Whats it like to be a driving instructor with a difficult pupil?
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That’s a very good question there is no doubting it is one of the most challenging aspects to become a driving instructor
When a pupil is either unresponsive or just being difficult you have to try your best to just rise above it after all the reality is, that you are trying to help them to gain a driving license and to get their freedom by being able to drive.
You are fully aware Learning to drive is an expensive undertaking and that you want to save them money and get them to test standard as quickly as possible, after all who wants to be waiting months and months and months to get to Driving test standard?
The fact that you don’t want to listen to your instructor, or the most annoying part, is when they think they know more than you and as a result they feel they don’t have to do what you’re asking them.
Recently we had a pupil who quite outwardly stated to their driving instructor that they didn’t like to be told what to do, well in that case why come to learn with the driving instructor if you don’t want anybody telling what you need to do?
You’re paying us to teach you to drive and to hopefully if you follow what we tell you, pass your driving test first time, so how do you expect this to happen if you don’t like being told what you need to do it?
So part of your role as a driving instructor is to try and reach an agreement with the pupil, in the fact of the way you teach, you’re trying to make your pupil bring the answers out for themselves by means of coaching rather than instruction.
Also to take into account is that the pupil may not be trying to be difficult, but, may just be having a bad day or have things on their mind.
Either way you grin and bear it and just keep thinking that tomorrow is a brand new day!