Alisha's first lesson

Aisha came to me after about ten lessons with another instructor.  She had the basics and her clutch control was quite good but had no idea of Rules of the Road, Planning or observations.

This is not uncommon at this stage but when I coach a pupil these skills are introduced on the first lessons rather than added on later.  I believe that the earlier you learn these things the more ingrained they become and the more easy they will be to pick up.

It was clear from the start that Alisha had been over instructed as she would not make a single decision for herself.  The car would be screaming at 25mph in 2nd gear and she would ask "Shall I go to 3rd?"  A couple of times I said "No"..."But it needs 3rd" she asked in confusion, "So why did you ask me?"  I laughed and then she changed.

My pupils quickly get used to my light hearted and sarcastic manner as I firmly believe that they need a safe and comfortable environment to learn efficiently and this is best achieved, in my opinion at least, with humour and good rapport.

Alisha had been driven, for her lessons, to a local "nursery route" that is almost exclusively used by driving instructors and is a place I avoid like the plague.  It is not unusual for pupils to have up to 20 lessons along this long straight road and the small block of roads around it.

The first thing I did was ask Alisha if she wanted me to drive for 2 minutes to a quietish road hear her and then let her drive.  Her car control was fairly good but what I was looking for were the Magic basics that would let her spread her wings.
A. Could she steer and turn a corner with adequate control
B. Did she have enough clutch control to be able to move off at junctions
C. Could she use the brake effectively.
Once these three criteria are met I do not see any benefit in keeping pupils on quiet roads where they will develop a false sense of security.

I gave Alisha the usual chat about how I will keep us safe and if she is worried or panicky to let me know so I could help her.  We drove along the road and turned around a few blocks and when I had seen enough we headed for the small, but not very busy, roundabout at the end.  It was quiet at this time of the day but it let me know that she wasn't sure of where to look or how to judge when to go.

The lesson then turned into a series of small quiet roundabouts and lots of chatting about where to look, priorities and speed on approach.  She coped really well and started to pick up the principle quickly.

At the end of the lesson she was buzzing that she had driven properly, albeit with a lot of support, and said she had loved it.

Alisha is not quick and bright but is very enthusiastic.  She has a lovely warm personality and I am sure that we are going to get on really well in the future.