Most people are unable to distinguish between good and poor instructors.

How you can tell if you are receiving quality lessons & value for money should be pretty straight forward to identify. Do you feel as though you are learning something? If you weren’t confident before do you feel as thought you are gaining more confidence? Are you moving too quickly or too slowly through the syllabus?

All driving instructors have to successfully sit the same exams so there really is no difference in what they initially learn when it comes to teaching someone to drive.

However, not all driving instructors keep up with current legislation, procedures & best learning practices.  Those that do are obviously the better instructors whilst those that don’t can unknowingly be a cause of why you might not pass your test first time. The ability to teach students can also vary which is why it is important that they keep up with current methods.

Those methods begin with a quick run down before the start of each lesson. It’s important to know what is expected of you & what to expect from your driving instructor & a really good instructor will have this outlined for you before you begin your first driving lessons. Each lesson will be clearly mapped out throughout the syllabus & readjusted should you find that you are struggling with a particular task. You should clearly know where you are in relation to the syllabus.

Make sure you are aware of what is expected of you & make sure you understand the drill so that it is clear in your mind so as to avoid any possible kind of panic reaction.

A report card will detail what tasks you are currently undertaking & where it fits in within the driving syllabus. Your instructor will not have you progress on to the next stage without demonstrating you can competently complete the current task. As you work your way through each structured lesson you can use the card as a refresher on tasks that you might like to revisit during your practices.

At the end of each lesson it is vital that you take a few minutes to summarise what it is you set out to achieve at the start of the lesson & discuss whether indeed you did achieve your goal. If not, your instructor should identify where it is you went wrong & what it is you need to do to put it right. This should be satisfactorily achieved before progressing to the next stage. Should more practice be needed you know what to spend your time on if you are able to practice in between lessons.

These steps above should be undertaken each & every time you have a lesson as it will identify your progress, your position in the syllabus & it should instil confidence in your instructor. If you are not following these examples with your own instructor then might want to really consider the quality of your lessons & driving instructors tutoring.

Driving Lessons available in the following locations: Hounslow | Isleworth | Osterley | Twickenham | Teddington

Read our article on driving with parents.