The building blocks

Blaine Walsh provides our latest extract from the free new 'Ultimate Guide To Becoming A Driving Instructor'

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Intelligent Instructor is proud to have brought together industry experts to produce ‘The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Driving Instructor’.

It has been created in association with Drive.Day, a free magazine offering advice and guidance for those wishing to train and qualify as professional driving instructors.

This FREE 68-page digital magazine is packed with impartial, comprehensive, and detailed information for individuals looking to become driving instructors, and those who have already started out on the road to becoming a professional driver trainer.

Over the next ten weeks, we will publish a small selection of the articles in this guide.

This week, Blaine Walsh tackles ‘the building blocks’ to becoming a successful driver trainer.

 

 

The Building blocks

The Part 1 and 2 tests can often be down-played, but realising their importance towards your training throughout your journey to qualifying is vital.

‘Driving- The Essential Skills’ (DES) and apps such as ‘Theory Test Pro’ have their advantages. However, understanding the true meaning behind the text that you’re reading and the questions you’re being asked is valuable. Having in-depth Part 1 knowledge will aid your Part 2 driving as you seek to understand the road far better. Your Part 1 knowledge will also help with the technical aspects and legislation that you will come across when teaching and training for your Part 3.

Ensure that for Part 1, you are using a variety of resources such as DES, The Highway Code, Know Your Traffic Signs, Driving Instructors Handbook, the ADI1 (the examiners guidelines to Parts 2 and 3, standards checks, and ORDIT tests), the DT1 (the examiners guidelines to the learner driving test), the National Standards to driving cars and light vans, and the National Standards to driver and rider training. Different resources will have a variety of information to support your Part 1, 2 and 3 training, as well as your career for the years ahead.

Your Part 2 driving is also essential. This isn’t ‘just’ a drive, it’s you demonstrating to the examiner you know exactly what you should be teaching a pupil, as well as having the ability to be proactive, plan ahead, and are fully aware within your driving, which ultimately underpins your skills as an instructor.

Your Part 1 and 2 build a foundation towards your instructor skills, giving you a solid base to work with. Any gaps in your theoretical knowledge or a lack of practical driving ability will be evident once you start Part 3 training and teaching real pupils. The examiner on your Part 3 will pick up on the things you are saying or doing, or not saying or doing, which can ultimately lead to a fail. Quite often this comes down to a lack of knowledge or skill that could have been embedded much earlier.

Don’t be tempted to skip over the value that Parts 1 and 2
have to offer.

Having a good trainer from an early stage will support you to ensure these skills are embedded, helping you to seek different resources and understand the reasons behind the Part 1 questions you’re asked, as well as embedding your technical driving ability and your high five driving skills – Awareness, Planning, Anticipation, Car Control, and Judgment. You want to be in a position where your Part 1 knowledge and your Part 2 practical ability is just natural.

A good trainer will also introduce elements of Part 3 training into your Part 1 and 2 learning. For example, your eight fundamental instructor skills include being able to give directions and instructions effectively, and this is something that can be incorporated into your daily driving so by the time you reach your ‘proper’ Part 3 training, your directions have become natural. This eases the pressure so you devote more time to other elements of your training.

Using a trainer at this early stage also allows you to build great rapport, giving you time to become familiar with your trainer, and for them to understand how they can best work with you, understanding your preferred learning styles. In turn, this allows your Part 3 training to run more smoothly. Don’t be tempted to skip over the value that Parts 1 and 2
have to offer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blaine Walsh

Go Green Driving Instructor Training

 

Mirror, signal and proceed

You can now register directly for FREE online access to the whole magazine. Those registering will also receive access to 12 bonus videos.

Log in to your free copy now by clicking here.

 

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