Tips For Teaching Learners

[Simon Mac]

So my lad turned 17 yesterday, (yes I know I don't look old enough ), and here we are facing those first tentative steps into driving.

 

I plan on getting him professional lessons, but I'm a big believer in augmenting lessons with practice. To that end, I needed a car he could actually drive to practice in, so we bought him a Skoda CitiGo. (The Lotus is the only manual in the household, and that would have been stupid )

 

I took the first few steps today, taking the lad out for some basic clutch control, steering, gear changes etc, all on some nice quiet industrial estate roads. Eventually we even ventured out for some quiet back roads, and actually it all went rather well.

 

In my spare time I have taught many, many people to scuba dive (as a PADI instructor) so a lot of the teaching skills of being patient, praising as appropriate, correcting through suggestion, and most importantly staying calm in what can be a high stress environment have been somewhat transferable. I think if I hadn't done the diving instructor thing in the past I would have been a bag of nerves

 

Anyone else been through the trials of teaching a family member to drive? If so any tips ?

[Martin R]

Practice, practice and then practice. Get him to stop on a steep hill and hold the car on the clutch and throttle in first for a number of seconds. One he can do that the clutch control is easy.

 

Make sure you are teaching him the current methods to pass a test as well. Not much point practising the wrong methods? Its all about teaching him to pass the test. He can / will develop his own bad habits after    

[Simon Mac]

Yep, thanks Martin. I remember the hill technique being taught to me by my old man (with lots of shouting)

 

I've read up the current stuff from DVLA. They have the full criteria on line now, so it is wildly different in my day just turning up and trying your best (When the examiner knew the rules but the students didn't). You are definitely right a fair few changes. In fact I am actually enjoying reading it and seeing how I would fare if I were to take my test again tomorrow.

[kayj_prod]

I remember going out with my dad at about 5am when I turned 17, but prior to this I'd been driving on farm tracks (with permission I might add). I pretty much drove everywhere from then until passing my test. 

 

As for hill starts, I recall having some trouble at a set of traffic lights once. The driver behind got a bit impatient to say the least and my dad got out and did a mock polish of my L plate. (My dad wasn't one you'd particularly choose to argue with!)