Be yourself give a good lesson with well structured aims and don’t turn into a robot.

Comment of Kim Blake ADI Grade 6 (x 4 check tests):
Don’t make the mistake of trying your first check test without coaching by your ADI ‘mentor’ who is usually the trainer who helped you pass your ADI tests. Better still contact me via [email protected]

Comment of Russ Green – Blue Car School of Motoring, Sheffield:
I regularly train ADI’s for Check Test purposes – but normally after they’ve failed a CT! Experience is a key factor – but on-going training will help. I generally find it best to observe the ADI with a pupil, and develop training fom there. Sometimes, the more ‘experienced’ we get, the worst we get. Most ADI’s that I see are far from a Grade 6 – because they’ve allowed themselves to become complacent.

I’m Grade 6 & an ORDIT trainer. When training & assessing, I view everybody as a Grade 6, until they start making mistakes. The mistakes that I often see are: 1. No clear objectives set for either the session, or the task to be performed 2. Incorrect / inaccurate fault identification. If this Fault Identification is not accurate, how can our pupils learn properly / effectively. If they can’t learn the lesson – we can’t get a Grade 6. 3. Failing to work with the fault in a way that he pupil will learn. All an examiner wants to see from you, is that your pupil has learnt something!

A fault, on a CT, is a gift to you – especially when it’s part of the subject to be taught! Unwrap it; explore it; take it apart – and then put it all back together again. In other words, identify it accurately, analyse it to the degree necessary, exploring why / how something was wrong; what problems this may cause / hold; what effects this may have… And then, what do we need to do to put this right.

Don’t over-instruct, though – but don’t be afraid to instruct, either. Plan well, so that the pupil has opportunity to learn, practice, and develop. Appropriate & commensurate feedback will encourage & motivate the pupil. It will help them see all the components that are correct, and the weakness that needs attention. It’s only an hour long – explore the problem fully, get it right – you’ll back at the DTC in no time, and that Grade 6 could be yours. Russ Green Blue Car School of Motoring www.blue-car.co.uk