Coaching vs Instructing: The Difference

You've probably heard of the latest trend in the driving tuition industry: coaching rather than instructing. It might sound confusing given that you're a driving instructor, but it's more than just a buzz word that will disappear faster than it arrived.

What does it mean to be an 'instructor'?

The word 'instruct' usually means the act of telling someone else what to do. Think back to your time in education, and you'll remember your teachers telling you what you need to know. All you had to do was take notes and remember what you were being told.

Now you're no longer in school, do you know what equation to use to work out the radius of a circle? For most people, the answer will be no. One of the core reasons for that is because everyone has a different learning style, and instruction doesn't really take that into consideration.

It's easy to zone out or struggle to pick up skills that are just being told to you, and a lot of people struggle with learning something new until they apply it themselves.

So what's coaching?

Coaching is more of a collaborative effort between yourself and the learner. You're still sharing your knowledge and taking on a mentor position, but there are a few key differences.

To be an effective coach, you should focus on asking questions to allow the learner to reach the answer themselves. It's also important to listen, reflect and paraphrase to show you understand and to make sure you're on the same page with the learner.