It was an exciting day for 18-year-old Romy-Marie de Vries from Meppel. Earlier this week she had her very last practical exam to become a driving instructor.
“It was quite exciting, because you have to meet many requirements,” says Romy-Marie. And the rules are strict. If you fail any of the requirements, you have failed. But, she says happily: “I got enough points to pass.”
It didn’t even take Romy-Marie a year to obtain her driving instructor diploma. Students can decide for themselves how long they take to complete the course, but it may take a maximum of one year. The training takes place in different phases.
For example, Romy-Marie passed her first theory exam in January, which is somewhat comparable to the theory exam at the CBR. This is followed by the practical test. “Then they can see that you can drive well,” she explains. This exam is also comparable to the CBR practical exam. Romy-Marie: “But there are stricter requirements.”
This is followed by two more theory exams that focus on teaching itself. To complete the course, you must also complete a minimum of 40 hours of internship. “I have worked more hours,” says Romy-Marie. “Because I am young and have less driving experience. But also because I really enjoyed doing it.”
She gained practical experience from father Oebele de Vries, who runs a driving school in Meppel. “That’s quite nice,” says Romy-Marie. “We often talk about it in private. Then I get tips and he coaches me.”
The final step is teaching a student according to a certain protocol. She did this with a student who also teaches at her father’s driving school. “We were able to practice in advance,” says Romy-Marie. An advantage for both: more driving hours for the student and so Romy-Marie could prepare her exam well.
But: “It is very different from a normal lesson. The protocol is that as an instructor you explain a special procedure and then continue to perform it again and again.” Romy-Marie chose to do the operation backwards in the parking space: “Certainly not the easiest.”
Romy-Marie can learn a lot from her father and what he has experienced in the profession with his 30 years of experience as a driving instructor. “I take that with me and then put my own spin on it.” It also works the other way around. “What’s funny is that my father also learns new insights from me.”
This is how Romy-Marie fits the Sandwich Method to provide feedback to students. “If something doesn’t go well, I start with something positive, then something negative and then something positive again,” she explains. “That’s great for the student and for yourself. My father thought that was great and is increasingly trying to incorporate it into his own lessons.”
The examiner stated that it must not have been very pleasant at home the past few days with the exam stress. But that’s not too bad, says Romy-Marie. “It’s actually very nice. We understand each other.”
“I really enjoy teaching,” says Romy-Marie. In the meantime, she is also studying Educational Sciences in Groningen. For now, teaching is mainly a side job. But in the future she might want to take over her father’s driving school.
First she starts by taking over a number of hours a week. She also does not do the very first driving lessons with students. “I’m going to teach students who have already had a number of lessons,” says Romy-Marie. “We will practice special operations and focus on small details. Such as training viewing techniques when turning and hazard recognition.”