Power learning

The progress that is being made by one of my pupils this week is nothing short of incredible. He is a young chap (19) with no previous driving experience at all. He has no experience of any related activity that has similarities to driving or practical techniques and yet yesterday; he drove from a busy industrial estate in Peterborough to the train station through the City Centre.  One cannot but wonder how on earth this can happen.

This chap thinks deeply when in the car with me. He engaged with me often online when provided with his pre-course resources.  He is a quietly spoken soul, but don't misinterpret the quietness; he is working very hard, answers questions honestly, personally, with much consideration. He makes no rash decisions regarding options of what to do next or where to go. He has an eye for detail. When given feedback he can listen accurately, and he very clearly demonstrates an ability to change his thought processes (and therefore affect behaviours) having received that feedback.  He doesn't ask many questions but what he does ask me has often not been asked before in my experience; they are distinct in their rarity. When he has a timeout, he really has a timeout; he gets out the car, stretches his legs and has a smoke.

There is much debate about the state of our educational system in the UK. Teachers are working harder than ever, but I do wonder if the same can be said for the students. A retired Head Teacher recently published a letter* with his opinion that if we want to know why London schools are outperforming other schools we need look no further than the lesser quantity of "white British pupils" in London schools compared to non-London.  To quote him "Or, to put it more bluntly, London schools have on average almost two-and-a-half times fewer of the lowest-performing pupils as schools in the rest of England".  If you speak to any Teachers who are in schools with non-UK students, ask them about their work ethic (and the attitude of the parents too).

It's interesting because what this young, white, British pupil has demonstrated in just two days this week with me is that it is entirely possible to make significant gains when learning to drive.  But you do need some key ingredients: an honest and trusting relationship with the driving instructor,  quality learning techniques and resources, a willingness to personalise the learning and grit.

*Source: "Letters" The Week (7/4/2018) Chris Dunne - retired head teacher