Question regarding driving instructor
 

I've been driving now for three weeks. I've had 3 sessions but technically 6 hours of lessons as I do 2 hours a week. Anyway, today I've just mastered my left turns and she said we just need to do them over and over but they're alright already. Anyway, people I've spoken to have said I should have done my left turns within my first hour and that I'm way behind what I should be for 6 hours of driving. I don't know whether to listen to these people, knowing people do over exaggerate how good their driving instructor/they themselves are good at teaching/driving or look for a different instructor? I am happy with her at the minute and I have had a conversation with her and she's said she's making sure I get it done whereas other instructors will just show their learnees something once and tick it off and move onto the next thing without any solid teaching/understanding so I'm kind of at a cross road on what to do.

Has anybody had any experience with a dodgy instructor and does it sound like mine is one?

I'll be honest, it sounds like she's trying to slow you down to get more money out of ya imo.

See I thought this. But today she's extended my lesson and stuff free of charge just to give me another go at something and was really pushing me to get it done before she dropped me off today. I want to give her a few more weeks but it is a lot of money to pay.

You'll probably learn faster by someone that you like as a person tbf, if you enjoy her company and being instructed by her then its probably worth another go.

I sorta feel like you would master your left turns pretty early on even without a lesson dedicated though? Like thats one of the basics that you will pick up automatically through learning the more complex things. Like every lesson you have, theres gonna be a left turn...

Seems like along time to be doing left turns tbf. I only did driving lessons with an actual instructor though when i was driving for a couple of years already and was going for my full license so it was more of dropping bad habits and getting in the habit of looking in the mirror every five seconds kind of a thing

I've only done left turns today. The previous two has been going through the basic driving skills and putting them into practice driving around. But idk nobody has had anything positive to say about what I've told them about her so far no matter who I've told so alarm bells are ringing.

Tbf to her everyone is different and should be taught differently and she should tailor their lessons to the individual for instance if someone is road nervous, she should be able to give you a guesstimate at this stage of how many lessons you will need, if she says 50 you might want to rethink, but if you like her and you find she is a good teacher there isn't much difference taking your test after 25 lessons or 30 so I would say stick with it, or try and get to speak to someone she has taught previously?

I was thinking the same, thank you. Everybody's instructor sounds different and it is unfair of people to make me think I'm being conned just because my instructor does things differently. They say you should be comfortable with driving after 20 hours. I've done 6 so hopefully in another 7 weeks I should be getting the hang of it.

Also the OP makes it sounds like I think I don't need anymore practice with my left turns. I meant that she had said my left turns are alright already but we'll be practising them more anyway in later weeks along with other things obviously.

End of the day she is ultimately responsible for you in the car, some people are natural drivers like my hubby jumped in an drove off (alllegedly! I wasn't there, he is a good driver though), now me on the other hand I am not the best out there and it took me a good many lessons to master all the coordinating that needed to go on...:idc:

I can't really remember being taught "left turns" specifically, had an instructor who was pretty laidback and just told me which turn to take whenever I approached it... so the idea of specifically left turns confuses me a tad tbh

yeah this also :laugh:

How hot is she?

lets start at the beginning at least

I feel like I've explained it all wrong :laugh:

She doesn't just sit talking and explaining left turns. I drove around a route today repeatedly which involved turns because before now I haven't left one road to go onto another (minor to major/major to minor) I've stayed on the same road and so she told me when to stop or slow down when coming to a turn and stuff.

I can't really explaining it but I feel like I've painted the picture she's just made me do left turns all the time and she hasn't.

Ohhh okay, I thought for a second your instructor was still bopping to Irreplaceable ten years on

You must not know about me, you must not know about me
I could have another you in a minute
Matter of fact, he'll be here in a minute, baby
You must not know about me, you must not know about me
I can have another you by tomorrow
So don't you ever for a second get to thinking
You're irreplaceable

Her clocking me when I start looking for a new instructor?

It's difficult to say. Taking it slow could be a blessing in disguise when it comes to taking your test. Less chance of you forgetting something important and having to retake it (which would mean more hours).

Ask her how many lessons she thinks you'll need as Cherie says would be my best advice without actually having any personal experience of it.

Depends how quickly you picked it up.

My first lesson was spent going up and down a quiet country road getting used to the car and going over the basic rules. Then the second half practicing gaining speed changing my gears and changing back down again. Making sure it was all smooth and I stopped doing stupid things like leaving my foot on the accelerator when I go to change gear and making it scream. [emoji23]

The second and third lessons were then left turns and putting the basic into practice on actual roads that weren't just an empty straight path.

But if it took someone a little longer to pick up basics then I can imagine them taking it steady and doing one thing at a time.

I can't imagine why you'd need to practice left turns constantly before moving on because even if she moved on to teaching the next thing you'd still be putting all of your previous stuff like left turns into practice. And once you're more confident and a good few hours into it then there is time then before your test to put in the practice hours of just driving around and smoothing out the rough edges. There's no reason at that early stage for her to be telling you to just do the same thing over and over. Learning to drive tends to involve doing several things at once.

I know what you mean.

She's probably explained the types of turns such as sharp corners and stuff. If you come to a junction with a house on it so you can barely see out or if you have a full view etc and teaching you how to judge it.

I had visions of you just constantly turning left in a little square :laugh:

My instructor was cool after a while but my first lesson he literally explained how the clutch work for like 30 mins whilst I just stared blankly at him whilst nodding. I just wanted to drive not learn about the car....

Have another couple of lessons with her, see how you get on. If you change now, you'll have to get used to another instructor and another car which may mean you repeat all the basics again

Jesus wept book a guaranteed pass day lesson omg.

I'd change - 6 hrs and not out on roads properly - sounds like she needs lessons ! Have you checked this instructor out ? At this rate it'll take 10 years.

"Guaranteed pass" means guaranteed piss poor service.