Automatic Driving Lessons in Glasgow South & Newton Mearns with James
Who are you and what do you do?
Hi! I'm James, and I'm currently a trainee driving instructor and I'm waiting on a date to sit my final exam.Â
After researching the industry I chose to train with Caledonian as I felt their values matched my own, they have a great reputation in the industry and believe in supporting people to become safe drivers for life not to merely pass their driving test.
For a long time I have wanted to work in an industry that would allow me to become self employed and in control of my work/life balance. Until this point my work life has consisted of an initial 19 years as a bricklayer & the previous 16 years in the care sector both as a support worker and as a service manager. These 3 roles rely on being able to work in partnership with colleagues and people who require support, apprentices & subordinates. To be effective in these roles one has to be a good communicator, empathetic, patient, good natured and have the ability to help people reach their goals, as well as being comfortable with and aware of their responsibilities in their own role. My success in my previous roles indicate that these are skills that I have and continue to develop and are indeed the perfect mix required to become an effective and successful driving instructor.
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What is the best thing about being a driving instructor?
Having the opportunity to help people grow in confidence and learn new skills and develop existing ones. I also enjoy having a flexible diary and choosing when I like to work.
I enjoy developing my teaching skills whilst supporting my students to learn to drive. No two lessons are ever the same and I enjoy getting to spend time with such a variety of people and personalities.
What is the best advice you could give your learners?
Embrace the challenge of learning to drive, relax, have fun & have faith in yourself! Oh, and remember to check your mirrors!
What do you like to do when you're not working?
Away from work, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, especially going on holiday. In my own spare time I like to play golf, I also play the guitar and relax playing videogames.
One interesting fact about you...
I have taught myself to play the guitar!
"I have made good steady progress with James. He has navigated my neuro-divergence pretty well and we have managed to get into a flow. James is very thorough, organised and structured in how he teaches, which is good for me and my learning needs. But he is also adaptive to my feedback that I need variety within the lessons, so he has managed to navigate the lessons accordingly and we are pushing forward with progressing. He has a great manner and I feel at ease with him. He uses the visual boards to show me some of the theory which also works well for me. I like having the MyDriveTime app which shows my progress and the topics too. "
