Working with your head, heart and hands

One of the exciting aspects of being a driving instructor is the balance of skills required to do the job effectively.   Consider the following roles, for example:

Website developer - head, hands

Sales - head, heart

Management - head

Doctor - head, heart

Chef - hands, head

Teacher - head, heart

Mechanic - head, hands

It's crude, but you get a general idea?

One realisation that I think is going to emerge in my series of pre-Christmas vlogs is how interesting it is that a driving instructor works with their head, occasionally their hands, but very much with their heart.   Or not.  It's not a given.  I think the qualification process for being an effective driving instructor connects with the head and hands in the same way that "pitch and putt" could be said to connect with golf; superficially.  Our heart, however, is an underrated asset.  It is the invisible powerhouse behind our minute by minute work with pupils.  Without it, you run the risk of harming the working relationship. 

I am in no doubt that many existing driving instructors would reject this involvement of the heart, perhaps being far more pragmatic about our duties, and I would not care to debate it with them.  As I say, it is possible to 'go through the motions' as a driving instructor without any involvement of the heart.  All I would say though is that it is a vital characteristic of a BIG TOM driving instructor, far more critical than a DVSA Standards Check grade, for example.  (If you don't know what that is, follow the vlog series and all will be revealed in good time).

The reason why I place such emphasis on the heart is that it will consciously or not, affect the quality of the interaction with our pupils.  I will go on to show in the vlogs to come how important that point is to outcomes.  There is a synergy here with learning to drive having practical outcomes and the quality of our working relationships with pupils - the two are interdependent.

If you haven't got it already, pop on to Amazon and buy yourself The Driving Instructor's Handbook by John Miller.  Once it arrives in a day or two, flick to page 22 where it lists the qualities of an instructor:

Responsibility

Concentration

Anticipation

Patience

Confidence

Knowledge

Communication

Awareness

And I would like to add: Trust

The path our pupils tread when learning is not standard.  Should anyone underestimate that point, then they are in for a surprise.  To build an effective working relationship requires more than being a mentor.  I would argue that it is more akin to being a confidant because it is a deeply personal experience to recognise one's weaknesses and openly discuss them with another person.  Pupils come to us for our assistance, and some human behaviours can relate to feelings and beliefs that might take some courage to unearth.  Being able to work politely, professionally and with an ability to acknowledge personal strengths/weaknesses in ourselves will help to build trust with our pupils.  

More will be revealed in the vlogs.