Advice for teaching a learner...?

[silentbrown]

Little SB is learning to drive. Pass theory, and had about 5 lessons with instructor so far, which are all going well.

She's also driving with me in 'her' Mini to get the hours up, but I'm not sure I'm doing *that* well in trying to pass on 40+ years of experience to her.

Any good advice/guides on HOW to teach/coach a learner? I'm less bothered about exactly 'what to teach' as the instructor should know what the required behaviour is to actually pass the test.

[bobtail4x4]

let the instructor teach,
you are just there for practice,
everytime you need to go places she drives, it instills confidence,

[limpsfield]

My son learnt about six years ago. I think the best thing is to just sit there and let them drive to get the miles and confidence up. As you say, the instructor is there to teach them the basics.

I saw my role as just being available for them, so they can get the behind the wheel time up and perhaps pass on the occasional snippet of incredible motoring wisdom.

[mac96]

bobtail4x4 said:

let the instructor teach,
you are just there for practice,
everytime you need to go places she drives, it instills confidence,

Many years ago, but that is how I learned. Every family journey, not involving motorways, but some long ones, I drove. Great for confidence, and passed first time.

Good luck to Little SB!

[Busa mav]

If it’s your wife, don’t even think about it

[CSNY]

Busa mav said:

If it’s your wife, don’t even think about it

This times 10......

[TwigtheWonderkid]

bobtail4x4 said:

let the instructor teach,
you are just there for practice,
everytime you need to go places she drives, it instills confidence,

Yup, I did hundreds of miles with my 2 lads and maybe gave them one or 2 pointers here and there. But basically I just let them drive and shut my mouth. And just praised the good stuff..."nicely done on that roundabout", or "great bit of smooth braking back there".

[scorcher]

Speak to their driving instructor if you can, see if there’s anything they need to practice in particular and make sure they are doing it as required and not how you think it should be done. Maybe even go out in the back for a lesson

[Mandat]

Stay off your mobile phone when supervising a learner.

If you get stopped, you will get 6 points & a fine, just as if you were in the driving seat.

[Gericho]

Mandat said:

Stay off your mobile phone when supervising a learner.

If you get stopped, you will get 6 points & a fine, just as if you were in the driving seat.

Good advice

[Boringvolvodriver]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

bobtail4x4 said:

let the instructor teach,
you are just there for practice,
everytime you need to go places she drives, it instills confidence,

Yup, I did hundreds of miles with my 2 lads and maybe gave them one or 2 pointers here and there. But basically I just let them drive and shut my mouth. And just praised the good stuff..."nicely done on that roundabout", or "great bit of smooth braking back there".

Agreed on this tactic. It’s what I did with my two as well. My daughter was particularly surprised about how calm and relaxed I was. Never had to intervene at all with her although had to tell me son not to do something a couple of times.

My wife would have been totally different with her son…………

[otolith]

bobtail4x4 said:

let the instructor teach,
you are just there for practice,
everytime you need to go places she drives, it instills confidence,

This. Don't interfere unless absolutely necessary, you're just there while she clocks up experience.

[paintman]

otolith said:

bobtail4x4 said:

let the instructor teach,
you are just there for practice,
everytime you need to go places she drives, it instills confidence,

This. Don't interfere unless absolutely necessary, you're just there while she clocks up experience.

Same here. Anything else will simply confuse them.

[silentbrown]

Mandat said:

Stay off your mobile phone when supervising a learner.

Currently, my eyes are on stalks when she's driving! But good advice for later...

[dontlookdown]

bobtail4x4 said:

let the instructor teach,
you are just there for practice,
everytime you need to go places she drives, it instills confidence,

Another vote for this. It's also what her instructor would tell you in all probability.

I soon learned that trying to actually teach my daughter was not helping her at all. Just go out with them for practice. Whatever they are worst at, make sure they do lots of it;)

[ds666]

Don’t agree with saying nothing - if you have 40 years experience , pass it on ( unless you don’t regard yourself as capable of doing so) .
I certainly coached both daughters , giving feedback and advice as required.
Anyone can drive , driving well is a different matter .
Anticipation , not getting into difficult situations etc .
Your experience should accelerate their learning and they will be the better for it .
It will be fraught at times thou.

[Downward]

limpsfield said:

My son learnt about six years ago. I think the best thing is to just sit there and let them drive to get the miles and confidence up. As you say, the instructor is there to teach them the basics.

I saw my role as just being available for them, so they can get the behind the wheel time up and perhaps pass on the occasional snippet of incredible motoring wisdom.

Me too.
My lad was doing 2 hour lessons with his Instructor. Then we just borrowed my Dads car and he drove the route his instructor took him.
I passed at a different test centre so had no idea on the routes anyway.

[Downward]

ds666 said:

Don’t agree with saying nothing - if you have 40 years experience , pass it on ( unless you don’t regard yourself as capable of doing so) .
I certainly coached both daughters , giving feedback and advice as required.
Anyone can drive , driving well is a different matter .
Anticipation , not getting into difficult situations etc .
Your experience should accelerate their learning and they will be the better for it .
It will be fraught at times thou.

See this time comes when they pass their test.
Now I’m telling him what to do.

[Gav147]

Downward said:

ds666 said:

Don’t agree with saying nothing - if you have 40 years experience , pass it on ( unless you don’t regard yourself as capable of doing so) .
I certainly coached both daughters , giving feedback and advice as required.
Anyone can drive , driving well is a different matter .
Anticipation , not getting into difficult situations etc .
Your experience should accelerate their learning and they will be the better for it .
It will be fraught at times thou.

See this time comes when they pass their test.
Now I’m telling him what to do.

Agree with Downward, don't try and coach them until they passed, learning to pass your test and learning to drive are two different things.

[akirk]

If you see something obvious (e.g. failing to take the handbrake off before moving off!) then ask open-ended questions to be supportive but make them think - e.g. "Is there something else you need to do before moving off which you might have forgotten?"

If there are minor issues then save them up until the end and communicate with a mixture of feedback both good and bad, e.g. "I thought that went well - how did you feel? / Was there anything you thought you might have done better? / a couple of small things I noticed which may be worth chatting over with your driving instructor - xxx / yyy"

If there is a major issue - release seatbelt buckle, open door, body roll to the left.

Being supportive and helping the drive to flow is one of the biggest gifts you can give them during this time - it is not the time to pick up every error as it happens! Equally there is no point in practice which simply reinforces bad habits.

Pretend you are a driving instructor and keep conversation to the topic at hand - not the time to enquire who they were with when they came home late last night