I have always worked on trying to keep one instructor with a trainee. Exceptions will be sickness. Sometimes, to get a candidate in more quickly at their request, we may offer a course using more than one instructor. But this is always made absolutely clear at the outset.
But I am aware that there can be benefits to having a change of instructor during a course: getting used to someone else sat in the passenger seat (may prepare for the examiner), wording something differently and the penny might drop, etc.
Think I’m in the one instructor for the whole course camp. If 2 trainers were vastly different it could cause confusion for the candidate. If they taught the same and said the same it would be pointless.
I have always done a mock test the day before the main event. It might be useful for this one hour to be done by somebody different to create a more realistic feel to it.
I liked the consistency of only having one instructor. By the third and fourth day of training I felt very relaxed and I think a different instructor mid training would hindered my progress and confidence.
My instructor did an hour of no talking on the last day, just giving me directions, this set me up perfectly for having someone else in the passenger seat on test day.
I think it falls, like everything else to do with ‘instruction’, under the ‘whatever suits the individual trainee’ banner.
What may work for 1 candidate may not for another.
Personally, I fall into the 1 instructor category - IF he/she is competent, suits my learning style and we are getting along!
And I am thinking most people would be the same.
However, I guess the tricky part is that not every trainee knows how they best learn - although most good instructors can figure that out pretty quickly.
Point being, maybe you make it part of your course planning right from the outset, in that you ask the question?
And perhaps, most importantly, you inform the trainee that if they are unhappy in any way with their instructor that they say something - preferably to someone very friendly who is totally separate to the trainers.
And that’s where I would spend the majority of my efforts - getting people to pipe up and say something before it gets too late (as we are British and don’t do things like that ).
LGVTrainer:
I have always done a mock test the day before the main event. It might be useful for this one hour to be done by somebody different to create a more realistic feel to it.
That’s actually a very good idea given the student has time to discuss that hour with both trainers
Depends really. If both instructors are quality, but have different teaching techniques, then surely having more tips, advice and general all round information coming your way is a good thing? I wouldn’t have seen a problem with it.
I like the idea of a different instructor for a mock test. A friend learned with a company that did this and he said it have him a lot of confidence.
If there are going to be two instructors, I think the 2nd needs to accept that they are the 2nd, and not correct non-essential things that are more of a personal preference. e.g. I know of two instructors that differed in what gear to move off in (same vehicle)
As said above we are all different and learn in different ways. I didn’t realise that my class 2 instructor wasn’t the best match for for me until I met my class 1 instructor who was absolutely brilliant for me.
Being able to routinely talk to a manager at least once during the course to be able to outline concerns would also be good; in hindsight if I’d been asked if I wanted to swap instructor for class 2 I probably would have said yes as I knew I wasn’t progressing quickly enough to pass. In my case, I was perpetually being told what I was doing wrong, but not what I was doing right; not only was this confusing it also seriously dented my confidence. It was actually the examiner that told me what I needed to do to pass (having failed), and sure enough next time I applied this and nailed it.
By contrast the class 1 instructor I had built my confidence during the week and I actually expected to pass the test (which I did).
I guess if you have good instructors in the first place, none of that applies though, but you must get personality clashes occasionally.
Had about 3 different instructors with first company I did my class C with and totally bombed the test. I had 3 different sets of opinions on how to drive , it made me that nervous and unfocused that I messed up the reverse. Ended up passing with them but only after having a quick refresher the morning of the test.
Class C+E I had one instructor, other instructors there did give some tips, but stuck to MY instructors information. Passed first time with a near clean sheet.
just wondering if anyone can help me out there. been looking into becoming or trying too become an lgv driving instructor registered with dvsa started the theory and hazard perception study. looked into all the costs but what I cant find is any company in the Yorkshire area that is willing to the instructor side of the training.
cgill:
just wondering if anyone can help me out there. been looking into becoming or trying too become an lgv driving instructor registered with dvsa started the theory and hazard perception study. looked into all the costs but what I cant find is any company in the Yorkshire area that is willing to the instructor side of the training.
You must hold the relevant licence for 3 years before you can supervise a learner
There is no set training to become a LGV instructor
You must hold the relevant licence for 3 years before you can supervise a learner
There is no set training to become a LGV instructor
All of which is true and, in part, accounts for some of the appalling standards out there. It’s possible for someone to pass their test, hold the licence for 3 years whilst working in a factory or an office, buy a rusty old truck and call themselves a driving school. And yes, it has happened. Fortunately for the population of Mansfield I managed to get Trading Standards to shut it down.
Whilst there is no set training, I have developed my own syllabus over the years which has proved successful.
When I did my cat C training in April I had 4 different instructors. The instructor that took me out for my demo drive on my first day was the one who sat with me before my test. I wasn’t that happy about it if I’m honest. Good points I got 4 different opinions and if I weren’t confident in what one told me one day I asked the next instructor about it the next day. Bad points was I never felt my progress could be noticed with changing instructors daily. I was lucky that the instructor on the day before my test was brilliant.
Think I had 6 for my cat C this included 2 in the same day
Have documented it somewhere on here a few years back I also done a mock exam the day before
I was not happy with this but hey was a long time ago not recommended as far as I am concerned to many different way of teaching the same thing & that instructor is alway right to many conflicts & going over the same with each instructor not fluid at all
I have to say I had 3 instructors for my training and was very glad for the different opinions and advice ect as everyone has there own methods of showing / telling you things. My progress was tracked via paperwork that was kept on my file for every trainer to read and also a comment section so they knew exactly where I was at. I don’t feel I was at a disadvantage with 3 instructors but I do agree that 2 is the maximum you should have and I would definitely recommend it as people have different methods of teaching you and can pick up on different problems you have ect.
More than 1 instructor can only give the candidate ammunition in the event of a fail.
ie: one instructor said “do it that way” the other one said “do it this way” and confused me. Every instructor has his own training style and training methods.
ash 001:
I don’t feel I was at a disadvantage with 3 instructors.
You did pass after all…
True if I failed though it would have been a different story! lol no really there is no one to blame but yourself to be honest if you made a silly mistake its your fault and yes it does happen because we are only human! We just have to hope that it doesn’t happen on test day
).
