Becoming a driving instructor is an incredibly rewarding career, and no two days are ever the same. Nonetheless, if you’re thinking of taking this path, you’ll want to know what a working day looks like.
We spoke to Mark Born, head of AA Driving School's Instructor Training Academy, to see what a typical day looks like – if you can call it that. This is a day in the life of an approved driving instructor (ADI).
In this article:
1. Morning routine
Generally a bit of prep is required before the day even begins.
“Ideally, the night before you would have checked your diary for the following day,” says Mark. “But in the morning, you’d check to make sure nothing in particular has changed, and that your day's well planned out. You should schedule enough time for travelling, plus enough time for breaks.
“It doesn’t hurt to have a good breakfast to set you up for the day!”
Checking and maintaining the car
The next task is to go out and check your car. Pay special attention to windows, mirrors, licence plates and lights – making sure it's nice and clean.
Mark says: “I’d typically give my car a wash every morning. A very quick wash, but just to make sure it's presentable as it possibly can be on the outside. Front wheels tend to get dirty, and check the back wheels are clean too.
“Inside, make sure it's nice and fresh. Give it a hoover if it needs a hoover, and make sure the car is ready to go.”
In addition, make sure:
- All your mirrors are adjusted correctly (although they may need tweaking for individual pupils)
- You have your licences and paperwork in the car
- You have all the resources you need for the day, including any lesson plans and visual aids
Certain maintenance checks need to be done on a weekly basis too, such as:
- Checking your fluid levels
- Checking your tyre tread and pressure
2. Teaching driving lessons
Once you’re happy everything is in order, it’s time to head to that first driving lesson.
Mark’s top tip: “If I arrive at the first driving lesson too early, I make sure that I'm parked somewhere around the corner, where I’m not going to be in visible sight of the pupil. Because there might be the risk then that the pupil feels panicked, thinks they're late for their lesson, and tries to rush… Which means they're not ready for learning.”
It’s a good idea to arrive a couple of minutes before the lesson is due. This will give you enough time to safely park, secure the vehicle, walk up and knock on the front door to welcome your pupil.
Mark says: “And you also want to welcome any bill payers that might have a vested interest in that person's driving lessons. Then I’m happy to encourage that conversation. Bill payers often want to hear how the pupil’s getting along, and any feedback.”
Then it’s time to deliver the first driving lesson. The content of the lesson will be dependent on where your pupil is in their driving lesson journey.
The ADI’s job is to provide instruction and guidance during the lesson, teaching various driving techniques and skills. The teaching methods you’ve learnt as a trainee will be adapted to suit the individual needs of each of your pupils. It’s also your responsibility to provide a safe and comfortable learning environment.
Mark says: “Good timing is important. After doing all the good stuff that you do during a driving lesson, head back to the pupil’s home in plenty of time to drop them off and complete the lesson. And bear in mind there might be another opportunity to speak to interested parties – such as the bill payer – updating them as to the pupil’s progress.”
Between driving lessons
It’s smart to leave enough time between lessons to do what you need to do.
“If you’re a trainee, give yourself some time to write notes and reflections on that lesson in some form. This could just be rough, such as a recording on your phone, just to really reflect on that lesson.
“It’s best not to do that immediately outside your pupil’s home. I’d probably drive just a little way off, park up again and note that reflection.”
This is also a good opportunity to check your phone for emails or messages, responding to any important or timely ones before travelling to the next lesson.
3. Breaks and personal errands
What you do for lunch and breaks depends on how you structure your day. Assuming you’re working roughly a regular 9-to-5 day, it’s recommended to take a proper lunch break.
It’s no secret that being a driving instructor involves a lot of sitting down. But taking time out for lunch means you can:
- Get out of the car, grab a little bit of exercise and do some stretches
- Eat a proper, healthy lunch
- Take your mind off the stresses of the day
If you’re staying local for your lessons, you could consider travelling home for lunch. If you’re grabbing lunch out all of the time, while this may be enjoyable to begin with, the costs add up. Plus meal planning and preparing yourself lunch is usually a better way of making sure you’re eating healthily.
Top tip: If you’re going to be out and about all day, it’s a good idea to invest in a cool box. This way you can keep drinks cold and your lunch and snacks nice and fresh.
Having a break also means you can potentially fit in personal errands. Although it’s worth taking this into account while planning your day the night before. If errands overrun, this can have a knock-on effect on the rest of the day’s lessons.
4. Afternoon lessons
Mark says: “Your last lesson of the day should be as good as your first lesson of the day – when you’re full of energy. If you find you’re struggling by the end of the day, then you’re probably trying to do too much.
“Note that if you get bored on a driving lesson, the chances are your pupil's bored as well. So monitor your own levels of boredom throughout the day. Don’t just stick to the same residential roads - mix it up a bit!”
5. End of the day
So that you begin each day primed and ready to go, it’s well worth getting certain tasks done at the end of each working day.
Mark says: “If you don’t get up early or you’re more of an evening person, this might be the best time to choose for cleaning the car and making sure it’s fully prepared.
“I’d also say that refuelling the car should be part of the evening routine as opposed to the morning routine. This means you’re not in a rush if something goes wrong, like a petrol station has run out of fuel or it’s closed. Or if roadworks are slowing down your journey. These things are much more stressful in the morning if you’re against the clock.”
It’s also time to plug in your electric vehicle (EV) if you’ve chosen to give EV lessons.
Managing your diary and money
“The evening is also a good time to review the diary for the following day. Check to see if anything’s changed, and make sure your timings for the day all make good sense. This way, all you’ll need to do in the morning is give your diary a quick once-over.”
Now’s a good time to get in touch with any new pupils, to check in and confirm they’re still good to be picked up the following day. You could also let them know what to expect from their first driving lesson.
If anybody has a test coming up, message them to make sure they have everything they need – such as their driving licence, and theory test pass certificate if they’re taking their practical driving test.
The end of the day is also a good time for money management, such as making sure your pupils are up to date with their payments. Note that if you’re a franchisee, this is usually taken care of as lessons tend to be prepaid.
Switching off
Like most professions, being a driving instructor can be stressful. And, as mentioned, you’re spending most of the day sitting down.
For this reason, it’s important to work some unwinding time into your day. This might mean going for a walk and getting some fresh air. It may also mean getting some exercise in, going for a run or whatever you enjoy doing.
You should also be mindful that, if you’re using your home as your office, then you’re living in your workplace. As such, it’s important to have something to help you switch off from work mode – whether that’s exercising, doing yoga or pilates, or walking the dog. Whatever works for you.
6. Evening and weekend lessons
While many driving instructors work in line with a regular 9-to-5, the flexibility afforded means you can always pick up evening and weekend work if you want to. This often chimes with certain learners’ schedules – such as those who work weekdays.
An advantage of evening lessons is that learners get an opportunity to drive in different, changing light conditions, adding to their experience.
You can also charge more for evening and weekend lessons, which is a bonus.
Mark says: “While it’s good to offer evening lessons, you might not want to give them every evening. This is where careful diary planning is really important, so you can maximise your time teaching while not overdoing it.
“I find it’s best to stagger these kinds of lessons, rather than having a block of regular evening or weekend lessons. Because while it’s great to have the extra work, don’t forget that you need to make time for your personal life too.”
7. Job satisfaction and challenges
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again - teaching people a valuable skill for life is an incredibly rewarding profession. But it’s not without its challenges.
You’ll need to be an effective communicator. And if you’re not already an incredibly patient person, you’re going to need to be!
Plus how you deal with balancing competing factors is key to becoming a successful instructor. For example, you have a good deal of flexibility in terms of scheduling and autonomy. But you’ll also need to balance the needs of the pupils with your own requirements. And while successfully cramming your diary with paying pupils is good for your bank balance, you need to carve out time for your own life too.
Think you’ve got what it takes? Find out exactly how to become a driving instructor.
Something to think about: A driving instructor’s working day can be long, especially when you consider that you’re only getting paid for the lessons. You’re not paid for doing the rest of the admin, including diary management, trying to enlist pupils and so on.
This is why it’s worth considering joining a franchise. A lot of your business admin is taken care of, freeing up more time to do what you do best. So why not look into your franchise options today?