Meet the ADI: Gary Tasker

By Blind Spot DriveBlog

Meet the ADI: Gary Tasker

Introduction: The Journey of Gary Tasker – A Dual Career Adventure

In the world of education, some people take a traditional path, while others explore diverse avenues. Gary Tasker is a prime example of someone who blends two distinct professions into one enriching life. As a full-time high school teacher and part-time Approved Driving Instructor (ADI), Tasker has created a unique niche for himself, combining his passion for education with his love for driving instruction. But how does he manage both roles, and how does his teaching background influence his approach to instructing? In this article, we explore Gary’s inspiring career journey and the insights he shares about both worlds.

Outline

1. Introduction
   • Brief overview of Gary Tasker’s unique career as a teacher and ADI.
2. Becoming a Full-Time Teacher: The First Step
   • Gary’s passion for teaching.
   • His journey into becoming an Art and Design/Photography teacher.
3. The Appeal of Becoming a Part-Time ADI
   • Why Gary decided to become an ADI.
   • Comparing a Master’s degree with driving instruction.
4. Balancing Full-Time Teaching and Part-Time Driving Instruction
   • How Gary schedules his time.
   • The challenges of fitting both professions into a busy schedule.
5. The Impact of Teaching on Gary’s Instructing Style
   • How school teaching informs driving instruction.
   • The importance of reflective practice and individualized instruction.
6. What Can the Teaching and ADI Worlds Learn from Each Other?
   • Sharing of best practices between teachers and ADIs.
   • How ADIs have the flexibility that teachers sometimes lack.
7. The Core Competencies of Teaching and Driving Instruction
   • The importance of understanding why a student makes mistakes.
   • How critical analysis in driving instruction is valuable for teachers.
8. Pure Education: The Benefits of Being an ADI
   • What makes driving instruction a unique form of education.
   • The lack of educational pressures like exams and government regulations.
9. The Need for More Collaboration in the ADI World
   • The desire for ADIs to share good practices.
   • Comparing ADI mentorship with the school system’s structure.
10. Is the Part-Time ADI Career Right for Others?
    • Advice for teachers or other professionals considering becoming ADIs.
    • The importance of empathy and understanding when working with young people.
11. Gary’s Favourite and Least Favourite Parts of Being an ADI
    • The satisfaction of seeing students pass their driving tests.
    • The challenge of losing students after they pass their tests.
12. Gary’s Biggest Learning Experience as an ADI
    • The importance of differentiating the driving curriculum.
    • Why one-size-fits-all methods don’t work in driving instruction.
13. Starting a Career in Driving Instruction: Gary’s Advice
    • Insights for those interested in becoming ADIs.
    • Caution about pink badge contracts and using good trainers.
14. The Role of Theory Test Pro in Gary’s Teaching
    • How Theory Test Pro helps students understand the reasoning behind answers.
    • Why understanding the theory is crucial for real-world driving success.
15. Conclusion: Embracing Two Careers with Passion and Purpose
    • Gary’s reflections on balancing both roles.
    • Final thoughts on how these careers complement each other.

The Article:

Introduction: The Journey of Gary Tasker – A Dual Career Adventure

Gary Tasker is no ordinary educator. While many teachers focus solely on the classroom, Tasker has taken on a second profession that allows him to blend his passion for teaching with his love for driving. As a full-time Art and Design/Photography teacher and part-time Approved Driving Instructor (ADI), he has found a way to ensure his students are prepared not just for academic success, but for the road ahead. In this article, we dive into Gary’s career journey and explore how his teaching background influences his work as an ADI.

Becoming a Full-Time Teacher: The First Step

Gary’s journey into teaching began in 1994, a year that marked the start of a long-lasting love affair with education. Teaching quickly became more than just a job for Gary – it was a calling. He is currently a teacher for students aged 14-18, imparting his knowledge in Art and Design/Photography. But how did he get here?

For Gary, teaching was always something that brought him joy. The ability to shape young minds and encourage creativity made the classroom feel like a second home. He dedicated himself to his craft, and over time, his influence in the classroom only grew.

The Appeal of Becoming a Part-Time ADI

In 2023, Gary Tasker reached a pivotal point in his career. He was contemplating pursuing a Master’s degree in Education, but the cost of £16,000 felt like an unwise investment. The degree wouldn’t offer much in terms of improving his classroom practice, so he looked elsewhere for a new challenge. That’s when driving instruction caught his attention.

The ever-changing nature of driving lessons intrigued Gary. Unlike teaching, which can sometimes follow a set curriculum, driving instruction requires constant adaptation. Road conditions change, traffic laws evolve, and every student learns differently. Gary Tasker was hooked by the idea of applying rules to real-world situations in a way that kept him on his toes.

Balancing Full-Time Teaching and Part-Time Driving Instruction

At first, Gary Tasker envisioned teaching only two to three driving lessons a week, but things quickly changed. He found himself turning away clients every week, much to his dismay. Balancing two demanding roles required careful planning and time management.

Gary Tasker schedules his driving lessons after school hours and on weekends before 1 pm, ensuring his school responsibilities are not compromised. He admits that planning his week in advance is key to minimizing wasted time. As for school-related tasks like marking and planning, he takes care of those in the evenings.

The Impact of Teaching on Gary’s Instructing Style

What’s fascinating about Gary’s journey is how much his teaching background shapes his approach as an ADI. Teaching school students requires constant reflection and a focus on progress. Gary Tasker brings this same mindset to the car, where every student presents unique challenges.

He describes his car as a “classroom,” where the goal is to decode each student’s specific issues and find tailored solutions. In his view, there’s no such thing as “I can’t fix that.” This mindset keeps him motivated, even under pressure. His school teaching has made him a reflective practitioner, constantly striving to improve his teaching style to meet the needs of each student.

What Can the Teaching and ADI Worlds Learn from Each Other?

There’s a lot that both worlds can learn from one another. For instance, the concept of “core competencies” is an essential tool in driving instruction. ADIs dive deeper into understanding why something is wrong rather than just correcting it – a practice that could benefit school teachers too. In the classroom, it’s often challenging to delve into the “why” due to large class sizes, but ADIs, working one-on-one, have the opportunity to give more in-depth feedback.

Gary Tasker points out that the ADI world offers a level of autonomy and simplicity that is missing in traditional education, where government regulations and changing curricula can complicate teaching. He finds driving instruction to be a purer form of education, free from the shifting goalposts of the educational system.

The Core Competencies of Teaching and Driving Instruction

In teaching, instructors constantly tell students what they need to improve on, but they rarely question the reason behind a mistake. Gary Tasker believes that understanding why a fault occurred is an incredibly valuable tool, one that could be integrated into more classrooms. ADIs, by questioning why a student makes a mistake, help them improve in ways that go beyond mere correction.

Pure Education: The Benefits of Being an ADI

One of the standout aspects of Gary’s part-time ADI role is the simplicity and purity of the work. There are no exams, no external pressures, and no shifting educational policies to deal with. It’s just one-on-one training, where the focus is entirely on helping students develop a vital life skill.

This is a far cry from the stress teachers often face, where results and external factors play such a large role in their day-to-day responsibilities. For Gary, the personal fulfillment of helping a student pass their driving test far outweighs any external pressures.

The Need for More Collaboration in the ADI World

One aspect that Gary Tasker believes could improve in the ADI world is the sharing of good practices. When he first qualified, he felt unsupported and “blind” without mentorship. In schools, teachers are constantly monitored and given feedback to improve, but the ADI world lacks this kind of collaborative environment. Gary Tasker would love to see more experienced ADIs mentoring newcomers, as this kind of peer support is invaluable.

Is the Part-Time ADI Career Right for Others?

Gary Tasker believes anyone with a passion for teaching and working with people should consider becoming an ADI. However, it’s important to have the right mindset. Working with young people, especially those with challenging backgrounds, requires a deep sense of empathy and understanding. If you can relate to these students and find common ground, the role could be incredibly rewarding.

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