The Power of Demonstration

I recall when I was a PDI how I would dearly have loved to have had the chance to see demonstrations of what my trainers were talking about.  It really does do something to the relationship when you can see your trainer effectively putting into practise what they are asking YOU to do!  I don't just mean seeing them in the role as a driving instructor, I mean, seeing them in the role as a driving instructor working with an actual pupil - now that would have been gold-dust to me.

Here at BIG TOM, the power of this is not lost on us.  You are welcome to come and observe.  Observing another from the back of the car can be extremely beneficial.  You have no immediate pressure on you to "perform" so you can sit back, see the structure, note the techniques, hear the responses from the pupils, you get instant feedback of the "feel" of the learning environment.  You will then find that you start imagining yourself in this situation, how you can do it, you start picturing yourself doing these actions, saying these things; this is all very very beneficial.

So get in touch with Tara on admin@BIGTOM.org.uk if you want to set this up. 

By the way, don't lose sight of this fact on your own pupils either (when that day arrives).  Your pupils will gain so much by visually seeing what you are referring to; the way you do the mirror checks, the timing of MSPSL on the approach to junctions, the methodical way you do the gear changes.  Sounds so obvious yes?  You will be amazed how many pupils are deprived of this most basic of learning opportunities. 

What skills does a driving instructor need?

http://drivinginstructortraining.bigtom.org.uk/

Dealing with obstacles to driving school growth

http://drivinginstructortraining.bigtom.org.uk/

Death by questioning

http://drivinginstructortraining.bigtom.org.uk/

Free webinar - Wed 27/9/17 6pm or Fri 29/9/17 2pm

http://drivinginstructortraining.bigtom.org.uk/

How devices affect behaviours

One of the trickiest subjects to bring up to pupils is the use of mobile phones while driving.  It is an incredibly "thorny" subject because rather like a 'catch 22' the addictive use of mobiles in everyday life in itself can adversely affect peoples self-awareness skills to consider such topics.  Denial will almost certainly be the stock response you will get should you bring up this subject on a driving lesson.  But then, denial is very likely to be the response anyone would get when bringing up the constant use of mobiles to someone who is addicted to a mobile.  The consequences of this problem are far reaching;  Simon Sinek speaks about this here.

The difficulty is often that what pupils say they will do, might very well be their intention, but it does not turn out to be their actual behaviour.  For this problem, there really is no substitute for modelling good habits by putting your own devices in the glove box before the session, and inviting your pupil to do the same.  Out of sight, out of mind.  I have known pupils before who really struggle to not be in physical contact with their phone while driving - they need it to be touching them; often they will place it under their thigh or in their pocket.  My advice is to invite their thoughts and feelings but when all is said and done, make it one of the ground rules for the driving lesson just like there is no smoking.  And do get them to physically put the phone in the glove box while they are in the drivers seat - get them used to the act of leaning over, putting it in, and closing the glove box.

However, as with all addictions, this problem is more complex than simply insisting on the above.  People will often know they are on their mobile, they know they shouldn't be, they know what the law is, but they literally can't get off it.  They literally, cannot get off their phone.  If you want to see this in action, check out this video here. If you listen carefully to what these drivers are saying, the mindset is that they know they are doing it, and they will only review changing their behaviour should there be a serious consequence. It is of course completely irrational, as addictive behaviour is, but that is what we are dealing with here.

What this means to us as driving training professionals is pretty profound, and this is where for our own benefit of keeping sane, we must take care of ourselves.  What this potentially means is that no matter how much you explain about the distance being travelled per second, or any educational aspect to this to raise their awareness, you will not change their belief.  And this is a very real aspect of our work.  It includes peoples attitudes to drink/drug driving, speeding, wearing seat belts, road rage, tailgating etc.  The influencers of peoples behaviours can be incredibly more powerful than any one driving instructor.  So the bit you DO have control over is that they put their phone away in the glove box on a driving lesson..... and my advice to you is to exercise that control each and every time you see your pupils.

BIG TOM Driving School - Driving Instructor Training 0775 607 1464 http://drivinginstructortraining.bigtom.org.uk/ 

Pupil Self-Evaluation

Far too often, the depth of a pupil – driving instructor conversation goes something like this:

Instructor: Ok, well done, good stuff, how did that go for you then?

Pupil: Yea Ok I guess.

Instructor: Only “I guess”?

Pupil:  I dunno.  I suppose it went alright.

Instructor: Ok good, that sounds really good.

No it doesn’t.  That sounds far from good actually.  We can’t FORCE positive outcomes on pupils, no matter how much we like to present a glossy, positive spin on things.  It is ultimately degrading a working relationship because it is based on inaccurate and inadequate evaluation.  If a pupil has absolutely no desire or even concept of self-evaluation then let’s not fall into the trap of pretending they do!  We can ask them to scale progress, we can invite them to identify success and we can ask them a question like this:

“Ok Ian, so you’ve just been spending half an hour working on the goal of keeping lane discipline on these multi-laned roundabouts.  I counted that you did 8 in that time, so well done for that – that is a great effort there.”

“Thanks.  Wow….. was that really 8?  Amazing - that flew by.”

“Sure was…. this is what practising is all about.  If everything was a breeze, footballers wouldn’t practise taking penalties, tennis players wouldn’t practise taking serves.  When you compare what you just did now, to what you were doing [enter last session], what would you say was better today?”

Now I guarantee that will make your pupil think.  They can’t NOT think about that question.

They may refer to confidence, they might respond about a technical aspect of the subject in question, they may refer to the different weather, or how busy the roads are.  But the point is they are now reflecting on past performance.  This is a valuable learning aid.  It is in this reflection that thoughts about ability, skillsets, progress, satisfaction, pride are developed.  WITHOUT this reflection, we are depriving our pupils of these opportunities.  This affects motivation.  They may want to refine the goal, change the location, measure performance differently, change how they are learning the subject.  But the question provides the catalyst for this level of discussion.

The conversation is one based around positivity.

Our pupils are no different to us.  Some of us are naturally more confident than others, more optimistic or pessimistic, more willing to open up about our inner feelings than others.  It isn’t a crime if our pupil is reluctant to self-evaluate but don’t pretend they are.  That helps no-one. 

The gains of encouraging our pupils to answer questions like the one above are many fold: 

Did the trainer identify the pupil’s learning goals and needs?  Tick that one

Were the practice areas suitable?  We’re on it – reviewing as we speak

Was the teaching style suited to the pupil’s learning style and current ability? We are asking them

Was the pupil encouraged to analyse problems and take responsibility for their learning? Yes

Were opportunities and examples used to clarify learning outcomes? We are reviewing those 8

At the end of the session – was the pupil encouraged to reflect on their own performance? Invited yes

Do you recall when you were last in a 1:1 learning environment?  Did you feel isolated, patronised, ignored, belittled?  Not nice eh?  Don’t forget how that made you feel.  Did it affect your inner most thoughts, did it de-rail your ‘drive’ to progress, did you start doubting yourself, did you resent the experience, did you begin to wish the next session never came along?  This is very real, it affects our pupils’ most deepest feelings and as professionals we ignore it at our peril. 

BIG TOM Pedagogy Sessions from £20/hour 0775 607 1464

Latest stats in our industry

I've just received the latest statistics within our industry as released by the Department for Transport and the Driving & Vehicle Standards Agency.

Clearly, this is not essential knowledge for driving instructors, but some do like to keep abreast of what is going on in the industry.

Most of the following relates to April - June 2017 (the very latest available data as of today).

The theory test pass rate for Learners is 49% and the practical is 47%.  That 47% by the way represents 430,000 practical tests taken over this quarter.  The "first time" pass rate of that test for 17 year olds is 55%.

Let's look at some driving instructor data:

There are 39,373 ADI's (Approved Driving Instructors) on the register.  This is 1% down from the same time last year and no less than 15% down from June 2012.  Having said that though, if you are interested in trends, there is an upward trend of the taking of all 3 qualifying tests since the low of 2013.

For June 2017 the qualifying test pass rates are as follows:

Part 1 (theory) 53%
Part 2 (driving) 58%
Part 3 (instructional) 35%

That figure of 39.373 ADI's on the register is the lowest number for many years and whilst that might be concerning for some of you reading this, the actual numbers of applications registering with the DVSA is very healthy at about 750 new applications per month.

Some more general points from me:

By far the more pertinent statistic (at least from my point of view as a trainer) is the conversion rate of trainees to qualified ADI's.  Bear in mind that it is a monthly rolling figure because there is naturally a delay between people applying to qualifying, but it comes out at approximately 20%.  So whilst that is suggesting that only 1 in 5 people who register to come in to the industry actually make it to qualification, as I have always said to anyone who expresses an interest in a new career as a driving instructor, it is imperative that you find a trainer who is able to adapt the training to your own particular needs.  

As reported here in this blog back in April this year, the changes to the Part 3 test, away from a "fault based" assessment over to a competency based one was always intended by the DVSA to improve this "completion rate %".  Whilst the start date of the new assessment appears to be slipping from the originally stated 2/10/2017 I am very much in agreement that this intention to seek how a PDI teaches rather than what they teach is positive.  This is fundamentally why here at BIG TOM we have a foundation block entitled "Pedagogy" because it addresses HOW instructors adapt a lesson to ensure it is meaningful to their pupils.

Any questions?  Enrol on one of our FREE BIG TOM Q&A online support groups - email Tara to add your name admin@BIGTOM.org.uk

Not sure if I want to be a driving instructor

You might like the thought of being a driving instructor but you just aren't sure if it is what you want.  In fact, typical questions that I get asked include:

"Do I need to be really good at driving?"

"What are the pass rates to qualify?"

"I think I've got the right personality for the job, I'm calm most of the time anyway.  Is that good?"

"How do I know what to charge?"

"Can I pick and choose what hours I work?"

"Is it possible to get a dependable income every month?  Is the work seasonal?"

"It's been a while since I've done some learning, is it hard to qualify?"

All perfectly natural questions.  You wouldn't be human if you did not have some anxiety with the prospect of starting a new career.

Come along to one of our live BIG TOM Q&A online chats - it is free and without any obligation at all.  It will feature a 20-minute slot with Tom Ingram a qualified driving instructor. You can hear him talk about the job running a £50,000 + driving school.  There is not a single thing that you could say or ask that has not been mentioned before, you need to know you are not alone.  

The session has like-minded people to you, there is no sales pressure, no signing of contracts, it is entirely relaxed and has no strings attached to it at all.  It is simply in place to give you the opportunity to see if being a driving instructor is a career you might like to start and ask any questions in a live chat.

To register your interest and secure your place either email Tom on recruit@BIGTOM.org.uk or ring direct on 0775 607 1464

Keep it positive, just keep it positive

You are working hard.  Your diary is full.  You love your job but right now, at this very moment right this minute, you are tired. 

Relationship building with pupils is a two way process.  It is not just about an expectation for your pupils to open up and communicate how they are thinking and feeling to you.  They respect driving instructors more when the truthfulness flows both ways.  

The tendency as any parent knows only too well, with tiredness comes a short fuse, an over-reaction, delayed mindfulness, incapacity to reflect and much much more.  So at the very least, if you feel mentally drained as you sit there with your pupil, at least have the common courtesy decency to inform them.

Your pupil who is sat beside you is potentially hanging on every word that comes out of your mouth.  Re-read that sentence again and just ponder on that a moment.  It is true.  They are taking time out of their busy schedule to be training in your car. They are working incredibly hard to try to develop key skills, and due to the hard earned money they have spent, they are quite rightly expecting all the help you can possibly give them.
 

Unsurprisingly then, when you say something, they are listening to you.

As such, it is critical, absolutely critical that what you say remains positive and constructive.  You can't necessarily flower up a driving fault as a positive but what you can do is recognise effort, smile, keep eye contact, place a "good effort" in your verbals.  Pupils are going to make mistakes, and in doing so they are going to learn.  I'm not referring to safety critical mistakes - you need to be on to them before they even happen, but bulk standard mistakes is part and parcel of learning.  As an instructor what you have to resist is the temptation to club pupils over the head with mistakes they make.  It is not helpful - it ruins relationships, it erodes trust, it makes pupils sometimes deeply unhappy.  

You may be tired, but you do have a responsibility to look after yourself so that you can give each and every pupil you assist, the best learning environment that they deserve.

BIG TOM offers trainee driving instructor training - 0800 689 4174

http://drivinginstructortraining.bigtom.org.uk/ 

BIG TOM Foundation Block - Pedagogy Content

Topics available via online support group sessions @ £20/hour (0775 607 1464)

1.  "How can I help my learners learn effectively?"

Teaching Techniques: schema, analogies and real life examples, scaffolding, goal setting, assessment, memory, imagination, feedback, recall, probing for understanding



2.  "How do I develop a better working relationship with my pupils?"

Pupil Relationships: trust, honesty, openness, communication, respect



3.  "How do I show my pupils 'I'm on their side'"?

Pupil Support:  levels of verbal instruction, praise, managing pupil welfare, Q&A, non-verbal signals



4.  "Where can I go for help?"

References:  driving standards, books, blogs, social media, highway code



5.  "How do I stop getting angry with my pupils?"

Barriers to learning:  Identification, analysis, resolving



6.  "What is the best way to assess pupils?"

Tracking Progress and Assessment:  accuracy, effect on pupil, formative/summative



7.  "I wish I could get my pupils to think of risk!"

Managing Risk: responsibilities, handling safety critical incidents



8.  "What should a typical lesson structure look like?"

Lesson Planning: structure, dynamic risk assessment



9.  "Are theoretical models of any practical use to me?"

Theories: GROW, GDE Matrix, Maslov's Hierarchy of Needs



10.  "Got any really useful stuff for me on a practical, day to day level?"

Instructor Essentials: applying knowledge, key road safety concepts



11.  "How can I encourage my learners to self-learn?"

Sequence of Effective Learning: independent self-evaluation technique



12.  "How much do I need to know about learning difficulties?"

Learning Difficulties:  types and descriptions, how it affects learning

BOOK NOW! 0775 607 1464 or admin@BIGTOM.org.uk
http://drivinginstructortraining.bigtom.org.uk/ 

BIG TOM Driving Instructor Training - Terms & Conditions

BIG TOM Driving Instructor In-Car Training - Terms & Conditions

These terms only relate to the training of prospective instructors for the qualifying process to become a registered driving instructor.  We have separate information relating to our Franchise which we strongly advise you show a professional legal advisor prior to signing our Franchise Agreement. 

Training is provided on a ‘pay as you go’ basis and once reserved by way of pre-payment is unable to be cancelled for any reason.  Should your training session need to be cancelled by BIG TOM Driving School then an alternative will be arranged + a free session of the same duration (excludes driving school vehicle breakdown).

Training slots cannot be reserved by any other means than pre-payment.  An email will be sent to you when payment is received and the slot has been formally reserved.

Internet support group training  [£20/hr] (including sample content contained within) may not be copied, shared, recorded (in part or whole) without the express permission of BIG TOM Driving School.  BIG TOM Driving School reserves the right to make any recorded training available within the training resources of trainee driving instructors.

Any in-car training [£50/hr] video recordings may not be viewed/shared/copied or used for any other reason than personal driving instructor training purposes.  BIG TOM Driving School reserves the right to make any recorded training available within the training resources of trainee driving instructors.

Payments for training may be made for free online:  BIG TOM Driving School Sort: 08 92 50 Acc: 68652542 (Please include your unique customer reference number) or debit/credit/company cards can be used for payments (additional fees apply).  BIG TOM Driving School Administration are PCI DSS Compliant and the Owner Tom Ingram is registered as a Data Controller under the Data Protection Act with the Information Commissionar’s Office (I.C.O.)  

By using the “Contact Us” page you formally agree to further contact from BIG TOM Driving School (this permission can be withdrawn at any time by way of email).

The insurance cover for use of real pupils within in-car training only applies to training undertaken in a BIG TOM Driving School vehicle.

Should a trainee driving instructor chose to undertake in-car training in any vehicle other than a BIG TOM Driving School vehicle, then the responsibility for ensuring appropriate insurance is with the trainee.  BIG TOM Driving School cannot be held responsible for any loss of bookings due to appropriate insurance not being formally disclosed at least 48 hours prior to the start of the training.

BIG TOM Admin will require confirmation that these Terms have been read and agreed to prior to the providing of any training.  BIG TOM Driving School strictly prohibits these Terms being copied/shared (in part or whole).

BIG TOM Driving School - Driving Instructor Training
http://drivinginstructortraining.bigtom.org.uk/ 

No-one can tell you what matters to you

You know how life has this tendency to occasionally spring up some ‘home truths’ that make you stop in your tracks and think “I’ve known that for ages but didn’t realise it”.  Many moons ago it came into my radar that each one of us will have more enemies than we would care to acknowledge.  Recently I have been learning how each one of us will tend to over-rate our worth.  But one that I am slowly coming to my own conclusions about is that ultimately, what we truly care about is simply non-negotiable; you cannot switch on or off something you feel passionate about. 

Last night I joined my 15 year old son while he was watching tv alone.  A 15 year old student in a school was being assisted by a teacher to overcome a stutter.  Later, my wife and I watched a paramedic in a call centre as she gave instructions over the phone to save the life of a newly born baby who was not breathing.  Two times last night I was reduced to tears.

Every year I get invited to give a road safety talk at one of my local schools.  It has just come to notice in the national press that this particular school has been unlawfully ejecting Year 12 students after they have received their AS exam results, because these lower performing students will be affecting the schools A level pass grades.  I had a 1 year spell as a parent governor at a local primary school and eventually left when I realised my opinion on bullying, differentiation and health and safety really stood for absolutely nothing.  No one can tell me what matters to me. 

With our pupils, we are working with a person who has a range of needs.  They actually NEED our assistance.  It is easy to get distracted with the peripheral ‘noise’ relating to our perception of their attitude to learning, or motivation, or the way they speak, smell or behave.  Underneath all of that, you have a person with a potential to learn a vital life skill.  The clever bit in our work is understanding how we can assist that pupil to develop.  Everything else is quite frankly unimportant.  Pass rates, time taken to learn, your price, the make of your driving school car…. ignore it all, it is almost entirely irrelevant when compared to one other thing.  Each and every one of us should be concerning ourselves with….. “WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP THIS PUPIL LEARN”.  And my personal take on this is that I will do everything I can to help absolutely anyone.  I’m not interested in filtering out certain pupils so that I get easy passes sooner.  I make no judgement at all on natural ability or learning difficulties.  The fact that I have a person who has a desire to learn is all that is needed. 

The idea that a school has systematically for years been ‘rejecting’ students from being given the opportunity to better themselves purely on grounds of ability is so shocking to me that it affects my sleep.  My experience of working with pupils wanting to learn to drive tells me that the reasons why pupils “under-perform” can be complex.  The idea that a school would dispose of a student at the very moment in time when they have a need is totally unprofessional and as is now being exposed…. unlawful.

If you are a trainee driving instructor and have got this far in this blog, I hope this helps you in understanding what matters to you.  

BIG TOM Driving School provides payg driving training for trainee driving instructors 0775 607 1464     http://drivinginstructortraining.bigtom.org.uk/ 

BIG TOM Foundation Block - Lead Generation Content

One of the easiest traps for any newly qualified driving instructor to fall into is the misconception that once qualified the customers will come beating to your door.  It is true that the driving training industry has cycles of varying organic activity but this foundation block will help you to remove the peaks and troughs and get a constant, reliable feed of good quality leads for you to convert.

Care must be taken with the term “lead generation” because whilst a driving school could be busying itself with the generation of heaps of customer enquiries, if they are not good quality leads then there can be much ‘heat’ and little conversion into revenue.  This foundation block will guide you to be absolutely clear on which market you are targeting so that you are doing the type of work with the type of client that you actually want. 

You will be introduced to a variety of methods for getting your name out there, some involving expense and others just your time.  You will be encouraged to create a plan with measurable performance indicators so that it takes the ‘guesswork’ out of your lead generation.  Time is a precious commodity for the newly qualified so this foundation block is designed to give you effective tips and techniques from a proven source that we KNOW works.  This is not the land of theory and conjecture, the value of this content for you is that it is effective and based on reality.

You do not need to be a wizard on the computer to benefit from this foundation block, the advice given is clear, straight forward, and in a language that all of us find understandable.  And of all the foundation blocks be under no illusion that your ability to deliver value for your customers will generate good quality leads and will be absolutely essential for the successful establishment of your business.

You will learn practical tips for engaging with your market and behaving like a professional business person.  This foundation block will benefit existing driving instructors too who want to gain more control of the type of work they do and when it happens by developing reputation and authority with your market.  

This is a fun packed, dynamic foundation block made all the more exciting because it will make the difference between aimlessly scrambling around like a lost sheep in the search for work versus a smart, effective lead generation system.  The system will work for YOU night and day, through effective search engine optimisation techniques, creating leads that will be easy to convert with less resistance because the signals you are providing to your specific market are clear and incredibly attractive.

To enrol on this top value foundation block training [£20/hr] call Tara on 0775 607 1464 
http://drivinginstructortraining.bigtom.org.uk/ 

Part 2 Driving Ability Test

Driving Instructor Training with BIG TOM Driving School.

In line with the amendments to the Learner practical test, the DVSA have amended the PDI Part 2 practical test accordingly.  

CLICK HERE to get the structure of the Part 2 test which takes effect from 4/12/2017.

Prior to registering to become a Trainee Driving Instructor if you would like BIG TOM to take a look at your current driving then this can be very easily arranged with no financial cost or any further obligation.  It will offer you the opportunity to demonstrate your current "standard" of driving; it is always wise to attempt not to start doing things you would not normally do, and literally just drive as you normally drive. This assessment is conducted in a relaxed environment, 1:1 and in no way should be looked upon as any kind of 'test'.

The DVSA Driving Standard makes reference to instructors offering their pupils the opportunity to experience driving on a variety of class of road and with differing driving conditions.  It makes very good sense to take this same approach with your own driving ability as you may need to demonstrate certain techniques to your pupils.  

There are strict conditions regarding endorsements on a driving licence when it comes to the DVSA vetting potential trainee instructors prior to registering them.  See HERE for more details. 


If you have any queries regarding the Part 2 driving assessment do not hesitate to contact Tara on 0775 607 1464 or admin@BIGTOM.org.uk where the information you share will be treated with the utmost privacy and will be immediately disposed of once your query is answered to your satisfaction.

BIG TOM provides in-car driving training on a 1:1 basis, video recorded on request, with immediate accurate formative feedback and automatically recorded on your Training Log.  BIG TOM makes no assumptions of how much driving training (if any) our PDI's require, as such the training provided is on a payg (pay as you go) basis @ £50/hr payable in advance (See T&C's).   Historically, this has consistently proven to offer better value to our customers as compared to requiring all PDI's to train a pre-defined number of hours for the Part 2 test.

For further enquiries re BIG TOM Driving Instructor Training email admin@BIGTOM.org.uk
http://drivinginstructortraining.bigtom.org.uk/ 

Knowledge and skills

One of the biggest challenges within the training industry is in ensuring that the message you have to give has “value”.  Does the content have relevance, is it practically important to the recipient?

In social settings, all of us are (to greater or lesser degrees) tolerant of this internal “b****hit barometer” that we all have constantly running in our heads.  We can choose to ‘sit it out’ and pretend to listen for a minute or 2, or we can politely make our excuses and abort, heading for a conversation that has a bit more “realism” connected to it. 

But in business there seems to be this unwritten rule of etiquette which suggests that because a business person or organisation has managed to “get in to your space” at this moment in time, you are compelled to endure it.  This has been used and abused for decades where training providers have been ignoring how practically important their content is for their customer.

Our driving training industry is no exception in this regard; people and organisations buzzing around, making a lot of noise, generating much ‘heat’ delivering training content that lacks any practical worth.  If it wasn’t so expensive in your resources of time and money it could actually be funny.

But rather than giving the impression that I’m just having a rant here, my point is actually incredibly important to us as driving instructors as we are in fact included in this situation.  Very recently an ADI in my area put up a technical question on a facebook group for driving instructors about signalling on a roundabout (much kudos to the ADI for the desire for knowledge).  Every ADI that responded gave a factually incorrect answer that goes against the Highway Code.  Just think about that for a second.  That means that not only is each and every one of those ADI’s teaching all of their pupil’s incorrect information (I wonder how long that has been going on for?) but you could quite justifiably question: a) how well they were trained to become a driving instructor and b) how much they are investing in their CPD to keep them ‘fresh’

Quite understandably when the DVSA assess you as a driving instructor one of the questions the examiner will be assessing about your instruction is:

Under the heading of “Teaching & Learning Strategies”:

Was the technical information given comprehensive, appropriate and accurate?

So each of us has a professional duty to ensure that the message we give adds value.  When you need assistance with your accounts you seek professional guidance, as you do when the car or pet dog develops a problem.  Your pupils are PAYING you to spend time in your company because they expect your service to be professional, relevant, factually correct and providing them with some value.

It is about as simple and historically meaningful a concept for humankind as you can ever wish for:  I have a problem that needs solving, who should I go to in order to fix this problem? 

In a training environment such as providing driving instruction, it is absolutely essential that the service you provide is credible.  Think of it in much the same way as a trades person makes sure all equipment is maintained, safe and practically up to the job.  In the same way driving instructors need to keep the skills and knowledge that they utilise daily fresh, relevant and correct.  To put this in context is to recognise that the environment in which we exist is organic, and naturally we respond favourably to regular and good quality nurturing.  The 3 ‘E’s of road safety: education, engineering and enforcement evolve and naturally so should we as practitioners in that environment.  Ensuring you invest in yourself is positively contributing to your customers.  

Book yourself on to a BIG TOM “Pedagogy” online support session (£20/hr): short, sharp refresher CPD that you can control when and how much you engage.  Call Tara on 0775 607 1464  
http://drivinginstructortraining.bigtom.org.uk/ 

BIG TOM "Pedagogy" Foundation Block

All of the BIG TOM 5 steps to success are important for a driving instructor; they are in fact inter-dependent on each other in so far as each of them relies upon the others.  A successful driving school needs to have all 5 foundation blocks well established and fully running.

The contents of the BIG TOM “Pedagogy” foundation block has real gems contained within it to assist a driving instructor to facilitate learning for pupils.  The training will raise your awareness of tried and tested learning strategies that are globally well established.  At the core of our methodology are the techniques that you can adopt into your daily work that promotes pupil engagement and ensures the responsibilities for effective learning and maintaining safety are clearly defined.  Too often driving instructors are left to feel frustrated and even confused with outcomes where it is all too easy to point the blame with the pupil when in fact, some self-evaluation is actually what is needed.  It is for this reason that this foundation block is equally as relevant for trainee driving instructors as it is for already qualified driving instructors.

In order for trainee driving instructors to introduce these vital techniques to their pupils it is perfectly logical for them to be introduced and utilised while they go through their own self-improvement within their BIG TOM training.  As such you will have the opportunity to experience first-hand the power of these learning strategies so that you can develop them within your own pupil’s training.

Building effective working relationships with your pupils and their family members is an essential ingredient to maximise learning potential.  In “Pedagogy” you get to learn about obstacles to learning, how to identify them and handle the situation.  You will become very familiar with the key ingredients of an effective learning environment for various pupils, and you will be encouraged to identify your own personal preferences.  All of us like to learn in our own unique way and it is vitally important that you can assist your pupils in identifying and developing their own learning styles.

But we are very keen to stress that this content is not intended to be treated as a purely theoretical model of understanding the art of learning.  Far from it.  It is essential that you become confident in utilising these techniques within the car with varying pupil profiles.  As such, whilst it is sensible to make full use of the BIG TOM online support (@£20/hr) in order to raise your awareness, it is equally as important to practise the implementation of these techniques with our very realistic in-car role-playing service as well as developing them with real pupils (@£50/hr).  This is one area where BIG TOM training differs significantly from other training providers; our ability to assist you in converting the “theoretical” to the practical application that will significantly improve the learning environment you enjoy with your pupils.  If you need to see evidence of this fact then read these reviews from real, paying customers – CLICK HERE  It is this END PRODUCT that is the ‘value’ in our work.  We can all theorise within our groups as PDI’s and ADI’s but we should ultimately be measured by the feedback that is received from the customer.  Whilst BIG TOM Driving School is a training provider for trainee driving instructors, rest assured that you are being trained to apply sound, reliable practices that are proven to get successful and positive outcomes for learner pupils.  It is this very point that distinguishes us from others.

In the process of your training in this foundation block you will become aware of understanding the importance of how meaningful the learning environment is between trainer and pupil.  Appreciating what is vital from moment to moment to ensure long term learning is taking place.  Our work has practical implications rather than academic, it is therefore essential that pupil and coach work together in a respectful, safe and harmonious environment that promotes road safety.

Your online training within this block offers you the opportunity to gain knowledge of 12 topics in pedagogy where you get access to reference material including real working documents and the opportunity to discuss and raise questions within a friendly online environment in real time using visual/audio.  Once you have a sound understanding of the topic, you are encouraged to practise these in life-like scenarios with your in-car training (film recorded if requested).  You are in total control of the pace, the duration and the number of topics that you practise – you do know after all how you like to learn best.  You can witness for yourself the power of these learning techniques while you develop your skills in pedagogy and your training outcomes are recorded.  You will find that this systematic and methodical approach is empowering and creates positive outcomes; the very outcomes that you will be creating for your own pupils.    

In summary, the “Pedagogy” foundation block introduces to you a professional approach to the transfer of learning that is based around skill sets.  It is the understanding of the value of techniques and incorporating them into your daily work that will make the difference to outcomes for your pupils.  It is after all the outcome as perceived by your pupil that is of the utmost importance rather than your own opinions.  This is what will ensure you have productive training sessions with satisfied, happy customers.  This is also what will ensure you are working within the guidelines of the DVSA Driving Standard and their assessments. 

Trainee Driving Instructor Training  Call Tara on 0775 607 1464
http://drivinginstructortraining.bigtom.org.uk/ 

Part 3 Test Assessment Form

The DVSA have published today the new assessment form for the revised Part 3 PDI test for trainee driving instructors; here is the link

For those of you who are coming into this without previous knowledge, the part 3 test assessment is aligning itself to the criteria used by the DVSA to monitor all qualified ADI's (known as the "Standards Check").  

There are 3 main competencies that they use to assess your ability to teach:  Lesson Planning, Risk Management and Teaching & Learning Strategies.  These competencies are sub-divided into 17 topics and each of these is scored for how much evidence is demonstrated by the PDI within the 1 hour assessment using a real pupil.  It should be recognised by PDI's that this assessment is fully explained within the DVSA "National standard for driver and rider training".  

Fundamentally it has long been the view here at BIG TOM that the ultimate goal of a professional driving instructor is to work within the confines as outlined in the DVSA driving standards.  At the heart of the standards is the need to create a learning environment that maintains safety, creates meaningful long lasting learning and is enjoyable for pupils.  One of the five foundation blocks within the BIG TOM driving instructor training programme is "Pedagogy" and was created with these goals in mind.  The ultimate aim for the industry is to be developing safe, efficient, "thinking" drivers, and the real skill in our profession is how to nurture these learning objectives within the wide range of pupils that we have the pleasure of assisting.

In our experience of assisting PDI's we recognise that the previous work and training experiences of PDI's will vary greatly in their awareness and understanding of the fundamental ingredients contained within our Pedagogy foundation block. It is for this reason that our training programme has the flexibility and integrity to be able to assist PDI's in understanding their strengths and weaknesses in this key foundation block.  

All PDI's who come to train with us here at BIG TOM are given the opportunity to be thoroughly assessed in their understanding and experience of effective learning strategies and techniques to maximise learning outcomes for pupils within a 1:1 training environment.

BIG TOM Driving School  PDI training 0775 607 1464
http://drivinginstructortraining.bigtom.org.uk/ 

Authentic meaningful driving instructor training

One of the key ingredients for high quality driving instructor training is that the environment in which the training is undertaken is comfortable and meaningful for the trainee.  BIG TOM Driving School has long been making extensive use of online support for PDI's, as well as digital and non-digital resources and any in-car training utilises real pupils with high quality and well timed feedback as standard.

What this means in practical terms is that a trainee driving instructor is able to consider how they best like to learn, and adapt the training with BIG TOM so that the content within the learning environment is meaningful and learning is in fact taking place.  This may seem like an obvious pre-condition to driving instructor training but it should not be taken as a given.

PDI's have the option of choosing the format to their training and feeling assured that all training given is backed up with quality feedback and is being formally logged.  A PDI trained with BIG TOM is able to gain access to and demonstrate to the DVSA what training they have received, how it was conducted and the main learning points.

All in-car training is conducted 1:1 (PDI:trainer) and if a pupil is also required then it will be a real pupil and provided free of charge to the trainee driving instructor. 

Online support makes use of the power of "group learning" whereby Q&A within a friendly environment of peers creates a non-threatening and very convenient option for continued learning.  

Owner Tom Ingram says "The key for effective learning is in the diversity offered.  If there is one thing for everyone to now recognise post-lockdown, it is that we all can learn using different methods.  It does not need to be heavily weighted with in-car training.  Rather than training providers dictating to trainee driving instructors how they will learn, what my driving school offers is the power to be handed back to where it belongs.... the customer."


Driving Instructor Training with BIG TOM - Call 07498364211
http://drivinginstructortraining.bigtom.org.uk/ 

PDI Training Aligned to YOUR Needs

People come into the driving instructor industry from a variety of different backgrounds, with differing strengths/weaknesses and skill-sets. Customers are able to control financial outlay with training sessions within their timescales.

Formative feedback is provided instantly within training sessions and related to the DVSA Driving Standard.

All training provided is goal oriented with particular objectives and structured to address individual PDI needs. 

Key learning points are identified and recorded in the PDI Log Book each trainee is provided.

All in-car training sessions can be video recorded so that a PDI is able to reflect on the key learning points.  

All DVSA reference material supplied will be the most current version.

http://drivinginstructortraining.bigtom.org.uk/