Building Trust in my Intensive Driving Courses - www.BIGTOM.org.uk

Driving Lessons in Peterborough.  Driving Lessons in Grantham.

Purchasing an Intensive Driving Course at either £540 or £737 represents a big financial commitment, and quite understandably my Customers want to have faith that what they are buying into, gets them the results they need.

Let me break down precisely what you receive when you purchase the 'Beginners Course' (£737) for driving lessons in Peterborough or Grantham:

Access to DSA approved Theory Test DVD resources to help study for the Theory Test including practising the Hazard Awareness Section.

Access to over 90 driving videos that help you see how I go about my work, and prepare for the in-car training.  This means that you will more easily connect with the driving training.

I will handle the reservation and booking of your Practical Test as I have access to automatic notification of cancellations, so you won't need to be worrying about getting an express test slot.

Access to a forum where you can ask any question you like, either before or while on the course.

You get personal support in providing you with a schedule of training so that you can better plan how you intend to get yourself driving quicker.

You receive plenty of options and flexibility of when you want to train, so that you can fit in alongside your work/College commitments.

You are guaranteed either 30 or 40 hours of driving experience.  This is what sets me apart from others, you drive more on my Course, so that you are better prepared for the Driving Test, and then you will pass first time.

You are provided with a Drivers Pack that allows me to plot your progress throughout the training, so that you can see what you have done, and what still needs doing.  All key learning points that are unique to your needs, are put in your Drivers Pack for you to refer to at home/work/college.

You are not alone, look at the Testimonials to see that previous Customers feel fully supported and can easily communicate with me through a variety of methods to suit them.

The training is backed up with guarantees.  If you do not pass the test, you will be further trained for free.  It is extremely unlikely to happen, but reassuring to know anyway.

I appreciate that it is a large investment, and I am happy to provide all the support and advice you need before you take the first step to the independence of driving.   There is no such thing as a silly question, get on the live chat on my website and get answers to your questions TODAY!

Alternatively contact me to arrange a FREE 'taster' session where you can meet me in person, check out the Driving School car and ask as many questions as you like.  This is without any obligation whatsoever.

www.BIGTOM.org.uk

How do you choose a Driving Instructor? www.BIGTOM.org.uk

Driving Lessons in Peterborough.  Driving Lessons in Grantham.

The following is a true account.

Person A (male) and Person B (female) live together and both decide to learn to drive having had no previous driving experience.

Person A chooses to learn with me because I gave assurances of key performance measures e.g. first time pass rates, time it takes to get to test standard.

Person B chooses Instructor B because she was a female.

Person A starts lessons on 17^th April, takes 30 hrs of lessons, and comfortably passes his driving test first time on 21^st August taking 4 months and 4 days.  Total cost:  £690

Person B starts lessons at the same time.  Takes 80 hours of lessons at the rate of 10 per month for the next 8 months, takes 2 driving tests, but she fails both.  Total cost:  Over £2000 and counting (soon to  start lessons with me)

I have been in this industry for nearly 4 years and have looked to see what Instructor B is offering a prospective customer compared to myself.  I can find a 1 page website with no links to any social media, and no testimonials.  The prices quoted are very similar to my own.

On my website, I have links to a reference library of driving videos, a list of testimonials over the years, a Learner Q&A forum, this Learner blog, and social media links.  These are all provided to assist Learners and provide prospective customers with an insight to how I run my business, in an effort to build trust.  But I am curious to understand what actually is important from the point of view of a prospective customer.

If you are a Learner or prospective Learner, I would be very interested to hear your views on the following question:   

From the point of view of a customer, when you pick a Driving Instructor, what is important?

Any replies/comments from Learners or prospective Learners would be most welcome.... thank you.


Edit:  I am pleased to report that today (11/2/13), Person B has passed her test at Grantham, a week after contacting me.   


www.BIGTOM.org.uk

The importance of listening on your driving test - www.BIGTOM.org.uk

Driving Lessons in Peterborough.  Driving Lessons in Grantham.

On your driving test, your adrenalin will be flowing, and you will be concentrating hard.  One of the problems with that situation is that your body can shut down seemingly lesser important functions in an effort to concentrate all energy and effort on the task in hand...namely driving.  So problems can arise such as not turning your head to make good observations around you, struggling to see because you don’t blink, feeling light headed because you are not breathing deeply, and not being able to hear because you are thinking/concentrating so hard.  I would like to briefly expand on the last one, hearing (or lack of) because Driving Examiners get a bit tetchy about it (and who can blame them.... no-one ‘enjoys’ being ignored).

The Examiners are trained to provide you with very clear directions on your driving test, and in good time.  So typically they say things like:

“So John, at the end of the road, turn right please”

“At the next roundabout, take the third exit right”

“You will be now on this dual carriageway for approximately 2 miles”

One problem that I have seen is that there is so much time provided that a Learner can forget what the direction is.  Initially the direction is heard, but then so much effort is being put into what to do, the direction gets put at the bottom of the ‘to do’ list, and can be forgotten.  Easy mistake to make, and a good Driving Instructor will not only be getting you used to hearing the words/phrases that are used on test, and the timing of them, but will assist in helping you remember that direction independently.  An Examiner will not appreciate constantly being asked to repeat what they had said.  It’s perfectly allowable, but going through an entire day of tests with all the candidates asking.....

“Did you say left or right?”

“Sorry, was it the third exit or second”

“I can’t remember if you said before the traffic lights or after”  

..... will make for a long day, and we want happy smiling Examiners, not miserable, tired Examiners!

The 10 minute Independent Drive section of the test can be problematic too.  The Examiner might choose to ask you to follow signs for one destination initially, and then change it, as follows:

“Please follow signs for ‘City Centre’.  I would like you to follow the signs for ‘City Centre’”

After a few minutes....

“Now Sue, would you please follow signs for ‘Regional College’”

Between the directions they do not intend to say anything else, because they want to see your ability of driving independently (with no directions or prompts on where to go).  So you can imagine, if you miss that key direction of which sign to follow, or if it falls to the bottom of the ‘to do’ list as before, then you will need to ask the examiner to repeat it again.   If you do take the incorrect turning/route on this part of the test, you will not fail as long as where you do drive is done safely and properly.

The reason I am stressing this point about being able to hear the words of the Examiner, is because this is just one example of what can be different between a normal driving lesson and the driving test.  On a normal driving lesson, there is a continuous flow/interaction between the Pupil and Driving Instructor, so that the atmosphere in the car is such that it maximises learning by putting you at ease.  It is fair to say that the Driving Examiner would prefer to see you driving as you normally do too, so they do encourage some friendly interaction like asking you about work or College.  But they do not want to disturb your thought processes, or distract you at all in this high stress situation, so the atmosphere CAN be a little strained, with long pauses in verbal communication.  Your Driving Instructor should be able to replicate this for you on mock tests, and may even provide you with the option of taking a mock test with another Instructor, to help you prepare for driving with someone next to you that you do not know.

Remember, the driving test is not an academic exam.  You are permitted to talk to the Examiner as you drive, you just can’t ask them questions of a technical nature about what to do – it is for them to assess not assist you.  

The Examiners are highly trained people, actually with your best interests at heart, they are not LOOKING to fail you.  Getting used to listening well will not only be good for your test, but it will prepare you well for life after passing your test.  

That was a short blog on the importance of 'listening' on your driving test, and the need to practise being in a driving test situation.  Best of luck everyone.

Any questions/comments please add below, and if you could grade how useful this blog has been, it would be appreciated.   Thank you.

www.BIGTOM.org.uk

Things to make you go.... hmmmm - www.BIGTOM.org.uk

Driving Lessons in Peterborough.  Driving Lessons in Grantham.



What's it to be today Madam?

One of these?

Latest iPad, retina this, wifi that, gigabytes like confetti, and much fun to be had........... £618

(Or thereabouts)




Or could I interest Madam in one of these?

30 hrs of driving lessons, with DSA registered Instructor, guaranteed to change your life.......... £540

(No more, no less)

Everyday you make choices.  Some days it may be no more than which food to put in your body, which clothes to wear and how long to play on the Xbox.

But every now and again, you come across a really, really, big decision.  The sort of decision above.  For sure, the new iPad is nice, "it's nice" - there, I've said it.

How would you describe having your own car to drive though?  The freedom it brings, the independence, the responsibility, the options....... iPad vs car keys.

The decisions you make CAN change your life.

(C + C Music Factory is who you are trying to think of.... get it here )

www.BIGTOM.org.uk

Taught to swim.... with love

I was a late learner for swimming.  I can’t put an age on it precisely but I was old enough for me to still be remembering some 30 years later, the utter feeling of desperation I had, at not being able to swim.  And I really do mean desperation.  I was completely distraught.  All my mates were swimming, I knew that I was the odd one out, and I knew that everyone around me, in my inner circle, wanted me to learn how to swim.  But I just could not do it.  I couldn’t breathe you see.  So I tended to spend much of my time underwater, occasionally popping up gasping for air, to then drop down below again until the next crisis of needing a breath of air came along.  I can still picture myself as I write, standing up with arms outstretched, willing myself to swim.... I knew what I wanted to happen, I just didn’t know how to achieve it.  Now that truly is frustrating.

This is not a good learning experience, you could not call this ‘effective learning’.  This is the stuff of mental scarring, this kind of emotional baggage sits with us for years and years.  It may not expose itself in a knowing way, I could live my life for many years not even knowing it was there, but that doesn’t mean to say it is not affecting me, it just means I don’t realise it.  What effect will it have on my attitude to learning something new, or my confidence levels with challenges, or inner feelings of self-doubt in my capabilities, or ability to share difficult experiences with others.

Do you know what cracked it in the end?  A ‘Butlins’ holiday with my Grandparents.  My Grandad, who I loved dearly, took the time and trouble to teach me over the period of the holiday.  I went into that holiday not being able to swim, I came out the other end of the holiday ready to conquer the world – the gain was far more than just ‘being able to swim’.  My Grandad literally changed my life in the space of a week.

Just as a little add on to this, my Wife and I took some swimming lessons at our local pool when we were in our mid-20’s.  Although we could both swim i.e. not drown if in the deep end, we could not swim any more than a length, without needing a breather.  THE defining thing that we were told to do? Goggles! Wear goggles, so that your head turns in and out of the water while you swim (front crawl), and identify the ratio of strokes to breaths to suit you.  I kid you not.  We were swimming batches of 12 lengths before you could say “I now know how to breathe while swimming”.  

We have since spent the rest of our lives happily swimming a mile at a time (64 lengths), in about 40 minutes or so (as I’ve got older it is getting longer), and I sometimes have to wonder what those early years of trying to learn to swim were all about.

As far as I can tell, and I'm happy to hear others opinions on this, it comes down to the ‘conditions’ to learning.  By that I mean, giving very careful thought about how you like to learn.  So in my example of swimming, my Uncle tried earlier to teach me and I hated it, absolutely hated the experience.  My school took me swimming once a week, which did little to teach me how to swim.  The conditions were not in place to facilitate the process of learning.  And all of us have different needs for those conditions.  My Grandad achieved what he did, because I loved him, I trusted him, I would have done anything that he told me to, and I was very happy in his company, so I was fully motivated, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Now I would suggest that identifying what are the key things that are going to help you learn to drive are as important.  It may well be trust in your Driving Instructor, it could be talking through a previous nasty traffic accident that you witnessed, it may be the need to identify key weaknesses and discover your own solutions (think “goggles”), it may be about nerves, anxieties, lack of confidence, feelings of loneliness, not feeling ‘safe’ as you learn – and as you can see from above, I can so relate to all of those.

But what I genuinely believe it is NOT about, is price.  I honestly do not think this has anything to do with how cheap you can get a driving lesson for.  Let me put it another way, it’s my belief that unless you pay attention to the ‘conditions’ as I’ve mentioned above, you could get your driving lessons for FREE, and yet you would still struggle to learn to drive.  

Overcoming difficulties in learning experiences has got little to do with monetary gain, and everything to do with ‘how’ you learn.  I was taught how to swim from my Grandad with love, you need to learn to drive with care and attention to HOW you like to learn..... that should take priority over ‘price’ every time.   

 

Has this blog been useful to you at all?  Please feel free to comment/grade below.... thank you.

The Customer is King - www.BIGTOM.org.uk

Driving Lessons in Grantham.  Driving Lessons in Peterborough.

If you are about to start learning to drive, then I have some advice for you; take a look through the following, and pay particular attention to the bits that really affect YOU.  I will say from the outset that it is very important to recognise that you are the most important person to consider, and some time and effort spent right at the start, identifying a training provider that can meet your needs, will be so beneficial to you.

    1.        Learning Styles

We all learn new things at different rates and in different ways.  If we ENJOY the subject matter, then we will probably learn faster, as we will be more inclined to give it our full attention, for longer, and be more willing to ‘engage’ with the content.  How we like to learn is equally important to consider, for instance do you know if you like:

• 1:1 training or learning in a group
• to be shown and told what to do and given the opportunity to repeatedly practise it until you get it completely correct or given the chance to experiment and make your own progress
• constant feedback of what you are doing well and not so well, or do you prefer to reflect on your progress yourself
• calmness when learning or are you happy to learn fast and intensely
• your learning to be goal orientated, planning in sessions to meet timescales, or do you prefer to have no time pressure at all
• do you like to build up mutual trust and respect with your trainer, or do you like to distance yourself from your trainer
• time intervals between training to allow you to relax and reflect, or do you prefer more steep learning done over a shorter period of time
• a ‘softly softly’ approach to your learning, or are you happy to get really stuck in, straight away

Just pause for a minute, and think of something that you have recently learnt, and try to identify which of the above relates to you.  You may be learning a language, a musical instrument, how to ski, how to read/write.... whatever it is, there will be preferences that you have, you just need to identify them.

    2.        Learning Techniques  

This is the method of learning that you prefer, the actual way you do it.  Let me give some examples for you to consider what you like:

• to be given very clear direction of what to do, do you need to see, hear, feel how something is done before you attempt it, or do you just like to give it a go and you’ll see how it goes
• complete silence while you concentrate, or do you like to talk to yourself when you are learning something, or do you like someone nearby to give you constant reassurance
• to make the learning personal to you, otherwise you just wont get it, you need the learning points to be meaningful to you personally, or are you happy to follow a more general approach to the learning
• to be given the opportunity to see/hear how you are doing by way of a recording, or do you prefer to be told from your trainer how you are progressing
• to have very definite, little chunks of learning and see how each bit fits into the bigger picture, or simply go with the flow, and learn in no particular structure
• to practise on your own without your trainer, or do you only like to learn with your trainer present

    3.        Scope of Learning

The extent to which you want to learn.  Think about what you like for the following:

• to really master the subject, you aim to be at least as good as your trainer
• to get to a standard that suits you, or do you prefer your trainer to set the standard
• to bring a sense of realism to your learning, you don’t want to just pass tests, you want to actually be good enough to use this new skill lots and lots
• to be quite choosy about which bits you intend to learn, or do you like to learn everything that your trainer introduces

I hope that has helped you be somewhat clearer on how you like your learning experiences.  This is important because it means that you will be more motivated to learn, you will learn more efficiently and the learning will be longer lasting.  When learning to drive, those factors affect how much it costs, how much of your time it takes to learn, and your safety; pretty important to you I imagine.

Now you have done all that hard work, you have armed yourself with the knowledge of how you need to go about learning to drive, to make it a successful experience to YOU.  Start talking to Driving Instructors and explore how many of these boxes they can tick for you.  Remember, this is about your needs,  it is a question of whether they are able to adapt to you, not for you to adapt to the way they do business.

Last bit of advice, do not rush that last job above, take your time, do not select who you talk to by how much they charge per hour, talk to them all, and then you will start to get a true picture of who works for their customer.

Happy hunting!

Has this blog been useful to you?  Please comment/grade below, all feedback good and bad is welcome.   Thank you.   

www.BIGTOM.org.uk

Syllabus of my Intensive Driving Course

I was speaking to a previous customer of mine yesterday.  She was stating how important she thinks it is for her Daughter to receive a variety of driving conditions whilst learning to drive.  A very good point; she gave the example of driving in daylight v dark, rain v sun, and yes I see exactly where she’s coming from.  

I would expand it even further and include stuff like this:

Turning right off a busy single carriageway road, that has a speed limit of 60; also emerging ON to that same road – you will be surprised how this situation does not ordinarily crop up, you have to go find it, you have to plan it in to a driving lesson in Peterborough.  Otherwise, once the driving test has been passed and your Son/Daughter is driving alone, when they come across this situation and they’ve not had the chance to experience it, they will naturally feel anxious.

Learning to read the severity of bends on rural road.  Some may scoff at this.  “What has this got to do with passing a driving test?”.  Again, this is not about preparing you to pass a driving test, it’s about preparing you for what is I’m afraid a common cause of fatalities on rural roads.

Driving on a journey that you are not familiar with.  I’m not talking about a 10 minute drive here, I’m talking about driving on a route for 1 -1.5hrs on a journey that you do not know.  Again, nothing to do with passing the test, but how valuable that experience will be.

I completely understand where my previous customer was coming from yesterday, I will feel the same when my 2 youngsters learn to drive.  This is why, my ‘Beginners’ 40 hour Intensive Driving Course in Peterborough includes exactly this kind of subject in it’s syllabus – there is more to driver training than preparing to pass a test. 


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Do I Signal To Overtake The Cyclist?

Picture the scene.

On a 30 mph single carriageway, it’s dark and raining hard, up ahead is a sweeping right bend, with a junction to the right.  In front of you is a cyclist, riding really slowly, struggling in the wind and rain.

As you get nearer to the cyclist, you want to overtake, but you are concerned about the slight loss of visibility due to the bend and that junction on the right.  You are now doing 5 mph in 2^nd gear, what to do, what to do. 

“I think there’s enough room for me to overtake, still giving her plenty of room.  I think this road is wide enough.  There’s no-one coming, and that junction to the right is clear too.  I think this is as good a time as any.  I guess when I do go, I better get on with it.  Now do I need to signal to overtake the cyclist?  Let me think.... do I need to signal..... what’s those 2 factors Tom has talked about before.... think, think, THINK! “

Meanwhile, the trail of vehicles behind you get fed up with the delay, and start to overtake you AND the cyclist.  6 cars in total overtake you while you are still doing 5 mph behind the cyclist.

Now you might think this is a bit far fetched.  But this very scenario happened last night on one of my driving lessons in Peterborough.....  all but the last overtaking bit anyway.

  

What would an Examiner make of this if it happened on your Driving Test?  

Well it is a form of what they call ‘undue hesitancy’.  If you have been monitoring my blog you will recall that the Examiners cannot ask you why you did or did not do something, and they can’t mind-read either, so they have to go by results – what actually happens as a result of your driving.  Driving around at 5 mph on a 30 mph behind a cyclist is not their idea of competent driving; can you imagine how snarled up our roads would be if everyone sat behind cyclists when there was good opportunity to overtake.... mayhem!

The signalling issue is an example of how a technical question that you are not used to considering, overtakes the workings of the brain, and everything goes on ‘standby’ to allow your brain time to think it through.  

‘Knowledge is power’ as they say, giving your brain practise at thinking of these technical points in a non-pressure environment is a good idea.  This is precisely why this very scenario is featured on the Learner Q&A Forum accessed via my website.  It has got questions of this type on it, that gives you the chance to run through the thought processes while at home, relaxed.... far better then, than trying to go through that when you have cars behind you, and stress levels are very high.

My advice is to use these features available to you on the website, far better to do the prep now, rather than fail your Driving Test because you were distracted thinking it through.

As ever, please question/comment below - Thank You.

Forming Good Driving Habits

“Drive more....... Learn more” – is this in fact true?

Well, let me give you an analogy from my experience skiing last week.

This lady in our group on the ski school was I would guess about 50.  At the end of Day 1 and Day 2 she was complaining that it was going to slow for her, she wanted things to pick up pace a little bit.  She wanted to be on more demanding slopes and to have the freedom to do more skiing.  So on Day 3, she gets what she wants and spends most of her day painfully falling on her behind. 

What then happened was the Instructor attempted to improve her ski technique back on calmer conditions, using a number of drills.  But she didn’t like drills, she didn’t like concerted effort to improve technique and eventually, in what was rather an uncomfortable moment, the Instructor faced her directly and said in his very unlimited English.... “you do not do as I say”.  What he was referring to was her lack of effort to replicate his actions on the drills.  Of course, on calmer slopes, with less skiers and snow boarders around, and not so steep, she managed to get away with the flaws in her technique.  But as soon as she was put in the more testing conditions again, those little flaws became gaping big holes in technique which inevitably resulted in loss of control.  It wasn’t particularly nice to experience to be honest, because by the end of the week, she actually said “I’m hanging up my skis for good now”, she was completely demoralised, she felt intimidated, embarrassed and to say her confidence as a skier was crushed is an under-statement.

So, if you were to say.... “The more you ski, the more you learn”, then with knowledge of the above, perhaps you can see that it is not entirely correct.   In a learning environment, there is a need for the ‘learner’ to at least ATTEMPT to adopt the words/actions of the Instructor.  If like this lady I met last week, you do not intend to, then it really begs the question why she paid the money to attend the ski school?    

But getting back to driving lessons in Peterborough, which is my world.  The reason I adopt the slogan is because I fully believe that the experiences that a Learner picks up from lots and lots of good quality, focussed driving practise is absolutely key to developing good driving habits.  This is precisely why after 40 hours of driving on my Intensive Driving Course, my customers feel confident, they have well established good driving habits and they inevitably comfortably pass the Driving Test.

If you care to look at my Facebook page, you will see a post on 19/12/12 which shows one of my customers drove 82 miles in a session.  82 miles!  That’s not 82 miles of him driving round while I switch off and fall asleep, that’s 82 miles where I am sat there beside him, constantly developing good driving habits, fine tuning here and there.

Only by giving people the OPPORTUNITY to practise the principles of good driving, will they become habit forming, and in a nutshell, that is precisely what I mean by ‘The more you drive, the more you learn”.  It’s no good being the best ‘theoretical’ driver in the world on a simulator in a classroom but not having much chance to actually drive on public roads.  It’s also counterproductive to have loads of driving experience practising bad driving habits – you need the opportunity for quality and experience, and they are two ingredients that I constantly strive to achieve on my courses. 

If you are a Learner or planning to take driving lessons soon, I'm interested in hearing your views on the above blog.  Was it useful?  Please put questions/comments below,  or just grade the blog using the tick boxes.

Thank you.

Want To Learn To Drive But Not Sure How

The New Year brings new goals and thousands of people add ‘Learn to drive’ to their list.  But after the party poppers of New Years Eve have been picked up and you go back to look at your list, you can find yourself thinking ..... but where do I start?

I am providing in this short blog some essential details to exactly answer that question.

 

Firstly, the Theory Test.  This is important to learn well, as you will be applying the theory principles when you are driving.  I have Driving Standard Agency approved DVD’s freely available to help with the study, and if you booked your Theory Test today at Peterborough, you would get a date in about 2-3 weeks time, which is plenty of time for you to study for the test.  Factor on studying no more than 1 hour per day.

So you have a date of say 25/1/13 for your Theory Test.  Next job to do is plan in your Driving Lessons.  Let’s say you choose to book your Intensive Driving Course in Peterborough on 28/1/13.  Once you have reserved your slot, you will be provided with a pre-course video viewing list.  They last on average just 5 minutes, and watching 3 a day will help you prepare for your in-car training.

You are then busy studying for the Theory Test and preparing for the Driving Course.

Once the Theory Test is passed, the DSA then allow you to book up your Driving Test.  Remember, any date it gives (which is normally 4-6 weeks ahead for Peterborough Test Centre) can be pulled forward, you can get an ‘express’ slot which are 2-3 DAYS in advance!

You attend your 30 hour/7 day Intensive Driving Course with the Theory Test passed and the Practical Test booked.

One week later, you pull forward your Driving Test date to suit your diary, and then fit in another 8 hours, so that you are continuing to drive all the way up to Test Day. 

You then have free use of the Driving School car for 2 hours on Test Day.

I hope this gives you some insight as to how it can be achieved.  There is nothing stopping you from passing your Driving Test within the next 4 weeks, it simply needs some planning, and focussed training.

Please ask any questions on this subject below, add any comments, or grade the blog for usefulness.  

The value of 'consolidation'

To continue with the theme of my recent learning experience when skiing in Bulgaria.

We were receiving 5 hours per day at ski school, from 10am – 3pm.  For the first few days that was quite a shock to the system; we were expecting 10am – mid-day and then meeting up with the nippers for lunch and a chance to ski together.  So when we did finish at 3pm, we made a point of spending quality time with them, and seeing how there were getting on.  

Despite having had no previous experience at all, they were able to stop and turn using the ‘snow plough’ technique after Day 1 (and they did a hilarious imitation of their Instructor with broken English and Bulgarian accent).  As such, that time from 3 – 5pm proved to be very useful for them, as they enjoyed the freedom of getting out and skiing without the constraints imposed in the ski school. 

Their eyes lit up the first time we took them out from the nursery slopes and said, “Just enjoy yourself and ski”.  This freedom to consolidate what you have been taught is no small thing, it is something that I positively encourage on my Intensive Driving Course.  They had been shown, and practised (a great deal) how to controllably turn and stop, but they hadn’t been given the freedom to “just ski”; it was absolutely magical to witness.  Too much focussed effort on technique can be ever so draining (mentally and physically), sometimes you just need to find an appropriately safe place to consolidate without being controlled.  

The beauty with this approach for our nippers, was that they were always one step ahead at Ski School, they had already been out on greens and blues with us, before their Ski School introduced them, so they were very happy and in their comfort zone; this made for a very enjoyable learning experience.  (The DSA do state that the majority of first time passers of the Driving Test, utilise parents for private lessons between lessons with their Driving Instructor).

The situation was different for me and my Wife though.  Because we had a couple of weak links in our team (see previous “golden nuggets” blog), that resulted in very intensive technique drills for long periods of time.  I have sympathy for the Instructor here as he was caught between a rock and a hard place; the safety of the entire group is his responsibility.  But it did demonstrate to me the importance of ensuring the level of instruction is matched to the ability of the ‘individual learner’.  People quickly get demotivated if they are not being challenged. 

Conversely, we had a newcomer come to us mid-week who was a previous black slope skier, but has lost confidence with age.  Despite her previous ability to physically ski to a high standard, her mind was now dominating matters and ultimately restricting her ability.  I see this in the driving world, where the brain (emotions, anxieties, attitudes) affect performance.  A black slope skier said to me on Day 5 (which was a very demanding day due to poor weather conditions), “No skier of any ability LIKES skiing in these conditions. For me, it’s all about ignoring the ice, and focussing on finding the small pocket of snow that I can work with to control my speed” – an example of how it’s always interesting to hear how the mind works.

But what my Wife and this ex-black slope skier who joined us were both independently saying was that they needed some kind of recognition from the Instructor that he had faith in their ability; a very important missing link.  Don’t get me wrong, our Instructor was busy, he had a lot on his plate to deal with, but sometimes people just need some encouragement, some morale boosting to say “Yes, you CAN do this slope, you ARE good enough to do this, I would not put you here if I thought not”.  

All of us need encouragement, and it is quite natural to want to be told in very clear terms precisely how well you are doing and that someone has faith in your ability; with 10 people our instructor struggled with this, but as my Intensive Driving Course is 1:1, this important aspect is not overlooked.      

Finding 'golden nuggets' of learning

A very Happy New Year to everyone reading.  I hope 2013 proves to be a good year for you, and if learning to drive is one of your New Year Resolutions, then “go for it”!

My family and I have just returned from a skiing holiday where the spirit of “go for it” featured large.  My Wife and I have some ski experience but the last time we went was 14 years ago, and our 2 young kids are absolute beginners.  What I experienced is probably worth sharing with you, especially if you have some nerves or you are a little anxious about your first driving lessons.

Our two kids started off on Day 1 in the absolute beginners, leaving my Wife and I having to decide which class to put ourselves in for the Ski School.   We had a brief chat with some Instructors and they told us despite the long gap, put ourselves in the ‘intermediate’ class as apparently “you do not forget what you’ve previously done”.  How true that turned out to be.

In our group we had 8-10 people, ranging from 12 years, up to I would guess about 55 years.  Our Instructor seemed a nice enough chap but had very little English and showed little emotion. 

I was nervous, but the sun was shining and so with a big deep breath we started skiing.  For any skiers out there, we were concentrating on ‘parallel turns – basic form’.  Although we started off on a green slope, then a blue, we were soon on the chair lifts going on to the reds (which is of ‘intermediate’ level).  This is where things began to get interesting.   Little cracks in our group began to appear.  This is often the way in my driving world too, if there are any slight flaws in technique, then more demanding conditions tend to expose them; so some began to fall and that then knocked confidence which then further affected their ability – a nasty downward spiral. 

However, unlike my driving world of 1:1 instruction, our Instructor had quite a problem on his hands, because despite spending time on some drills to improve technique, a couple of the group were not motivated to get down to the real detail of improving technique.  Why is difficult to know.  Perhaps it takes extra mental and physical effort which they were not prepared to invest in, perhaps they didn’t like to experiment by doing something new through the fear of falling over, perhaps they didn’t have enough trust in the Instructor.... maybe they simply didn’t like to look stupid on the mountains doing precise drills for technique.  Whatever the reason, when we then went back to ski a demanding route again, bang...... off they came again.  And one rule when skiing is to stick together for safety, so the couple who were not putting the effort in on the drills were now affecting the progress of the majority of the group.

But if you have read my blog for a while you may recall me referring to ‘golden nuggets’.  In a learning experience, no matter what it is, there can come a time when something is said or done that you really connect to, I mean REALLY connect to; it makes you take a huge leap forward in progress.  

My ‘golden nugget’ came on Day 3.  We were on an icy red slope, people were falling all around us, and my Instructor took a moment to do a drill.  Let me briefly explain what he did.  He demonstrated skiing across the slope whilst turning downwards and showing he was truly turning downwards by putting both ski poles directly behind him, so the tips of the poles were pointing up the mountain.  Hope you can picture that?  You don't normally do this when skiing, but this was the drill, and for very good reason.  

So, off I go, and do you know for the couple of times I did that drill, I instantly got a result, a huge moment for me.  You see by turning to that degree, rotating at the hips, you also force the ski blades to alter the angle they cut into the snow (or ice) and this has a profound effect on control – which means no sliding, and no falling.  If I immediately did this action after a turn, it ensured I kept full control, it was truly magical, and something that will stay with me for years.  I can literally picture how this looks as I type about it now. 

There is no substitute for having full control when skiing (or driving too) .... and so this was a massive moment for me.  It reinforced for me the importance of providing options for people, options to learn.  I can’t honestly say anyone else in my group made mention of this drill afterwards, but for me, it worked, and I am a great believer in discovering ‘golden nuggets’ on my driving courses.

More to come.....