ADI Part 3 in the Real World: What Client-Centred Teaching Actually Looks Like

Be prepared to adapt the lesson to your pupil’s needs

A good instructor should come to a lesson prepared.

You may already have a sensible idea of what you expect to work on based on the previous lesson.

But being prepared does not mean the lesson plan should be fixed regardless of what the pupil tells you.

Imagine your pupil Sarah has completed around 25 hours of tuition.

During the previous lesson you worked on roundabouts, so continuing with roundabouts today seems like a reasonable plan.

At the beginning of the lesson you ask:

“How have you felt about roundabouts since our last lesson?”

Sarah replies:

“They’re actually not too bad now. I went out with Dad yesterday though and really struggled meeting traffic on narrow roads.”

At this point you have been given useful new information.

You do not automatically have to abandon your original plan, but it would be sensible to explore what Sarah has told you before deciding how today’s lesson should develop.

You could ask:

“What was it about meeting traffic that you found difficult?”

Sarah explains:

“I don’t really know when I should wait and when I should go.”

The learning need is becoming clearer.

You might then say:

“That sounds worth looking at. How would you feel about concentrating on meeting situations today and seeing if we can improve that decision-making?”

You have started with a reasonable lesson idea, listened to the pupil and then adapted the lesson based on new information.

The important lesson for a new instructor

Client-centred learning does not mean letting the pupil dictate everything.

You are still responsible for considering:

• safety
• the pupil’s ability
• suitable practice areas
• whether the subject is appropriate
• what the pupil needs to progress

A useful process is:

Prepare → Ask → Listen → Investigate → Agree

Don’t ask a question simply because you think an examiner expects to hear questions. Ask because the pupil’s answer may help you decide what happens next.

The pupil makes a mistake — do they need the answer immediately?

Imagine James is approaching a roundabout.

He slows correctly and makes effective observations but misses a perfectly reasonable opportunity to enter.

You could simply say:

“You could have gone then. That gap was big enough.”

That may sometimes be appropriate.

But if the situation allows, it may be more useful to find out why James chose not to go.

When safe and appropriate, you could ask:

“How did you feel about that roundabout?”

James replies:

“I wasn’t sure whether I could go.”

You ask:

“What were you waiting for?”

“The blue car coming around.”

You might then ask:

“Did that car actually affect the path you wanted to take?”

James thinks about it.

“Actually, probably not.”

Now something useful is happening.

James is beginning to analyse his own decision rather than simply being told that he was wrong.

You might continue:

“What could you look for next time that would help you decide whether a vehicle is actually going to affect you?”

You are helping the pupil develop a strategy.

But do not turn the lesson into an interrogation

A common mistake for new instructors is to learn about coaching and questioning and then try to turn everything into a question.

A pupil approaching a busy roundabout might hear:

The pupil is now trying to drive while answering a stream of questions.

That may increase workload rather than help learning.

Questioning should be appropriate to the pupil’s ability and the situation.

Sometimes the safest and most effective teaching decision is simply to give the pupil the information they need.

Client-centred teaching does not mean every problem has to be solved with a question.

Progress does not always mean fixing the problem immediately

Imagine your pupil repeatedly approaches junctions too quickly.

On the first attempt, you give an earlier reminder.

There is some improvement.

At the next junction the same problem happens again.

A nervous PDI might now start thinking:

“The examiner has seen this twice. I need to fix it.”

So on the next approach the instructor begins providing constant instruction:

“Ease off... brake... clutch... second gear... look...”

The pupil approaches the junction perfectly.

But there is an important question:

Instead, when safe and appropriate, you could stop somewhere suitable and explore what is happening.

You might ask:

“We’ve had the same problem on the last couple of junctions. What do you think is happening?”

The pupil replies:

“I’m braking too late.”

That identifies the visible problem, but you can explore further.

“Why do you think you’re braking late?”

The pupil thinks.

“I’m concentrating on looking into the junction and forgetting about my speed.”

Now you know considerably more.

You might ask:

“What could you try differently on the next one?”

Perhaps the pupil suggests:

“As soon as I identify the junction, I could come off the gas earlier and deal with my speed first.”

You now have a strategy to try.

“Good. Let’s try that on the next couple and see whether it helps.”

The next junction is better.

The one after that is not.

That does not automatically mean the lesson has failed.

Learning is not always instant.

The instructor has helped the pupil:

• identify the problem
• think about why it is happening
• develop a possible solution
• test that solution
• evaluate the result