Warning – this unit was last revised in 2007

Unit 8: Lesson Planning – Objectives – SMART

Research Material:
The Driving Instructor’s Handbook
Coaching for Performance – Chapter 7 – Goal Setting

Effective and inspiring goal setting can really help motivate customers. They also set good boundaries for you – meaning that you don’t try to achieve too much and find yourself falling short, or aiming too low and wasting time.

Discussion Points:
Specific – Clear definition of what the goal is

Measurable – How will achievement of the goal be defined?
Once a skill has been performed under guidance, prompting, or independently?

Agreed – This ensures that both parties are working towards a goal which they both feel is achievable. Your customer must feel they are a participant, and not just a passenger.

Realistic – The dangers of setting unrealistic goals.

Timed – Ensuring that goals are not open ended.

P.U.R.E.
Positively stated – negative goals will often have negative effects
Understood – this is needed before agreement can be gained
Relevant – putting current goals into the wider context of driving
Ethical – positively encouraging good attitudes

C.L.E.A.R.
Challenging – keep motivation high, but without being unrealistic
Legal – with reference to the Highway Code if necessary
Environmentally sound – with reference to eco-driving
Appropriate – fitting it to the customers experience and skills
Recorded – with reference to the track record

Exercises:
Write SMART, PURE and CLEAR objectives for the following lessons:
Controls Lesson – first lesson with a new customer who has never driven.
Turn in the Road Lesson – with a customer who can drive competently but has never manoeuvred
System of Control lesson – re-enforcing good use of the MSPSL system for a customer approaching test standard
You will role-play these objectives with your trainer.