When you learn to drive, you gain more than the knowledge of operating a vehicle. You gain freedom, mobility, and independence too. But learning to drive also brings with it the responsibility to keep yourselves and others on the road safe. A good driving instructor can teach you how to drive safely yet skillfully. Indeed a skilled driving instructor can help develop the student’s driving skills and other essential abilities like road awareness, reflexes, hazard perception, etc. In a country like Australia where driving rules differ from state to state, having skilled driving instructors is essential for individual and road safety. Hence, budding driving instructors should become expert professionals to make future drivers skilled and responsible. Nowadays, many Driving Instructor courses like TLI41222 are available to help develop the right qualities and abilities to become qualified driving instructors. This article will explore the key traits and skills required to become effective driving instructors.
Must-Have Qualities for Driving Instructors
Instructors must have some qualities that help them understand and relate to the students and make their teaching more effective. These qualities can also help them build rapport and trust with their students. Let us discuss these qualities in brief:
Good Communication Skills:
Clear communication between instructors and students is essential for proper driving education. Instructors should listen actively to student’s needs and complaints and adjust their teaching methods accordingly. They should break down hard maneuvers into manageable steps, use simple and understandable language, try driving videos and other visual aids, and offer practical demonstrations wherever necessary.
Patience and Flexibility:
It may sound easy but teaching driving to new learners is a tough challenge. Instructors must have patience and stay calm. Not all students have the same grasping power or motor skills. Some students may learn driving skills easily but have issues in remembering rules while others may find technical aspects of driving harder than learning road rules. Instructors must stay calm and collected while teaching. They should try to adjust their teaching styles to accommodate the student’s individual needs. Also, they should avoid getting frustrated with the students and instead try to find out their issues and solve them one by one.
Build a Rapport with Students
For students learning to drive for the first time, it can be a nerve-wracking or exciting endeavour. Learners will face many challenges related to their technical skills or emotional aptitude. The instructors should recognise the emotional challenges faced by learners and create a supportive environment where the learners feel comfortable enough to ask questions and share opinions freely. They should try to build a rapport with the students and earn their trust by offering honest, timely, and helpful feedback.
Be Professional and Trustworthy
All students always look up to their teachers for more than just subjective knowledge. The same is true for driving education. Driving instructors must be professional and responsible so the students will trust them and open up to them. If you want the students to learn discipline, safety, and awareness, you must first demonstrate these qualities in your behaviour and approach to driving education. Teaching by example is the best way to teach. They should display good habits like being punctual, regular, and consistent in their work. They should also show respect to their students, colleagues, and subordinates. All this helps in subconsciously instilling these values in the learners.
Must-Have Skills for Driving Instructors
Having good qualities isn’t enough to become a good driving instructor. Certain skills are also important for instructors to possess. Let us look at these must-have skills:
Knowledge of Local Road Rules:
A vast country like Australia with various states has traffic laws and road rules that vary from state to state. For example, the rules for giving way and turning at intersections in Victoria differ a bit from other states while New South Wales has slightly different rules regarding road markings. Instructors must be well-versed with their state-specific traffic rules and laws so that the students also learn them correctly.
Driving Expertise:
Professional driving skills are a must for all drivers. But that doesn’t mean mastering driving techniques like parking, etc. It also involves a good understanding of different vehicle features and their effective use, proper use of motor skills and other abilities like keen hearing and vision, perception, judgment of distance and speed, control of the vehicle, etc. When driving instructors have these abilities in their skill set, they can teach students to handle complicated traffic conditions safely. A good driving instructor course can give you the chance to hone these abilities to become a good instructor.
Give Honest Reviews:
Mistakes are a part and parcel of any new undertaking, even driving. New drivers can sometimes take more time to learn and execute a simple instruction. However, in such cases, instructors must remain patient and observe them instead of getting frustrated. Note down their weaknesses and drawbacks and also their strengths. When pointing out their mistakes, instructors should also offer solutions to fix them and appreciate their strengths. They should give honest, positive, and encouraging feedback whenever possible.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, being a driving instructor in Australia is about more than teaching someone to pass a test. It’s about helping learners develop the skills and confidence to be safe, responsible drivers for life. The traits and skills discussed above are what set exceptional instructors apart. If you’re an aspiring instructor, honing these qualities and abilities will enhance your skill set and help you become a competent instructor. Driving instructor course from reputed institutes like the Academy of Road Safety can help you become professional and qualified instructors who provide expert and exceptional driving education. After all, excellent instructors prepare great drivers and great drivers make the roads safer.
