Stop what you are doing

I think that when kind folk talk to me about the need to have patience as a driving instructor and how they could never do my job, they are missing the point.  I have a somewhat ambivalent attitude about these apparent compliments.  Either they have a skewed understanding of what the job entails, or it is entirely possible that I am the one in error.  But I offer my reader the following with Role 6 of the DVSA National standard for driver and rider training very much in mind.

Trainers and coaches get very used to common themes regarding applied techniques to assist progress in any given physical activity.  I won't list them but if you just think of methods relating to swimming, laying bricks, carving wood, playing chess, displaying flowers, public speaking, riding a horse, they all will have tried and tested words of guidance that stand the test of time and are indisputably sensible words of advice to give a pupil.  So yes, I guess in that regard, being a driving instructor is no different.  Take the technique needed for early beginners when "moving off" for example.

If you flick through to pg 89 of Driving the Essential Skills, it gives an itemised list of the actions required.  Remember that pupils need to know 'why' as well as 'how'; it would be wise to back up those actions with the reasoning so that the pupil understands.  You could demonstrate how to make the moves. Your pupil might even want to video the technique on their mobile for later reference.  Your pupil may want to write it down, take a screenshot of pg 89, draw the key elements, record the steps on the dictaphone on their mobile.  And then it is time for them to practice.  All sounds pretty reasonable, logical, sensible.  There is of course more to this when you consider precisely the differing situations in which we move off on public roads.  There are variants relating to the volume of traffic, the width of the carriageway, pedestrians near the vehicle, gradients on the surface, the speed of traffic, daylight and darkness, weather, type and weight of the vehicle.

Despite going through the actions above with your pupil, there are a variety of reasons why a pupil might not do the very first task, i.e. "with your right foot, press the accelerator slightly and hold it steady".  Regular readers of this blog will know that behaviours of pupils are a fascinating subject in itself.  But let's stick with the fact that it will not necessarily be evident to you as a driving instructor why a pupil would not 'set gas' even having gone through the actions listed above.

Now, this might be the reason why friends say to us how they could not do our job? Perhaps?

So I guess the question is, what should one do if the situation above presents itself?  And this is where the title of this blog comes in.

You could repeat all of the actions listed above concerning EDP (explain, demonstrate, practice), you really could.  How engaged your pupil will remain should you attempt it would be interesting to observe.  Perhaps you could tactfully test for signs of memory recall with questions rather than explanations.  I know I have covered this elsewhere on this blog but in summary, if the essential elements of the technique do not absorb into the long term memory, then this will affect the drill which will affect practical outcomes, e.g. in our example of 'setting gas', stalling the car.

Learning is always about the pupil though.  Our feelings about the situation are nothing more than a distraction.  Thoughts relating to impatience that our pupil does not 'get it' or questioning their intelligence/attitude, are very negative and unhelpful.

In moments like this, I thoroughly recommend taking a time-out.  Our pupils work hard, it is mentally tiring, and if they sense a whiff of 'failing' they can be mighty self-critical.  A moment of reflection to clear the head for some rational thinking works wonders.  I'm not attempting to trivialise effective learning; sometimes there are barriers which are fundamentally very restrictive.  But there is very little to be gained by forcing the issue.  For sure, attempt to understand, after all, as driving instructors we are observing hundreds if not thousands of pupils over the years, so we begin to understand what is 'normal'.  We are working in a 1:1 environment, so you quite quickly begin to see themes of how pupils behave when learning.  But my point is that all of us can only work with the information that we have in front of us.

Continuing with the example of moving off, and the issue of not setting gas with the right foot. The consequence will inevitably be stalling the car which has a profound effect on confidence.  So this seemingly minor detail of the action with the right foot can easily be perceived as an enormous problem that is dramatically affecting outcomes and making a pupil feel demoralised, frustrated, and even defeated.  They can lose faith in their ability, and in you as an instructor.  They might want to stop learning to drive, or perhaps change instructor.  It might foster deep feelings of self-doubt for years to come; I'm thinking particularly here of manoeuvres - the amount of qualified drivers who have long-term loathing of a particular manoeuvre is quite incredible.

So you know, as a driving instructor, that it really would be beneficial to your pupil if they would set gas when moving off.  You know what the consequences can be if they don't.  Stalls do not make for confident drivers - of that do not be in any doubt.

You and your pupil are in somewhat of an impasse.

In what seems to be the best of intentions for all, you decide to ignore the issue.  I cannot emphasise to you how wrong that decision is.  It never goes away; it will ebb away at your pupil's confidence tirelessly.  What's more, the more it goes on, the more it becomes the norm, the more your pupil thinks that it is natural, and expected.  You find yourselves edging back into a corner in slow motion where there is no way out; while looking at each other with bewilderment as you envisage the words SET GAS imprinted in large letters across the forehead of your pupil that only you can see.

No, let's agree to bin that idea.  

Instead, let's consider communication.  It is not in itself unusual for there to be obstacles to learning, and when pupil, instructor or both identify these, then at least we have the 'enemy' in sight so to speak.  How to deal with this enemy is a different matter, but at least we have it in our sights.

There will be a rare occasion when the pupil and instructor cannot identify the 'enemy', in other words, we just do not know what we are dealing with and as sad as it is, that is life, and for whatever reason, at that moment in time, this is an obstacle that really is affecting learning.  I guess there is an argument in these situations to persevere and show some grit.  Not wishing to make a nefarious statement but this is not always the answer.  I do hate to shatter dreams and aspirations, and it may line your pocket with more revenue but I for one like to sleep at night with a clear conscience.