. Christmas is the only holiday I take and so have a full two weeks off. I love this time when I can have a drink and not have to count the units in case I drive the next day, I hang up my car keys and rely on my partner or my grown up kids to chauffeur me around.
Don't get me wrong, I love driving or else I would be miserable in my job, but it is also nice to have a break once a year.
Last winter I finished work for Christmas the day before the snow hit and so my only driving activity was to my beloved Maccies to share a coffee with my colleagues who had had to abandon their lessons for the day. When january came the worst was over and so I could carry on as usual with a few extra lessons in the snow for pupils who had recently passed but wanted the experience in the adverse weather.
This year nothing!
I have taken all the necessary precautions too. I have texted past pupils offering them a snow lesson, I have made sure that any driving tests booked for January or Februaury are not in the morning so I can phone the Test Centre before I leave to pick up my pupil and I have made sure my car and tyres are road safe and that I have emergency equipment in the boot.
So come on...SNOW!
I know it is early days yet and there is plenty of time for the weather to turn but last Spring the forecasters were predicting that this winter would be worse than the last one.
I personally didn't mind the heavy snow last year as it didn't really affect me very much. Christmas is the only holiday I take and so have a full two weeks off. I love this time when I can have a drink and not have to count the units in case I drive the next day, I hang up my car keys and rely on my partner or my grown up kids to chauffeur me around.
Don't get me wrong, I love driving or else I would be miserable in my job, but it is also nice to have a break once a year.
Last winter I finished work for Christmas the day before the snow hit and so my only driving activity was to my beloved Maccies to share a coffee with my colleagues who had had to abandon their lessons for the day. When january came the worst was over and so I could carry on as usual with a few extra lessons in the snow for pupils who had recently passed but wanted the experience in the adverse weather.
This year nothing!
I have taken all the necessary precautions too. I have texted past pupils offering them a snow lesson, I have made sure that any driving tests booked for January or Februaury are not in the morning so I can phone the Test Centre before I leave to pick up my pupil and I have made sure my car and tyres are road safe and that I have emergency equipment in the boot.
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