Lesson Planning

The purpose of all driver-training is to assess and develop the learner’s skill, knowledge and understanding in relation to the contents of the National Standards for Driver and Rider Training. Research indicates that this is best achieved by placing the client at the centre of the learning process. In this context the assessment criteria should be interpreted by examiners as follows.

Did the trainer identify the pupil’s learning goals and needs?

As you deliver the lesson the examiner is looking for indications that the elements, which go to make up the low-level competence, are being demonstrated. In this case the sorts of things that would give an indication of competence include:

  • Encouraging your pupil to say what they want from the lesson
  • Asking questions to ensure understanding
  • Checking understanding as the lesson progresses
  • Listening to what your pupil is saying
  • T aking note of body language

If you encourage your pupil to say what they want, ask questions to check understanding at the beginning and as the lesson progresses, listen to what your pupil is saying and pick up on body language you are likely to get a 3. If, on the other hand, you do all the listening bits but fail to spot your learner getting very tense and nervous in a particular situation you would probably get a 2. This would show the examiner that you have demonstrated your understanding of the need to listen etc. but have not yet developed your ability to spot non-verbal clues.

Indications of a lack of competence could include:

  • Making assumptions about understanding or experience
  • Failing to note negative or concerned comments or body language that
    shows discomfort
  • Undermining your pupil’s confidence by continually asking questions
    clearly beyond their knowledge or understanding
  • Pushing your pupil to address issues that they are not happy to talk about,
    unless there is a clear need, such as an identified risk or a safety critical
    issue

So to meet this criteria, agree a plan with the pupil, you should input if you think it is unreasonable or unrealistic and help them come up with a different plan (the reality phase of the GROW model) remember whilst we really do wish to be client centred, this does not mean client led if they are expecting too much or tackling things that are inappropriate or unsafe.

It is vitally important that the learner has input here, just stating you are going to do x, y or z does not show competence and you will score a 1 at best. It may be as simple as stating, we agreed at the end of the last lesson today we would work on x, y, or z, are you still ok with that?

Remember, of course, that this is not just dealt with at the start of the lesson, but constantly throughout the session as you reflect and review as part of the chunking process. These discussions should always lead to new goals and plans, or you are not being effective in your role. If you experience a burst of activity and then decide to repeat that, what is gained? Has there been a change in the levels of help or the levels of challenge? If so, then these are new goals and plans. If you are not matching the needs of the learner in this way you will also lose points in Teaching and Learning Strategies as the lesson would be deemed unsuitable for that pupil.

Was the agreed lesson structure appropriate for the pupil’s experience and ability?

Your lesson structure should allow your pupil to progress at a manageable rate, stretching them without overwhelming them. For example, a pupil who is concerned about entering roundabouts should not be asked to tackle a fast-flowing multi-lane, multi-exit junction as their first attempt. Neither should they be restricted to very quiet junctions, unless you have identified a potential risk issue that you want to check out first.

Indications that all the elements of competence are in place could include:

  • Ensuring your pupil understands what you plan to do and agrees with that
    plan
  • A lesson that reflects the information given by your pupil and the learning
    goals they want to tackle
  • Building in opportunities to check the statements made by your pupil
    before moving to more challenging situations

Indications of lack of competence include:

  • Delivering a pre-planned, standard lesson that does not take into account
    your pupil’s expressed needs or concerns
  • Failing to build in a suitable balance of practice and theory

Agree a way forward to meet the identified goals, decide between you what sort of experiences we can set up to allow reflection and review. What levels of assistance will be required.

It is absolutely vital that all parties involved know what to expect and what is expected of them and what they can expect of the other (also links to risk management but this is mostly handled with a moving vehicle).

Avoid pre-prepared risk speeches at all costs because examiners hate it.

It goes without saying (I hope) that it is important that the plan is matched to the pupil’s ability (links to teaching and learning strategies).

Were the practice areas suitable?

You should use an area or route that allows your pupil to practice safely and helps them to achieve their goals. It should provide some stretch and challenge, but without taking them out of their competence zone. You need to try wherever possible to have locations that allow you to practice just on the new subject. If  there are things you need to offer extra help to the pupil then the location chosen is not ideal (this might be necessary, but keep looking for better locations) There may also be a need to link to areas where you can either progress or regress the lesson should the need arise because of the regular reviews you will undertake as part of the chunking methodology.

Indications that all the elements of competence are in place could include choosing a practice area / route that provides:

  • A range of opportunities to address the agreed learning objectives
  • Challenges, but is realistic in terms of your pupil’s capabilities and
    confidence

Indications of lack of competence include taking your pupil into an area that:

  • Takes your pupil outside of their competence zone – so that they spend all
    their time ‘surviving’ and have no space left to look at learning issues
  • Exposes your pupil to risks they cannot manage

I would advise planning a route/location that allows us (hopefully with good planning) to work only on what the subject matter is. The route would need to match the level of current ability of the learner, perhaps pushing them just slightly out of their comfort zone. We must balance between challenge and current ability. If the challenge is too high and their current ability is low, they can become stressed, if their ability is high and the challenge is low, they can become bored and disinterested and either way would mean they will underperform as well as this having potential impacts on risk management.

If for example, it is a roundabouts lesson agreed it would be preferable to not have things on the route such as traffic lights or pedestrian crossings. I want to focus a short burst of activity on the subject matter that will allow us to then reflect and review and put together an onward plan that would be agreed (was the lesson plan adapted) which might mean more/less help or more/less of a challenge.

I would also want to have an area where there are places close by to either escalate or reduce the challenge should the need arise, or indeed move to the next subject, or take a remedial step should that be required. Was the lesson plan adapted, when appropriate, to help the pupil work towards their learning goals?

So, it is not really about the route, it’s more about what you do with it, this is why you can have found the perfect location and score a 1 or 2, because you did not use it well enough.

Was the lesson plan adapted, when appropriate, to help the pupil work towards their learning goals?

You should be willing and able to adapt if your pupil:

  • Appears to be uncomfortable or unable to deal with the learning
    experience you have set up
  • Suggests that it is not providing what they were looking for

If your pupil’s inability is creating a possible risk situation you must adapt quickly. This might require a few extra questions to clarify what is out of line. It may be that the problem is because of the teaching and learning style being used by you rather than because the plan is wrong. Whatever the reason for adapting the plaPn, you must make sure your pupil understands what they are doing and why.

Indications that all the elements of competence are in place could include:

  • Comparing the actual performance of your pupil with their claims and
    clarifying any differences
  • Responding to any faults or weaknesses that undermine the original plan
    for the session
  • Responding to any concerns or issues raised by your pupil
  • Picking up on non-verbal signs of discomfort or confusion

Indications of lack of competence include: 

  • Persisting with a plan despite your pupil being clearly out of their depth
  • Persisting with a plan despite your pupil demonstrating faults or
    weaknesses that should lead to a rethink of the plan
  • Changing the plan without reason
  • Failing to explain to your pupil why the plan has been changed

Having put a plan together at the start of this chunk of training, I would execute the plan, then after a short time review if it was working or not, then make requisite adjustments and hatch a fresh plan for the next segment in line with the chunking methodology laid out earlier in this document.

There would also be a need to adapt should a safety critical incident occur, we would then need to decide if we were adding to the existing plan or replacing it with the newly identified issues.

This would depend on the level of the safety critical incident. I speak with ADIs who have failed because the learner wanted to just continue with the existing plan, it is your responsibility to take ownership of this and help the learner to understand why the new issue is of importance and to agree that it would be sensible to have it as a new goal, we are client centred not client led and safety is our responsibility.

I also speak with people who have failed because the initial plan was going really well, and after a review at the 20 minute point they decided just to do more of the same.

After a review, the next segment of activity cannot be the same as the previous one (otherwise why are they paying you?)

This links directly to teaching and learning strategies as well as risk management.