As we walked toward the car to begin our lesson, I commented, "Hey, you did such a great job yesterday, why don't you back the car out of the driveway?"
Call this decision ... serious teacher error.
Driving Teacher Lesson #1: Just because your student has mastered the skill of moving the car forward ... does not mean your little pupil has a clue how to move the car BACKWARD.
Really though, why is this? It seems logical enough to me: if you know how to maneuver a stick shift forward, isn't it the same skill to go backward?
Whatever the case, the evidence suggests BAD LOGIC on my part.
Driving Teacher Lesson #2 (and I should be fired for this one): when teaching someone to drive a stick shirt in reverse, make sure NO OTHER CARS ARE BEHIND YOU.
Especially your mother's car.
My student wasted no time before hurling at a rapid (i.e: LIGHTENING) speed toward the car behind us.
I really cannot emphasize enough here the truly impressive velocity at which we were moving.
Driving Teacher Lesson #3: Keep your composure at all times. Or, at a minimum, refrain from swearing at your students.
Really, when you're teaching someone to drive a stick shift, you want to avoid freaking out. It's bad for their fragile budding confidence. Instead, stay calm, use nice even vocal tones and say things like, "Great job, you're really getting it!" or "Wow, that was really an A+++ transition into second gear!"
Refrain from frantically shrieking, "Oh my gosh, STOP!! What are you doing? Oh my Go&! BRAKE, BRAKE, BRAKE!!!!"
Finally, said student slammed violently on the brake. Truly in the nick of time.
Incredibly, there was no impact- we didn't even bump the other car, and yet, they were touching.
And all this,
was the first five seconds of the driving lesson.
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