Based in the Nottingham area, Adiel is an instructor at 1st Driving School as well as the owner of Driver Trainer Network, an organisation that trains instructors.
Here Adiel speaks to Theory Test Pro about his recent win at the GoRoadie awards, why he loves teaching, and how dealing with tragedy during the pandemic taught him to be thankful for everything he has.
What was it like winning the GoRoadie’s Driving Instructor of the Year (England) 2021 award?
It came as a pleasant shock! True success though isn’t measured in certificates and trophies; it’s the learning process that changes us, which is the real measure of success. That’s what I tell my pupils when they’re getting ready for their practical and theory tests.
Also, 1st Driving School has worked hard in the background to support me as an ADI so it’s the truly successful one.
Why did you make the move into instructing?
I’ve always had a passion for driving and cars. This was triggered at school when we were given a young person’s Highway Code, which piqued my interest in road safety.
I also have a lot of instructors in the family – namely Fagley School of Motoring and the National Driving School that are both based in Bradford – and they encouraged me to become an instructor too. It made sense as instructing was a natural fit for me because of my love of all things automotive!
What kind of ADI are you?
I put my pupils on the same path I started out on: the Highway Code. From there, it’s all about making the learner’s performance seamless. We go from one lesson to the next, building upon previous learnings and at times, taking the learner out of their comfort zone.
“Pupils say my knowledge of the Highway Code is my biggest asset.”
What is your teaching style?
It’s high energy as I love motivating and enthusing my pupils so even the quietest eventually come out of their shell. The goal is to understand how the learner feels and encourage them to give themselves feedback on their performance when behind the wheel.
This approach really does help my pupils to become more self-reflective – to literally take control of their own lives!
What’s your favourite and least favourite part of the job?
The best part of the job is meeting learners on the first day. Also, 1st Driving School always offers me pupils in the areas of my choosing. It means I spend less time driving back and forth to learners and more time doing what I love best, which is teaching them!
My least favourite part of the job? Pupils come with aspirations, hopes and dreams, which are important but at times, the difficulty is trying to manage their expectations against the reality of the learning process.
Turning to the pandemic, how have you personally and professionally navigated through such a difficult time?
Unfortunately, I lost both my parents during this period, not to Covid, but to other pre-existing health complications. My mother died in December 2021, and my father passed away three months later from a broken heart.
Many of us have lost loved ones so I know that I am not alone. We all go through things which are way beyond our control at times.
To help manage, I believe resilience and empathy are the two most underrated characteristics we have as human beings. It’s important to remember that, after a period of great adversity, there is always an easing.
“When in a crisis, you should always be thankful for what you have, and remember there are people who are in situations far worse than yours. It helps you keep perspective.”
If you could change one thing about how the DVSA has managed its services during the pandemic, what would it be?
I would say more communication. On a micro level, when things go wrong, it boils down to either poor initial communication or a lack of understanding on the part of one party or both!
We should try and understand both perspectives to come up with amicable solutions in the future. Nobody is perfect, but it’s clear the industry needs another major overhaul in the wake of the pandemic to deal with the backlog.
What are your plans for the future?
I’ve created the Driver Trainer Network that specialises in driving instructor training without holding new PDIs to ransom unlike some operators in the sector! I aim to show potential driving instructors that becoming one doesn’t have to cost thousands in hidden charges.
Finally, how do you find Theory Test Pro helps your students?
Let me give you an example. One of my friends was dismayed when his daughter failed her theory test twice. He came to me, willing to pay me to help train her on a one-to-one basis just to get her through her theory test.
I simply recommended Theory Test Pro, which she started using. I would remotely log in to check on her progress and we’d talk about the different sections during her lessons. Lo and behold, she passed on her third attempt with a score of 48 out of 50!
“Theory Test Pro has a simple, easy-to-understand format that’s engaging for learners. My advice? Get your driving school signed up to Theory Test Pro today.”
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