29/05/2026
Being a driving instructor, more than not, isn’t just a job. If you’re any sort of person with a good conscience, it can eat away at you mentally.
At the end of the day, I don’t just shut the car door, shut the house door and shut out the world.
Pretty much as soon as I’ve slapped the kettle on and stuck on Sky Sports News and abused the biscuit barrel, thoughts swirl in about tomorrow, the weekend, the upcoming driving tests, the pupils who I feel need something extra or a different approach. Even something a bit radical.
Pupils that I’ve not seen for a while or ones that have disappeared for no apparent reason. Was it something I said? No one is obligated to share a reason, of course, but it’d be nice to know where I stand. Things can often be worked out.
Do any of them have difficulties elsewhere that’s holding them back a bit? Are they ok in themselves? Can I tweak things to make it a bit easier for them? Can I provide any accessories to make lessons more comfortable? Am I too slow for them or pushing them too much?
Is my car too old? Am I professional enough? Am I organised enough? Do I talk too much whilst tackling Tic-tacs?
It can be a mini mental maelstrom of madness. (Say that after a pint of Twinings and 2 Sherbert Dips).
On my days off (I probably need more), I’m not off. Not 100%. There’s an Instructor Itch at the back of my noggin gently gnawing away while I try to work out how to put on my slip-on trainers or while I’m choosing between mint choc-chip or banoffee on the sea front.
Some would simply say, ‘Get on with it mate, it’s your job, you chose it.’ Yes I get that and I’m ok with that.
Maybe I worry too much. Most likely - especially for a pretty laid back bloke guy.
I suppose I’m just saying that we don’t just spend our days stalling, turning, threatening to do 17 mph, pretending we haven't seen the inventive hand gestures, getting whiplash because Shaky Stacey saw a twitchy-looking squirrel in a tree 100 yards away and feared for her safety or trying to convince people that yes, we can really go on green or that driving examiners aren’t always demonic.
It follows you home.
Sits with you.
Questions you.
Doubts you.
But that’s what we sign up for and that’s why it feels satisfying when they’re off and they’re done and you’ve done what you can - whatever it’s taken.
However, the realisation can sometimes be that as much as we all love a first time, low fault pass and a pupil with a face of elation, sometimes after we've done everything we can, we haven't done enough.
We have to reassess, think again, re-evaluate. The effort was there. The approach was correct. Sometimes it just doesn't drop. And every instructor knows this.
But we move on to the next one and work out what makes them tick and how we can help them get to where they want to be.
I look forward to what they'll teach me and what unique conversations we'll have. And that's what keeps me ticking.
Sometimes there's nothing better than witnessing someone give it their all and enjoy giving it their all. Wanting to achieve and wanting to hear what you have to say and exploring their own thoughts and mashing them together to get to a place where sometimes they feel they don't belong.
