Scaling
Some will argue that scaling is a waste of time, others will use it every lesson.
Whether it works for you is unimportant.
What is important, is does it work for your pupil?
Can, by using scaling help your pupil to build confidence, self reflect on their ability, give them a goal to work towards, get them to realise more learning needs to take place?
If just one of the above items works as a benefit for your pupil, then scaling is a good thing surely?
One of the biggest reasons why Scaling goes wrong with learners, is because the instructor has an opinion!
If you asked your pupil.
"On a scale of 1-10, 1 being terrible and 10 being excellent, how good do they believe they are at stopping with good lane discipline at all junctions"?
If you pupil was to answer with an 8 but you think they are a 4 that's fine. But your pupil should NEVER know you think they are a 4!
8 Is where they think they are, and you should respect that in their eyes that is where they deem their current ability is at.
If you think they are a 4, it is now your job to discuss with them what they feel they can do to make that 8 an 81/2 or 9
By using correct questioning methods you can nurture them to understand that the quality of the lane discipline needs improving to make it a 9 and how they can achieve that.
Once they realise that there may be a few things that need adapting, it may be worth asking if they still feel their score remains the same, higher or lower.
AGAIN, WHATEVER THEIR SCORE, YOUR SCORE STAYS WITH YOU!
Then get out and practice that lane discipline, have a few goes and re-scale.
Did the score increase? Did it decrease?
Either way, you have the facility to work with a scale that your pupil set.
Could your pupil make it a 10?
What are they going to do to achieve that?
In my opinion a 10 is perfection and to be honest, we can learn new things day in day out for the rest of our lives, so are we ever capable of a 10?
So let's go with the scenario that your pupil thinks they are an 8 yet you think they are a 4. What can you do to allow you pupil to understand that there is more progression that needs to be made but without telling them you think they are a 4.
Firstly, you need to know yourself why you believe they are a 4.
What is it that they are not doing, or what is it that they need to be doing to bring that score up in your eyes?
Is it their speed on approach?
Is it their lack of mirrors on the approach?
Is it that they do not signal?
Is it that they are not using the gears to be better prepared by the time they reach the junction?
Well to be honest, NONE of the above have any relation to the initial question.
The initial question was
"On a scale of 1-10, 1 being terrible and 10 being excellent, how good do they believe they are at stopping with good lane discipline at all junctions"?
So this question relate to lane discipline and has nothing to do with any of the above.
The Score in your mind MUST be about the lane discipline and none of the other items that might need work.
If you wanted to score the arrival at a junction completely, covering ALL of the items as listed above, the question should have covered ALL of the items above.
You cannot scale correctly with your pupil if you are not on the same page.
They might actually be really good with their lane discipline on arrival at a junction, yet you've scored them based on all of it.
By not dealing with just the question as it's asked, you'll end up building a conflict between you and the pupil because you're on different wavelengths.
If however, the 4 was genuinely a 4 for the lane discipline, what is it that they need to build their skills on to achieve an 8 in your eyes.
You need to use questions that will look at how they are arriving at the junction so that they realise there is more than just moving from an 8 to an 81/2 or 9.
They may consider that the fact they have arrived at the end of the road without crossing the white line, are in the correct gear and have placed a signal on, is sufficient, and especially that when they move into the new road they have done so without affecting any oncoming traffic or crossing the centre line of the new road.
The fact that their position has caused a vehicle following them to not be able to come alongside them because they are sat in the middle of the junction is why you have scored them in your mind as a 4. You now need to find a way to get them to realise where the correct position is.
Now the tricky part might come, because they may truly believe that that is the position they are in.
Their perception of placement in the road may be way out of alignment of where they should be.
It may be a case that you take them to a quiet road, try and carry out the same type turning where no one else is around, and then once they stop at the junction, open your door so they can understand what their perception of being in the correct place is not what it actually is in reality.
By allowing your pupil to physically see where things are not as they should be, they can learn to adjust. Just by telling them they are wrong, they may not fully grasp it.
A demonstration by you swapping seats so that they can see from the passenger side how far away from the kerb they are may give them a better understanding.
Get them back in the driver's seat and practice on improving this one thing, once they get it, then you can progress on to other areas that may need attention, and the scaling process can start over again.
