Where's your wife?

Talking of customer care as I was in my last blog, our recent Christmas stay in Wales introduced me to new levels of customer care that I never knew previously existed.  Little did I know when we booked into our 5-star accommodation that the owner would take such a keen interest in our care, especially that of my wife.

You may have seen in a previous blog about a stay in Cornwall; our family car chews up driving miles and spits them out like they barely exist.  It is a great credit to the makers, to allow a 6-hour journey to pass with so little effort or fatigue.  It helps when the media centre provides wifi.  Although technically, this will enable us to see train and plane timetables live, as well as congestion updates for the sat nav, we tend to get far more from the wifi provided.  My two boys listen to YouTube stuff on their headphones, while my wife and I stream through the audio the Royal Institute Christmas Lectures, Holby City, podcasts, and fab stuff like Tricity Vogue "The Blue Lady Sings" - the kind of emetic content our boys would rather not be troubled with.

We find ourselves renting out a small cottage within a working farm in Brongest, Newcastle Emlyn in Wales.  The owners could not have been more welcoming.  The chap who I'm sure was about ten years older than me but acted like he was 25 years younger, had this habit of turning up unannounced to the front door, taking his boots off, and stepping inside for a friendly chat.  He did it no less than three times on Christmas Day.  He was keen to let us know from the start of our stay that he was working with the cows until 11 pm and was up with them again at 4 am.  "How wonderful," I thought, not truly appreciating the significance to our stay.

We had some wonderful trips.  My wife and I love our walks.  When I turned 50 earlier this year, never did I imagine how carefully I would keep my eye on my wife inside and outside the cottage.  I rather hoped those days were behind me.  I noticed our friendly Welsh friend was coming into the cottage and asking "Where's your wife?" if she wasn't instantly in his sights.  I don't know if you can imagine the laughs me and the boys had mimicking his Welsh accent asking "Where's your wife?". 

One of the journeys was from Brongest to Carmarthen where I saw a police officer off his motorbike doing a speed check with a hand-held device; blimey, it's been a while since I saw that happening - how refreshing to witness.  On the way back from Carmarthen I was driving and spontaneously blurted out a "Aha... thought so" when an oncoming motorcyclist came around a rural road bend.  My kids asked me what I was referring to, which I embarrassingly mumbled something when I realised my mouth had verbalised my thoughts.  Little did they want me to start explaining about "defensive driving".  There is a lovely description offered by the DVSA on pages 2 & 3 of their "better driving" book.

I found us travelling behind a mini-bus at one point where I started having flashbacks of the driving licence Cat D enquiries I'd recently been making with the DVLA and DVSA on behalf of a school who was wondering if they had to train up teachers when they drive the school mini-bus specifically.  "Calm down Tom, calm down, you're on holiday".   I noticed our car does quite an intelligent thing.  Not being at all interested in these things, I have no idea how it does this, but when the car senses that you are driving down a steepish hill (about 16% gradient is pretty standard in Wales), it keeps it in the lower of the 8 gears available and automatically prevents the car from increasing speed with absolutely no input from me.  Blimey, that is clever.

By about the 4th night, I found myself waking up at 2.30am with what I thought was "Dim problem" repeatedly going off in my head.  An aphorism which our owner likes to mention on his many visits (as was evidenced by the write-ups by previous tenants in the holiday book at the cottage).  "Dim problem", "Dim problem"; turned out it was a cow making this most strange noise.  Forget any idea of a "moo", I looked out the window and saw loads of these cows milling around very slowly.  "When do they sleep?" I thought as I sat up until 4.40am.  "You're on holiday Tom" I mumbled as I was rocking in the corner, dribbling out the corner of my mouth.

The writing was kind of on the wall from Day 1, to be honest.  We had a rather large dining table which was only being lit by 2 of a possible eight led overhead lights.  Now, this usually wouldn't be a problem to us, light schmight.  But although the accommodation was advertised with "Wifi" it turns out that wasn't strictly, what's the word, true.  There was no wifi.  Not slow wifi, no wifi.  Which was curious as our walks regularly showed us BT green cabinets on the verges indicating 'super-fast' broadband fibre was in existence.  So all the pre-Christmas plans my wife and I had made to secure the smooth running of our 14-year-olds new XBox came to nothing.  As a result, one of the board games "Civilization" became something of a 'backstop' I think the Government would call it.

Have you played "Civilization"?  Wow.  If you consider yourself somewhat of a technophobe, this is your board game.  I can happily provide anyone with a pristine, sealed version as I inadvertently ordered two pre-Christmas from Amazon.  If you are not familiar with it, take it from me that 'bad light stops play'.  But these issues are "dim problem" it seems.  

"Dim bloody problem".

Measuring customer care

What do customers expect when they enter into a contract with a driving school?  I would guess that many customers would talk about feeling safe, being treated with care, and dignity in a respectful and constructive working environment.  They expect driving instructors to turn up on time, not cancel sessions, complete work for the entire time of the session, help them to pass the driving test.

The DVSA have a Code of Practice. One of the driving associations, the DIA, have a code of conduct which, interestingly does not mention the words 'safe' or 'safety' or 'respect' once.  And this highlights the reason for this blog.  How should any regulator measure customer care?  If our regulating bodies vacillate about how driving instructors should behave then confusion follows.

Followers of this blog will have noted my tendency to mention OFSTED and their role in the monitoring of education.  But the 'market forces' within the field of providing state education do not match up to those providers of training in a private arrangement such as ours.  A comparable provision is that offered by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) when they assess the service of private care homes.

Their Chief Inspector Andrea Sutcliffe is due to move on at the end of 2018 having done the job for five years.  Look at how they describe what they do as an organisation: "We make sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and we encourage care services to improve."  The website continues, "We monitor, inspect and regulate services to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety and we publish what we find, including performance ratings to help people choose care."

All of this is sounding very good, sensible, and one might even find reassurance in these words.  But the reality of the situation is very different as there are severe doubts about the findings of their assessments.  A friend of mine has been attending his wife's care home every day, three times a day because he fears for the level of care she would receive if he did not attend.  He is talking here about treating people with dignity, respect, providing a level of service that any reasonable person would consider the necessary standards of human decency such as hygiene, comfort, nutrition and hydration, social engagement.

At over a £1000 per week, it quickly becomes a sobering reality that the exorbitant fees do not guarantee very much, and worst still, the CQC grades change like the wind and do not reflect reality.  There are serious concerns about the integrity of the assessment.  A CQC inspection typically involves a day or two review every two years.  Contrast that with a DVSA standards check which usually requires a 45-minute in-car review every 4-6 years.

Much like my sad friend, relatives of residents will tend to understate their deeply held concerns because quite literally, there is no better alternative available.  If it wasn't so dangerous, it could almost be comical that care home staff, residents and their relatives are all busily deceiving the CQC of just how dire the situation is.  Hold the response to my histrionic claims, until you have at least witnessed the case for yourself.

How schools organise the learning within it is primarily dictated by how the government of the day views what education means to students.  To only focus on academic ability inhibits how our younger generation flourishes.  What our youngsters offer society is a resource of diverse capacities, just waiting to be discovered and developed.  Instead, students enter this arena where teachers are piling on pressures and expectations of academic achievement just so that OFSTED can give a favourable assessment.  Parents, teachers, heads, governing bodies, teaching assistants all know that what is happening is neglectful, cruel and deeply unsatisfactory to many students.  

As it stands, the public does not place as much emphasis on standards check grades of driving instructors as they do OFSTED ratings of schools.  The DVSA keep threatening to change this; they do not understand how to measure customer care accurately.  If they did, they would realise that a good start would be to seriously listen to the thoughts and feelings of pupils after a standards check.  But they choose not to do that.  For some reason, they believe that a DVSA examiner can assess a pupil's feelings about progress, safety, satisfaction far better than asking a pupil. I do not mean fatuous questions directed to the pupil at the end of the standards check — instead, a proper 'interview' aimed at understanding the pupil's honest opinion of the professionalism of the driving instructor.  Objectively review the safety record of the driving instructor.  Doing these things is possible. 

Thoughts make behaviours

What makes you angry shapes how you feel about things.  How you express your feelings is often ineffective.  What makes anything effective?

Good question.  

To be effective, it needs to make a positive change. 

What would the circumstances have to be for you to change your mind about speeding or reckless driving?

Good question.

Sometimes people avoid these kinds of questions, for personal reasons, and one of them might well be that naturally, it is a hard way to learn anything.  These are examples of problems that are not necessarily easy to answer.

Tell me, verbalise your thoughts.

No speech = no thought.  Don't accept it.  Or at the very least explain that this is an obstacle to learning.

It is not normal, in order to understand beliefs (to road safety) and attitudes (to learning), driving instructors do need to have a window into the thoughts of pupils.

So, then we move on to the pupils who are not 'normal'.

Tag them as you like, parents and teachers love to label them. I have a genuine attraction working with these pupils; I know not why.  But it seems to be consistently the case.  I find that assisting a pupil in the mechanisms of effective learning is time well spent.  It is not a given, in fact, quite the opposite. Our younger generation have become conditioned to a learning environment where they are tested to death, warned (one could say threatened) with the short and long-term consequences of poor grades and pushed through a funnel where their thoughts and feelings really stand for very little.  It is a form of education that is restrictive and ineffectual for all except academics.  Engagement with our pupils is key.  

Picture the scene. You are speaking 1:1 with someone and they get their phone out and start interacting with the phone.  You have a decision to make.

Instantly.

Or not.

You are either in control of the situation or you are not.

The choice is yours.  If you are on a driving lesson, do you have a "no phones" policy when in the car?  If you are in a social environment, do you simply move on to someone who is not addicted to their phone?

I had this situation occur to me only this evening, and I happily withdrew with courtesy.  There is a good argument to say as long as a pupil is pulled over safely on the road with the engine off, they can engage with their phone as much as they like.  It is after all their time, but it does not sit well in my mind.  My pupils do regularly use either photos or videos to help them with manoeuvres I've noticed; technology does have its uses in certain circumstances.

You see we are in times where the 'facts' are all relevant.

Corbyn says that May is "a stupid woman" Did he?

"I have been raped five times".  Have you?

"I braked hard as my pupil was not going to stop". Really?

"My driving instructor put her hand on my hand as I changed gear". Did she?

Many moons ago, I was accused on social media by a mother of being racist.  My "crime" was in not letting her daughter drive the car because she could not show me her provisional drivers licence.  The time I spent with her daughter was positive, constructive, supportive and not one penny crossed hands.  Despite being parked up outside the pupil's house, she literally could not show me a drivers licence.  But that did not stop her mother from making false claims.  

Our emotions shape our thoughts which form our behaviours.

I am increasingly coming to the opinion that in-car training should be compulsorily video recorded.  Driving instructors should be enforced to document their training for a set period, i.e. two years, and anyone, but anyone can legally request to see that footage.  It is in our interests to do this.  I'm surprised that this isn't standard practice in all classrooms up and down the country.

Allegations of malpractice are serious.  It is in the interests of all to be seen to be clean.  As much as many may not like it, I see no reason why a 1:1 learning environment within a vehicle should somehow bypass accusations of unprofessionalism.

A couple of weeks ago, a Mum observed a couple of driving lessons.  I really do recommend that you positively encourage this.  The more engagement we have with parents the better.  It's good because a parent is way more transparent in their thoughts than a pupil.  On one of the sessions Mum actually said "I'll tell you what she is thinking Tom because she is clearly not going to....".  How interesting.  If I don't see either parent, I often will bring them up in the in-car training.  They have an incredible influence on behaviours.   When you are learning something your radar for information spreads far and wide.  You will listen to pretty much anyone who has an opinion on the subject you are learning. A pupil of mine recently talked about a roundabout video on YouTube which they had seen, when I looked it up later at home, it was made by a guy who was not even a driving instructor.  I've fallen into this trap myself, and some of the content is pretty compelling it must be said.

A major benefit of setting goals at the start of a driving lesson and reviewing them at the end is that it does focus the mind of our pupils about their competence.  This feedback is essential.  When they leave your car and their radar picks up whatever it is going to pick up (from whichever source), it really helps for them to be very clear about their particular needs.  Take care with private driving lessons - to be beneficial they should be aligned to what the pupil is working on.  It is not a question of can your pupil drive, it is more about how well can they drive, and private driving lessons can make that point quite fuzzy in the mind of our pupil. 

The Language of Learning

It is undoubtedly a hard watch, but if you have not started watching the tv series of "School" yet, then get on it.  Because contained in each episode are behaviours that will restrict learning; behaviours from parents, heads, students, teachers, and a CEO of the trust.  The Governing body appears to me to be severely under-represented given the critical role they have, which makes me wonder what part they do have.

In our line of work as driving instructors, the pupils who are going to create grief for you, are the ones who have absolutely no idea of the effort required to produce success.  They will have their eyes on the prize, oh yes, they know what they want alright, but there is no understanding about what is required to create positive change.  It is not lost on me how important a part the driving instructor plays either.

Look what is happening with Brexit. The Tory government elected a leader who never wanted to leave the EU, to then lead the country in leaving the EU; backed up by a House of MP's the majority of which do not want to leave the EU.  Apart from the ethical point of representing their constituents' wishes, most people can see that this is not going to work.  A couple of days ago, the EU's Junker publicly expressed his frustration with the British approach.   He wishes the British demands were clear and the PM less 'nebulous'.  He has in effect, exposed her weaknesses.  I guess when you are not convinced yourself of what you are attempting to achieve then it is not surprising that you do not appear clear and 'on point'.  Why she would negotiate a leave of the EU without planning for all eventualities does show a lack of leadership qualities.

A lack of leadership qualities is evident on "School", but you cannot help feel sorry for the teachers.  Often the way; it is the troopers on the ground that get hit the hardest for lack of leadership. We see this problem time and again in the NHS and police service.

But at the heart of it all is the lack of effort being shown by students.  The reason for it I'm sure is involved, but how teachers stay sane when you have students who are incapable of listening to advice and learning how to learn is beyond me — the poor teachers.  They are being held to account for a minority of pupils in a class who for one reason or another, have no idea of the effort that is required to learn and their attitude stinks.  One has to wonder what effect these pupils have on the others who are genuinely attempting to achieve goals.  

I tweeted in the week about a couple who have a chain of fish and chip shops.  They are trying to open up another one, but finding that the only issue that is preventing them is recruiting anyone who shows a bit of effort.  People don't turn up for interviews, or when they win a job, they don't turn up for work.  In the 40 years that this couple has been in the industry, they have never witnessed such a 'work-shy' ethic amongst the younger generation.  To get on in life requires hardship, pain, determination and perseverance.  When I have a pupil, who is learning to drive and shows no such qualities in their character it is a ticking bomb just waiting to explode.  Add to this that the pupil has all the expectations in the world, and is backed up by a parent (often a mother I have noticed) who is a 'helicopter parent' busily contributing to the snowflake culture.

The problem for the schools is that they have OFSTED hovering over their shoulders which still to this day, are expecting a teacher to be able to progress all 30-35 students in a class to the same extent regardless of natural ability, attitude to learning, upbringing, learning difficulties — too much weight on data, i.e. exam grades. It is beyond cruel.  Teachers and heads have vital resources taken away from them that assist in that very cause and are still being expected to deliver the same outcomes.  Quite what value the CEO thinks he is contributing to all this is anyone's guess.  I thought one of the advantages of these multi-academies was the fact that resources and good practice can be easily shared.  But the CEO should be overseeing this situation, observing and explaining very clearly what is happening.  It's a bit like the problem Theresa May finds herself in.  They crave and love the status and authority their role brings to their life, but they lack the moral fibre to create positive outcomes for the community they serve.  Move aside would be my advice.

On the subject of grades,  we have just got the latest DfT stats for ADI Part 2 & 3 test pass rates.  It shows Part 2 as 58.7% and Part 3 as 38.7% (female candidates out-performing  males 43% vs 38%).  Both of those stats are   10-year highs would you believe?  I wonder what OFSTED would make of those kinds of pass rates?

Can you please help me?

When was the last time you paid someone to teach you something?  Perhaps it was a while ago?  For me, it was last night. I am paying for private chess lessons.  If it has been a while for you, I really will encourage you to organise it.  It is crucial that you appreciate as a driving instructor, what a learner pupil expects and experiences in a learning environment.  

One example of what they experience is the feeling one gets with an obstacle to learning.  No matter how one tries, the desired outcome is just not happening.  The cause might be an unrealistic goal, or perhaps an ill-thought-out measure of progress.  It may be relating to physical or mental dexterity.  Generally speaking, when a pupil is aware of the expectation, is given time and a comfortable learning environment, then good things do naturally evolve.  But it is not a given.  There can be internally generated problems that are restricting performance as well as external influencers.  

What pupils do require from us at times as driving instructors is some clarity and guidance as to why things are occurring in the way they are.  

If you are paying someone to learn something at the moment, you will very likely know what I'm talking about; you will be able to 'connect' with the message.  If you are not though, you may read the above and not appreciate the point.  Time to be bold and brave.  Get rid of your self-complacency and start realising that to serve your pupils with good quality, valued driving instruction, you do need to be aware of how it feels to learn something.
Put your hand in your pocket, PAY someone to impart knowledge, skills, training, advice.  

Do it, actually book it up today, and I guarantee you will be thanking me in a short while.

Me me me

When you go and buy a morning cup of tea at the Drive-Thru, it is the paying window that comes first. Buy a sofa or a carpet - sure, pay for it first though. Want your accounts doing, no worries, here is the bill first.  You'd like Sky Movies, or a smartphone or to get through your Christmas shopping list on Amazon - you got it, get your wallet out first sunshine.  Bear these words in mind when you run your own driving school.  As the owner of a business you do have the right to set "the rules of engagement";  a military phrase which defines parameters which are importantly unacceptable.  

These businesses that have been thriving all through our UK economic downturn, and still continue to thrive do so as they set very clear expectations upon the behaviours of their customers.  Look at budget airlines for example, very clear on what customers can and cannot do.  And yet retailers like John Lewis who are suffering from 99% profit losses are having to seriously re-think their business model. 

Scotty Wiseman said two generations ago "Have I told you lately, that I love you".  When you come out the other side of a thoroughly miserable, bloody war, it will be the respect and love between people that motivates and inspires. But in our times, one could quite justifiably re-jig that to "Have I told you lately, that I love me", because what social media is fast being referred to is "show off media".  The writing was on the wall many years ago when posters pinged up an image of them taking a 'selfie' using a full-length mirror.  So let me get this right then.... you've taken a photo of yourself, taking a photo of yourself.  Me me me! It's all about me!  Unsurprisingly, this culture of "meness" has created a generation of self-obsessed young adults who want the very best for them, immediately.  And this all applies regarding the taking of driving lessons with a driving instructor and obtaining a full driving licence.

When you have educational institutions repeatedly planting seeds of "meness" thoughts into young minds, then this is what happens.  Students are no longer expected to absorb knowledge but instead, know how to retrieve knowledge instantly.  You don't need to calculate in your head a subtraction formula to know how many days until Christmas.  No, you say "Alexa, how many sleeps until Christmas?", she will think, leaving you time to then hear a few words from Santa (give it a go if you don't believe me).

From a business point of view, this is only important if you value your time.  Pupils will switch you on and off at the drop of a hat.  Your diary will get filled and cancelled at will.  Cancellations have consequences to your private life, your family commitments, your revenue, and your general sense of well-being.  For driving instructors, it is in your interests to know how to manage this situation.
  
Call BIG TOM and let us help you to help yourself.

Opening door using 'Dutch reach'

According to ADI News the Highway Code is set to be updated to include added safety for cyclists and pedestrians.
One of the amendments is to encourage people to use the "Dutch reach" when opening a vehicle door.  This technique has been known and used in driver training for several years and is now set to be included in the Highway Code.
You place the hand furthest from the door on to the door handle prior to opening the door.  This will make a blindspot check over the shoulder be more natural and an easier movement since the upper body is already twisting towards the door.

Have you noticed how the brake pedal is slightly higher than the accelerator?  Have you noticed that to put the gear lever in reverse, most car manufacturers force the driver to add a specific movement?

How could you incorporate this subject into your driving training for your pupils?

Optimism bias

In your BIG TOM driving instructor training, you will be invited to consider not only how you perceive risk but how you can have discussions with your pupils about their perceptions.
Take driving on country roads for example.  Some pupils will not necessarily be considering the possible outcomes of not setting the speed for the driving conditions.  They may have what is termed "optimism bias" which means they tend to view their driving outcomes in a more favourable light than others might.  It can be potentially dangerous if it prevents them from following key safe driving concepts such as braking before a country bend, not on it.
It can, of course, go the other way too, a pupil may display behaviour which is risk-averse as they tend to bias their thoughts around the worst-case scenario.  These pupils might suffer from anxiety and emotional stresses which can affect their ability to drive.
Often the consequences to the pupil's driving ability will go un-noticed by them once they are driving alone.  Either other road users may take avoiding action for the drop in driving performance by your pupil, or perhaps the design of the road infrastructure absorbs any error by accommodating the fault.  Potentially your pupil could be narrowly avoiding collisions without any appreciation of the fact (unconsciously incompetent).  A particular set of less forgiving circumstances can lead to a collision.

There is an art to creating conversations with pupils about such subjects.  This kind of 'inward thinking' is not natural for all and especially not to discuss with a driving instructor.  That is why you will get guidance in your BIG TOM driving instructor training on how to create these conversations.

Crossing solid white lines

DID YOU KNOW?

Drivers of emergency service vehicles are no different to the rest of the public when it comes to not being allowed to cross solid white lines ..... even when on an emergency call.

You are allowed if it is safe and you are entering a side road, to pass a stationary vehicle, overtake a bike/horse/road maintenance vehicle if travelling <10mph

Check out HWC rule 129 

Planning a journey in fog

When training in fog, it is an opportunity to stress the importance of planning a journey and continuing risk assessment throughout the session.  Role 1, unit 1.3 of the National Standard makes reference to this point.  Always be prepared to maintain safety by reviewing the risks should the fog get worse on a training session.  In the clip shown above which occurred this morning between 6-8am the fog did not worsen, but even so, it is good to make mention of being prepared to review weather conditions because it sets a good example to our pupils. Take a look at the 2 Level 5 requirements relating to weather conditions in Learning to Drive (pg 65).  Note that our pupils are required to be capable of achieving these goals consistently without any help.

A very good reference on the subject of driving in fog is provided in DES (pg 323-327). 

Interacting with other road users

Role 4 of the National Standard refers to driving safely and responsibly in the traffic system.  This video demonstrates the competency required of cooperating with other road users by being aware of and predicting likely actions of other road users.  However, do look carefully at the signage and markings on the road.  We need our pupils to start connecting dots within roles of the standard.  In this case, role 3 which refers to using the road in accordance with the Highway Code and complying with signs and road markings.  Rewind the clip and pay close attention to the signs and road markings.

On your BIG TOM driving instructor training, you will be encouraged to consider events like this shown in the video and use the resources you have to understand and appreciate what has occurred.  In that way, you are better equipped to inform your pupils appropriately.

For your information, I would advise you take a look at pg 114 of your KYTS re signs, and pg 64 re road markings, and DES pg 132.  BIG TOM provides all trainees with the very latest, comprehensive and authoritative resources.
Take a close look at the position of the van.  

What do you think?

Progressive braking

For maximum control and smoother stopping use a technique known as progressive braking under normal situations of slowing. Light pressure is applied on the brake pedal initially and gradually increased to stop the vehicle.  At the very moment just before the vehicle pausing, ease OFF the brake pedal to create a smooth stop.

This technique helps to reduce skidding, gives drivers behind plenty of notice of your slowing, makes for a more comfortable ride for your passengers (remember that unlike you, they may not be looking up when the vehicle is moving), uses less fuel than intense braking and reduces wear on the brakes, tyres and suspension.

You will be encouraged to experiment with this technique within your BIG TOM driving instructor Part 2 in-car training.  There will appropriate places for you to practice it without unduly affecting other road users.

To book your Part 2 in-car training with BIG TOM call 0800 689 4174 

Crippled by fear

A logical, understandable and widespread reaction to the feeling of fear, is to do nothing. While doing nothing, irrational imaginations of doom and gloom can develop.  A visceral response which no-one should be ashamed of experiencing.  Michael Pritchard (a comedian) wasn't joking when he said: "Fear is that little darkroom where negatives are developed".

Before you even start training with BIG TOM to become a driving instructor, you will have wrestled internally with these demons of doubt and resistance to change.  When you are receiving the training, there will be fear regarding the qualifying tests.  After qualifying, the next obstacle is what to say and do when you have your first pupil sat in the car.  What's going to happen when your first pupil goes to take their driving test?

Sit back, relax those shoulders, have a cup of tea.  

BIG TOM training provides customers with the appropriate preparation for the unknowns. There will not be hidden surprises.  The training, for example, includes working with real pupils, so you get plenty of practice providing first-class driving instruction in realistic situations where you get to witness actual responses from pupils rather than artificial role-play scenarios.

One little tip that it is worth considering is that how you are feeling is not too dissimilar to your pupils when they first meet you.  Your experiences now will help you to empathise with customers once you are successfully qualified.

Why we do the things we do

When you book yourself in for one of the online BIG TOM pedagogy training sessions, be prepared to start looking at things differently. It is a vital skill for an effective driving instructor.  I say "effective" for a good reason.

A young lass recently contacted me and couldn't explain to me on the phone why her driving instructor had advised her to book up a driving test but then dropped her, inexplicably, like a stone.  I, like you I'm pretty sure, immediately question the authenticity of what this pupil is telling me.  Right?  Treat anything that pupils say to us about previous training with a healthy dose of scepticism.

When this lass is sitting next to me in the car, and we are looking at each other face to face.  It turns out that there were, in fact, two driving instructors who had "rejected" this pupil.  

But why?  

No meaningful, logical, reasonable explanation was provided.  We moved on - life is too short.  All I could immediately pick up with absolute 100% certainty was that in front of me was a pupil lacking in confidence, showing signs of feeling lost and confused.  I could almost see this heavy rock sitting upon her young shoulders and boy was it laying heavy upon her.  And all this was noticed before she had even sat in the driver's seat.

Having spent some time working with this pupil, I start to notice some more points of interest.

She is smart.  Really smart.  She answers questions I put to her with razor-sharp accuracy.  She speaks softly, with little eye contact, but she is listening intently to everything I am saying and can recall key learning points without hesitation.  She asks excellent questions albeit with little riders at the start such as "I know this is a silly question" or "Sorry to ask you this but..."

However, her driving ability does have somewhat unpredictable elements that crop up from time to time.  She will force the gear lever into 1st when she attempts to do a 4th to 3rd or 5th to 3rd gear change.  She will steer too far left off the road when something is coming. She won't do useful observations at a junction before pulling out.  She will quite happily drive either left or right with no prior observations.

Talk to her about these issues, and she knows precisely what is required - which is borne out by the fact that 99% of gear changes, directional changes and junctions are carried out satisfactorily.

So what do we have here?  We have a pupil who is low in confidence, high in driving ability and knowledge but who makes occasional, but pretty catastrophic driving faults.

It's interesting to see this.  Or is it?  Do I dare say some driving instructors might choose other words to describe this situation? Risky, dangerous, infuriating, disappointing, frustrating,  harmful for the car.  Might some instructors even consider this pupil more trouble than the income generated is worth?

There seems to be a conflict as far as I can see.  One question that is at the very forefront of my mind which is staring at me with flashing lights and loud hooter sounds:  

"Why has this pupil who is committing these kinds of driving faults got a driving test booked up?"

That, I would suggest, is at the heart of this situation.  Why do we do the things we do?   Incredibly compelling case and one that for me, makes this job very challenging but also stimulating.

If you also find this subject interesting then consider signing up for some 'Pedagogy' foundation block driving instructor training with BIG TOM.  Call 0800 689 4174

Learnism

Pull over. I need to go over something with you, as you clearly are not understanding me.

I take it you know the definition of "learnism".  That's a comment, not a  question.  It's all the rage. Re-inventing of the wheel. You youngsters are all into this touchy, feely, soft cotton wool existence these days.

I'll tell you anyway to demonstrate my authority in our relationship and how up to date with modern times I am.

"Discrimination against or hostility towards pupils with unique learning preferences."

It is undoubtedly utter garbage of course. Trust me when I tell you this is nonsense.

I've always been of the view that pupils are better off just listening to me, absorbing all the wise words that come out of my mouth and learning, to become very much like myself.  One might say, you have to copy me unquestionably.  Believe me; I'm a fabulous driver.  All you have to do is just as I say.

I've been in your situation before, I know it's not always a bed of roses; in fact, I vaguely recall at times you might be wondering if this will ever come to an end.  I am right aren't I. That's a comment, not a question.

As my old headteacher used to tell me often "No pain, no gain". I didn't enjoy school if I'm honest. I used to get in a lot of trouble with the teachers because I found it hard to concentrate on one thing for any amount of time.  But I eventually realised that I was to blame entirely, I was wasting a lot of the teachers' time and spent many lunch breaks with the headteacher. In the end, I was able to predict exactly what his wife had put in his lunchbox for lunch.  He used to scoff at the piece of fruit she put in the box and say "Will she never learn?".  A bit like me I used to think, he said the same about me too.

So you would do well to listen to my advice here because I'm talking from experience. Concentrate. Listen. And do as I tell you.

Anyway, lunch beckons. I wonder what gastric surprises she has given me today, same old, same old no doubt.

BIG TOM provides pedagogy training for driving instructors - 0800 689 4174

Triggers of behaviours

Often (but not always), when a driver commits what would be classified on a driving test as a 'driving fault', the trigger that caused that behaviour is not as obvious as one might think.

The practical driving instructor training provided by BIG TOM for trainee driving instructors addresses this point because as trainers of people, it is vital to have an understanding of why people do what they do. Many triggers cause driving behaviour.  

Here are a few examples of the point I am attempting to raise:

Speeding - what triggers a driver to do 33 in a 30? Is the behaviour internally caused or are there external factors at play?  What would need to happen for a person to eradicate this behaviour from their driving?
Observations - if an observation is missing let's say a blind spot check, is it a habitual issue, does the driver not value the need for the check, is there an external factor that occurs which causes the oversight?
Tailgating - has the driver, over many years of observing others drive become conditioned to drive too close to the vehicle in front unconsciously?
Aggressive driving style - why do drivers use the horn to vent their anger? Does it demonstrate an underlying cause that is affecting driving behaviours?

To put this into perspective, here is a real example that happened just over this weekend involving me approaching a mini roundabout. Opposite me was a vehicle driving straight over the roundabout towards me. To my right was a vehicle approaching the roundabout looking to turn right, in effect, taking the same exit as my intended.

As my car and the oncoming vehicle effectively join in the middle of the roundabout, the driver of the car approaching to my right accelerates hard on to the roundabout, swerving away from the white circle of the roundabout and uses the horn for a 5 second blast aimed at me.

The driver and his wife get out their car and with lots of finger pointing and raised voices saying how outraged they were. When I countered that the chap was supposed to give way to the right and then go around the white blob, the female passenger said:

"The only reason why my husband did that was because you had driven on to the roundabout". 

Now spend a moment (as I have spent more than just one) to try and get your head around that logic.

So to explain what she means by that remark, I will need to mention the timing of events.  As I approached the mini-roundabout, the vehicle to my right had slowed to a stop, quite correctly, as there was a vehicle approaching from the right, which did need to be given way.

I was able to read that situation and effectively could see that the oncoming vehicle to me was acting as a "blocker" to the vehicle to my right (there were no 'signals' from the oncoming vehicle's speed, position or indicators to suggest it was going around the mini roundabout).

Even though the vehicle to my right had arrived earlier to the mini roundabout than myself, it did have to give way and had no choice in the matter. I believe, what the couple object to in this situation is that I was able to anticipate how this was going to develop and make progress without the need to pause; I had arrived later to the junction than them but left earlier. 

Shock, horror, what an outrage.  

And that 'trigger' was all it took for that driver to then accelerate hard on to the roundabout (immediately after the car passed it), swerve to the right, therefore, ignoring the white circle to then make some gain on my vehicle as the horn was sounded.

Were they in a rush? No, they pulled into the local superstore to do some shopping.  Was the car driven by a young, impatient, hot-headed 17 year old who wanted to show off his fast car? No, the chap was about 60.  Did the driver to my right feel like he had lost face by my action?  Was the driver irritated for some reason for having to give way to the vehicle to his right?  Did the driver feel like the vehicle to his right was driving too slowly for the situation, thereby unnecessarily holding him up?  Did the driver spot my driving school 'L' plates and not expect the driving behaviour that I displayed thinking it was bound to pause being driven by a learner driver?

Who knows?

Why do some drivers not give way to pedestrians approaching a zebra crossing?

Who knows?

When you eventually start working with pupils as a qualified driving instructor you have the opportunity to start exploring into why certain driving behaviours occur and help identify triggers. Learner drivers don't (on the whole) deliberately drive around committing driving errors, there will be triggers, and if you can attempt to discover them, you will be opening up their mind to realising how thoughts, feelings, beliefs and attitudes affect behaviours.

Presumed learning

When you come to do your Part 3 training with BIG TOM you will be introduced to this idea of presumed learning. It is a very easy trap to fall into as a driving instructor.  It goes along the lines of the following.

You introduce a new subject to your pupil. 

Discuss it.
Demo it.
Draw it.
Watch it.
Experiment with it.
Practise it. Practise it. Practise it. Practise it. Practise it.

You may tick the subject off your sheet as "introduced".

You have 30 other pupils before you see this pupil again.

You see the pupil again, you pull the pupil record, you see the subject is "introduced".

Don't assume anything

Your pupil may be tired, distracted, emotionally drained. Your pupil may have forgotten 80% of what you both did last time.
It is no crime.
It is to be expected.
Don't presume that learning has occurred just because YOU know it.
Don't punish your pupil. Don't criticise, or judge, or lose patience. Instead, persevere, adapt, encourage, praise and enjoy. 

This IS what we do. We are here to facilitate learning.

Owning the learning process

This review was received by a customer of BIG TOM a few days ago.  Interesting to note what is said about retention of the learning material.  Bear in mind, these are the words of the customer, my pupil.  It seems quite obvious to me that this person has made a deliberate choice about how she learns, in order to maximise the learning potential.  BIG TOM has invested heavily in creating an effective learning environment.  One should bear in mind however that it is not a given that any particular pupil will automatically know how they prefer to learn.  But retaining learning content is absolutely essential which is why the DVSA Driving Standard makes mention of this particular point.

I thought I would show you this particular review as it demonstrates that pupils do have the capability of choosing effective learning strategies.

Fall out rate

Do you have any idea at all what the fallout rate of approved driving instructors is?  How many people are getting qualified and leaving the industry within 2 years of registering with the DVSA?

Would be kind of useful to know don't you think?  Especially if you are about to embark on a career change as a driving instructor!

The fact is that the fallout rate is kept pretty hush-hush in the industry.  I dare say it is technically possible for the DVSA to crunch some data numbers, and track ADI's to see if those that are handing back their green badges (or allowing them to elapse and not renewing) are recently qualified.  But they seemingly don't.  So it simply is not possible to get that figure for you, believe me if I could publish it, I would.

But what we do have, and I have previously published this data in this blog, is the amount of newly qualified ADI's coming into the industry per quarter, as well as the total number of ADI's on the register.  As such, you can deduce from that (albeit a rather course calculation) that there are indeed a significant number of ADI's leaving the industry.  What we don't know though, is how many are due to natural wastage, and how many are newly qualified.

All I can say to you if you have got this far in this blog is that I've been monitoring this since I qualified and it is incredible how many new, flash driving school cars pop up constantly and yet they do not hang around for long..... I really do mean incredible.  I'm not suggesting that all of these equate to the ADI handing back that green badge, some I guess could be moving location or specialising in other areas of driving training.

I've put a FOI request in with the DVSA, will report back how I get on.

[UPDATE]:  This is the response I received today (10/10/2018):

A report was produced by the ADI branch of those ADI’s, who have asked to have their names removed from the ADI register in the last five calendar years. The report compared the date of issue of the ADI’s first full certificate which is the date their name was added to the register, and the date their name was removed from the register.

In each of the last five calendar years, there are no instructors who were on the register for less than one full registration period of four years

Walking the talk

As a PDI you will quite naturally want to be gaining some reassurance that who you are training with can actually do what they preach.  This creates authenticity, integrity and reassurance.
I received this review from a customer yesterday.  Take a moment to properly read through it.  When you train with BIG TOM to become a driving instructor, it is important that you realise your trainer is not speaking from a theoretical, academic viewpoint, instead, your trainer is able to deliver to the standard at which s/he is expecting you to achieve.  This is a very important point and one which I would encourage you to literally ask for evidence of, should you be researching for a driving instructor trainer.

Challenges within customer services

One of the advantages of utilising BIG TOM "Business Support" training is that unlike pre-set, fixed classroom-style learning, our content is bang up to date to help you overcome the challenges of that time.

I recently was able to offer timely advice relating to GDPR and emerging right now is a new challenge for customer service.
  
Have you noticed the culture in our society is becoming less tolerant where any sniff of an "ism" (racism, sexism etc.) is immediately an outrage?  A challenge for business these days is where a customer uses an "ism" to justify a complaint even where one did not exist.  This represents a grave and potentially profoundly troublesome challenge to businesses.  Our driving instructor associations are proving to be very slow in detecting this 'movement', as such, many owners of driving schools are exposed.  
My online training gives you the opportunity to raise your awareness, discuss any problems you may be encountering and develop systems to prevent malicious claims from affecting your business.  

You need to know how 'social justice warriors' are incorporating under-hand tactics on social media to inflict damage on businesses and what you can do to protect yourself. 
    
You should make yourself aware of how a customer's mindset of "instant gratification" needs to be carefully managed in your customer service systems.

You would be wise to learn how to deal with a customer who is taking zero responsibility for outcomes and yet holds high expectations for your driving school performance.

As driving instructors, we provide a service that is reliant on key performance measures that need to be communicated to potential customers.  Book yourself up for some clear, concise guidance on these critical factors that could affect your business. (BIG TOM Foundation Training £20/hr 0800 689 4174)

How to create value

A critical skill for a driving instructor is to be effective in driving instruction. Losing sight of this seemingly obvious fact is easy.  When you train with BIG TOM via the in-car training or the online foundation block training, you will be continuously assisted to achieve this vital goal.

My family have recently returned from a break in the Cotswolds where my two lads managed to have a variety of water ski sessions with two different ski schools.  Their approach to the service they provided did emphasise this point.

In both cases, my boys were suited up in wetsuits, pulled along on boats with the instructor driving the boat while giving instruction.  My wife and I sat in the boats and observed the experiences; they could not have been more different for a variety of reasons.  The effect it had on my boys was truly unbelievable; poor instruction affects customer experiences.  

Having a pupil sat in the driver's seat with you present does NOT in itself, make the driving instruction effective.  Without wanting to appear blunt, you do need to understand this point because it will affect the rate of progress your pupils make as well as the customer experience.

No pain no gain

One of the biggest myths about "intensive driving courses" is the word intensive.  People, quite understandably, associate the word intensive with this concept of high effort, maximum energy and dare I even say it, pain..... "no pain no gain".
At BIG TOM this is not our philosophy.  
Think for a moment how you prefer to alter your behaviour for the better.  Rarely does this involve a sharp, sudden change in attitude.  Consistency is so much more beneficial than this idea of erratic, impulsive behavioural change.  The reason why this is the preferred method is that it tends to lead to more permanent habitual actions.
It will very likely lead to better outcomes regarding how you train to become an ADI.  Little and often, enjoyable, stimulating training that leaves you feeling good, interested, and wanting more.
Today I finished working with a pupil and after 4 hours of training, we were amazed at how quickly the time went.  Our work together was stimulating, progressive, positive and constructive.  Together, we were not within a learning environment that was a burden, unsafe, too challenging, neither was it simplistic, boring and repetitive.  You see the balance?
The DVSA Driving Standard makes reference to this point.  If you choose to train with BIG TOM, this will be covered in your training because it is important to your customers and your business.  

New career as a driving instructor?

Do take a look at this video clip here which is a great lesson in STOP PROCRASTINATING!  If you look at it all the way through, there is a lesson to be learnt.  The same outcome was arrived actually by a slip, an accident, but how much relief would have been felt!  Sometimes we all need a bit more doing rather than thinking.

Need advice about a new career as a driving instructor? 0800 689 4174

The message received

On the BIG TOM Part 3 training, we explore how the behaviours of a driving instructor can be perceived by pupils.  A great deal of communication is created not by what IS said, but by the method in which it is sent out to the pupil.  Generally speaking, people do not appreciate the effect this has on the 'receiver' of the communication.

If our PDI is from a background that has not involved 1:1 communication with people then this section of BIG TOM training can be enlightening.  As the years tick by, we all tend to develop personal characteristics of communication often without conscious awareness.  For example, some people will tend to:

speak too quickly or slowly

not make eye contact

pepper a sentence with overused words such as "obviously", "as you know", "of course", "but", "like", "kind of"

steer conversations around to the instructor or other pupils rather than the pupil in front of them

not check for understanding after giving an explanation

not attempt to smile 

speak in a monotone voice with no accentuation or lilt

do too much "telling" and not enough "asking"

structure a question so that it is 'loaded'

be facing away from a pupil when speaking rather than towards them

start talking before engaging brain (rambling)

The consequences for the person on the receiving end are profound.  If you receive enough of this kind of treatment, it stirs deep emotional feelings of resentment, anger and loathing.  Effective communication is effortful and must be centred around an interactive environment of respect.  As in all encounters with people, if you repeatedly show no respect, there typically will be consequences (and ignorance of this subject is rarely tolerated by the recipient).

BIG TOM franchise for driving instructors

Tom Ingram offers the following advice to any reader considering joining the BIG TOM franchise as a driving instructor:


"In a 1:1 learning environment, the quality of training often comes down to the working relationship you have with a pupil.  Over the years, I've heard people misinterpret this as being a kind of mate or friend to a pupil.  It is important to recognise that the instructor and pupil are working within a business contract; the pupil is the customer who has a need and is paying for a service being provided by the instructor.  Important elements reciprocated within the relationship are trust, understanding, clear communication, respect, effort, perseverance.  The reason why the instructor is able to charge for this service is that they act professionally, reliably and courteously giving a training service that complies with the DVSA driving standards.  But it is work.  The work involves the process by which the successful end result is achieved.  It is NOT to be confused with the end result of passing the driving test.  The work is in the means by which this is achieved.  BIG TOM instructors make that process enjoyable and satisfying for customers.  Effective learning is achieved within a safe and enjoyable learning environment."

Read here some feedback from previous customers to see the working relationship.

Spot the skill

On your Part 2 driving instructor training, we play a bit of a game where we have a race to see who can spot the driving skill first.  Developing driving skills in new drivers is a key role of a BIG TOM driving instructor so it is very logical to make sure that as a PDI you are aware of all the skills that are being used for every day driving.  

To give you just 3 examples:

You are waiting to emerge right out of a minor road.  To your left is nothing.  To your right are 3 cars, the first of which has a left signal on.  It appears that it is turning left into your minor road.  You proceed with great caution as you know, this is potentially very hazardous.

When following a vehicle on a single carriageway road, at 50mph, the vehicle's right signal goes on.  You automatically start trying to identify where the right turn is up ahead.  The sooner you can see where this car is intending to turn right, the better you will feel.  

Sitting at give ways in a minor road, waiting to turn left into a busy major road.  You notice that a pedestrian has just approached a "puffin" pedestrian crossing to your right in the major road.  Happy days, you KNOW you will be able to emerge any time soon.

It's a great game, a lot of fun, and will get you thinking about learning to drive in terms of skills rather than driving faults.

 

Location of reverse parallel park

On a car driving test this morning, the examiner asked my pupil to do the reverse parallel park in the location shown as above (literally using the car as shown).

You perhaps might be able to see that it is extremely tight.  My pupil even said as such before she started to attempt the manoeuvre.  The distance from the parked car and also the kerb is far from ideal as a starting point.  My pupil struggled to get the angle due to the kerb on the right and her wheel.  There was then a lot of shunting around to no avail with vehicles waiting front and back.  Eventually it was aborted.  The examiner used the dual brakes due to how close the car was to the parked car, and after aborting the manoeuvre helped my pupil with where to steer to get out of the situation.  

In the de-brief the examiner mentioned that she heard what my pupil said about the width or road and that she was prepared to "cut you some slack" [whatever that quite means?].  However, she failed the test due to the presence of the other vehicles waiting, the lack of observations out the rear, being too close to the corner of the parked car, not making all round observations, hitting the kerb to the right and all the shunts that were done. 

After the de-brief, I had a private chat with the examiner asking if she felt that location was appropriate, which she said she did.  So I mentioned that I would be taking guidance from my customer, but I felt it was inappropriate to be doing a parallel park in that location - inappropriate for me having been a driver for 35 years, let alone a candidate on a driving test.  I informed the examiner that if my customer was unhappy with the result (the manoeuvre was the ONLY reason for the test fail), then we would be returning to the location to take photos prior to lodging a complaint.  The examiner said she would make a note of our chat.

Neither DT 1 nor ADI 1 makes mention of any stipulation regarding this.  Standards and Regulations of the DVSA have confirmed with me that there used to be a stipulation of sorts for the old Turn in the Road manoeuvre ("three point turn" in old money), but this TITR manoeuvre has been taken out of the learner car driving test.

So it is interesting.  I have lodged a complaint with the DVSA online.  There is no contact number for the Test Centre Manager displayed at the test centre where this occurred. We shall see what happens.  

I think for me, what this comes down to is two things:

a) Is the location appropriate for the manoeuvre, meaning would any ordinary driver contemplate doing the manoeuvre in that particular place?  When we returned to the location, while I was able to physically complete the manoeuvre, I think it fair to say that anyone looking at the situation would not choose to do a parallel park there.

b) Is it reasonable to expect a candidate on a driving test to manage that situation?  On this one, I think that the circumstances are so inappropriate for the manoeuvre that no, it is unreasonable to expect a candidate to have the clarity of thought, to actually deal with all that was going on.  In effect, one could say it was designed to cause a fail.  What I would emphasise is that no driver (either learner or qualified) would choose to do the manoeuvre in that location, so no, why should anyone have an expectation to be able to deal with it on a test?  

Crucially, part of preparing learners for everyday driving as per the DVSA Driving Standard, is to develop the skill of assessing risk independently.  The increased risk factors for this situation are hitting the kerb to the right, hitting the parked car, causing an unnecessary and perhaps unacceptable delay to other road users.  To include on an assessment an artificial situation that goes directly against this skill of taking responsibility for risk is not smart in my view.  It directly goes against everything I have been working hard with my pupil; and right at the last stage of learning to drive, dictates to my pupil, to undertake a manoeuvre in a place that opposes any dynamic risk assessment that she would personally have undertaken.

UPDATE 15/08/2018:  The DVSA have been in touch and the Test Centre Manager for the location concerned with the above driving test, has confirmed that in his opinion that location is unreasonable.  The examiner concerned is a newly qualified and has been appropriately advised.  The test fee is going to be refunded.  I am pleased to also announce that the pupil concerned in this incident, did go on to pass her driving test on her second attempt shortly after the original test fail.  I think it is fair to say however, that this kind of situation does demonstrate that there are driving instructors who are prepared to firstly, observe the tests for their pupils and secondly, raise a complaint if something crops up that is incorrect.  I would strongly advise and PDI's (and indeed ADI's) monitoring this blog to openly offer to observe as many driving tests as your pupils are happy for you to do so.