Wednesday, November 7, 2012
New groups: 6 boys
This term I have 2 groups of 3 boys. It makes me feel better when my boys tell me they are nervous, or if they appear they way. I tell them that they should be confident and courteous when driving. Well see how it goes.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Fake It 'Til You Make It!
Today we drive! Two students drive today, and from the looks of their driving logs from other Driver Education teachers, these girls have some good skills. Both girls have their Destination Drives and Final Skills Tests left to do. So, Destination Drives it is.
I really feel like I don't know what I'm doing! All morning long I had it in my mind that I should "fake it 'til I make it." Luckily with Destination Drives, I do not need to choose the route, so this will be a great drive for me.
One girl is a local girl who lives in town. She will drive first. The other student is a transplant from California. She moved here to live with her dad for the year and isn't very familiar with our town. So she will drive second.
I asked Local Girl to drive to a place where she would go if she were sick. I had it in my mind that she could go to the hospital, a medical clinic, or an urgent care facility. Here drive was smooth. She drove to a local pharmacy (which surprised me), and I asked her to park the car. She did great. Then I asked her to drive back to the high school.
California girl took over the drive and she wasn't sure where to drive to. I asked her where she could drive, and the Golf Course was among her listed destinations, so off we went. Despite not knowing the layout of the town (I guided her a little bit), she made it without a hitch to the Club House, and returned to the high school with time to spare.
I really feel like I don't know what I'm doing! All morning long I had it in my mind that I should "fake it 'til I make it." Luckily with Destination Drives, I do not need to choose the route, so this will be a great drive for me.
One girl is a local girl who lives in town. She will drive first. The other student is a transplant from California. She moved here to live with her dad for the year and isn't very familiar with our town. So she will drive second.
I asked Local Girl to drive to a place where she would go if she were sick. I had it in my mind that she could go to the hospital, a medical clinic, or an urgent care facility. Here drive was smooth. She drove to a local pharmacy (which surprised me), and I asked her to park the car. She did great. Then I asked her to drive back to the high school.
California girl took over the drive and she wasn't sure where to drive to. I asked her where she could drive, and the Golf Course was among her listed destinations, so off we went. Despite not knowing the layout of the town (I guided her a little bit), she made it without a hitch to the Club House, and returned to the high school with time to spare.
Red Tape Wrap-up
Due to a glitch in the State Department of Education, my official license had not been delivered when I taught my first drive. Finally, it arrived and I resumed driving on October 7, 2012. During the weeks of waiting, my 6 students were farmed out to other licensed Driver Education teachers. On October 7th I was given 4 students back to finish up their drives.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Driver's Education
Today was my first day to drive with students. My colleague scheduled three students to drive on Mondays and Wednesdays after school, and three more students on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school. This arrangement works for me, even though I won't get home until after 6:00 p.m. on those nights. No bigs.
As an English teacher, I have always referred to the program as "Drivers' Education" (with the apostrophe after the "s" in "Drivers") because it is the education of multiple students. With twenty-eight students in the classroom and three in the car, it makes sense to me. While working toward my my license to teach the program, we were told to keep it simple and call the program "Driver Education." Fine. I'm not a grammar nazi, besides, I can see "Driver" being used as an adjective to describe "education."
Since I was forty-five minutes early for my drive, I decided to practice the drive on my own so I could review the lesson in my head. When I parked my car in the parking lot, I said a little prayer and looked down at the passenger-side brake, and hoped that I wouldn't have to use it tonight. Then I drove back to the high school and waited for 4:30 to roll around.
As I waited outside the Driver Education car for my first three little lambs, I noticed one student waiting by herself near a tree. I approached her and asked her if she was in my Monday night group. "Yes," she lisped in a slight whisper. She was very shy and judging her by her height and voice, I thought she might be in ninth grade. We waited for the other 2 students to show up, and they did not make it. So, I drove my little lamb to a church parking lot where I quickly set up 4 cones for her to slalom through forwards and backwards. Once she took her foot off the brake; however, I realized I was with a novice driver. The car's momentum gained and we were whipping through the parking lot much faster than I felt comfortable. Meanwhile my little lamb was unaware of how many times to turn the wheel and before we knew it, she was off course and far away from the cones. I noticed I was pushing on the floor board with my right foot, and then I knew I had to use the brake or we might go out of control. I stopped the car, and gently told my lamb to "stop." I realized this lamb really needed to get the feel of the car before I could expect her to slalom through the cones, use her signal, and control her speed.
Luckily for her we didn't have any other drivers, and I decided to dedicate the remaining time to allow her to get used to the car. She didn't cause whiplash, but was very jerky with the brake. When turning out of one turn and then into another, she didn't realize how many rotations the steering wheel would need. When I would say "stop," she would stop for a second, then release her foot from the brake, allowing us to roll a little more. I would repeat, "stop," and then a third time, "stop." Each time with the patience of a saint. After an hour of driving, discussing turning and breaking, I felt like she was ready to slalom in drive, and follow up with slalom in reverse. She had trouble with turning the wheel the direction needed to go in reverse, but after an hour and 10 minutes, I felt she was ready for the road. I allowed her to drive back to the high school a mere 8 blocks, and finally put it in park. Her lesson was done, and we survived our first drive.
We were finished with about 15 minutes to spare before her ride showed up, and we visited about her drive. She confessed her jerky brake and confusion on the steering wheel. I gave her an A for honesty. We talked about her education, and she told me she was home-schooled until this year. I asked her if she was in ninth grade, and she giggled and said, "No, I'm a senior." I asked her if her homeschooling was from her mom or family, and she told me that she used the K12 program online.
I was so amazed. I wondered how this little lamb was going to make it in Driver Education. She obviously had not driven before, and will possibly need extra time to practice to be a safe driver on the road.
Tomorrow I drive with 3 other students (if they show), and then with this lamb and her 2 driving mates again on Wednesday. Stay tuned for further adventures in Driver Education!
As an English teacher, I have always referred to the program as "Drivers' Education" (with the apostrophe after the "s" in "Drivers") because it is the education of multiple students. With twenty-eight students in the classroom and three in the car, it makes sense to me. While working toward my my license to teach the program, we were told to keep it simple and call the program "Driver Education." Fine. I'm not a grammar nazi, besides, I can see "Driver" being used as an adjective to describe "education."
Since I was forty-five minutes early for my drive, I decided to practice the drive on my own so I could review the lesson in my head. When I parked my car in the parking lot, I said a little prayer and looked down at the passenger-side brake, and hoped that I wouldn't have to use it tonight. Then I drove back to the high school and waited for 4:30 to roll around.
"I said a little prayer and looked down at the passenger-side brake, and hoped that I wouldn't have to use it tonight." |
As I waited outside the Driver Education car for my first three little lambs, I noticed one student waiting by herself near a tree. I approached her and asked her if she was in my Monday night group. "Yes," she lisped in a slight whisper. She was very shy and judging her by her height and voice, I thought she might be in ninth grade. We waited for the other 2 students to show up, and they did not make it. So, I drove my little lamb to a church parking lot where I quickly set up 4 cones for her to slalom through forwards and backwards. Once she took her foot off the brake; however, I realized I was with a novice driver. The car's momentum gained and we were whipping through the parking lot much faster than I felt comfortable. Meanwhile my little lamb was unaware of how many times to turn the wheel and before we knew it, she was off course and far away from the cones. I noticed I was pushing on the floor board with my right foot, and then I knew I had to use the brake or we might go out of control. I stopped the car, and gently told my lamb to "stop." I realized this lamb really needed to get the feel of the car before I could expect her to slalom through the cones, use her signal, and control her speed.
Luckily for her we didn't have any other drivers, and I decided to dedicate the remaining time to allow her to get used to the car. She didn't cause whiplash, but was very jerky with the brake. When turning out of one turn and then into another, she didn't realize how many rotations the steering wheel would need. When I would say "stop," she would stop for a second, then release her foot from the brake, allowing us to roll a little more. I would repeat, "stop," and then a third time, "stop." Each time with the patience of a saint. After an hour of driving, discussing turning and breaking, I felt like she was ready to slalom in drive, and follow up with slalom in reverse. She had trouble with turning the wheel the direction needed to go in reverse, but after an hour and 10 minutes, I felt she was ready for the road. I allowed her to drive back to the high school a mere 8 blocks, and finally put it in park. Her lesson was done, and we survived our first drive.
We were finished with about 15 minutes to spare before her ride showed up, and we visited about her drive. She confessed her jerky brake and confusion on the steering wheel. I gave her an A for honesty. We talked about her education, and she told me she was home-schooled until this year. I asked her if she was in ninth grade, and she giggled and said, "No, I'm a senior." I asked her if her homeschooling was from her mom or family, and she told me that she used the K12 program online.
I was so amazed. I wondered how this little lamb was going to make it in Driver Education. She obviously had not driven before, and will possibly need extra time to practice to be a safe driver on the road.
Tomorrow I drive with 3 other students (if they show), and then with this lamb and her 2 driving mates again on Wednesday. Stay tuned for further adventures in Driver Education!
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