Effective, organized way to teach a teenager how to drive?

Question

I've been asked to teach a 15 year old how to drive.

Aside from just practicing, I was wondering if anyone can offer ideas to make the lessons enjoyable and somewhat structured. How can creative can one get? Anyone? I'd really like to make this memorable, fun, and effective.

Answer 1

The best way to start is in a parking lot. The parking lot, has markers for lanes that allowing the student driver to practice keeping the car in their own lane. Also, a parking lot will allow for the practicing of turns and keeping the car in the right lane as the turn is made, which is hard for even experienced drivers. I also encourage doing this with things similar to the orange cones that can be found in the street. You set a goal of how many cones will remain standing at the end of the lesson. You set them up for the turns for staying in between "the white lines," etc and provide some reward. It allows the student to stay focused and gives them something to work toward as well as becoming a more proficient driver in the process.

Answer 2

Driving is not creative, it is structured. Its about saftey. Make sure you give him opportunities to drive under all conditions safely. Ask him what to do in bad conditions. My dad took me out on ice (puposely, after I got my license) when there were no cars and made me begin to spin out so I would know how to turn out of it. (its better to learn when no one can get hurt) same goes for snow and rain. You might want to find a defensive driving course to add to your regular teaching.