Inspiration Behind the Wheel: Confessions from Drivers Ed Teachers who Love what Parents Dread
Published: February 08, 2021
Author: Carla Morris
Updated: January 20, 2022
Few parents relish the nerve-racking hours they spend in passenger seats as their teens take full control of the steering wheel. One mom, Jackie Papandrew, offers this prayer: “Bless those people with nerves of steel (and possibly minds of mush) who actually spend their days trying to teach something to creatures who already know everything.”
Here’s an idea Jackie may find hard to believe: Some of those steely-nerved driving instructors love what they do.
It’s no secret that many high school instructors earn extra cash by teaching driver’s ed as a weekend gig or summer job. Like tutoring and prepping students for SAT exams, it’s a good fit for their skill sets. Some, however, find teaching driving to be so enjoyable that they keep it up even in retirement.
What's Not to Like?
“I love what I do,” said Don Zimmerman, in his 44th year as a driving instructor. Don filled a need by starting a driving school in La Crosse, Wisconsin, back in 1966. Over the years, he and his staff trained more than 38,000 students.
Then, there’s Liz Vibert, who takes photos of driving scenarios and integrates them in both her classroom and behind-the-wheel training. Students love her creative twist. She has helped thousands of drivers-particularly those who prefer visual learning-to master driving. These include deaf students and many international students.
If inspired teaching sounds incongruent with mundane skills like backing up or staying between the lines, consider this: In 2018, KGW8 in Portland, Oregon, reported on women driving instructors preparing to travel to Saudi Arabia to teach other women how to drive. The country had recently lifted its ban on female drivers. One instructor put the awesome opportunity into perspective by saying that Saudi women had spent “their whole lives never expecting to have the privilege to drive.”
Not for Everyone, but Absolute Joy for Others
In a piece for cartalk.com, humorist Tom Bodett claims he never understood “the warped logic that puts three thousand pounds of over-powered machinery into the hands of idiot children.” He recalls the intersection where calm flew out the window in an instant and left him “jamming both feet into the passenger-side firewall” and screaming at his driver-son, “‘Judas H. bald-headed Priest, that’s a red light! Are you trying to get us killed?’”
Driving instructor Bill Twargo possesses all the calm that Tom lacks. Bill exhibits a gift for communicating with teens and prefers teaching them over others. He takes great pleasure in watching them progress from permit drivers to licensed drivers. The students know him to be cool and composed, unlike their parents, “all nerves and yelling.” Bill loves his work and believes that “a calm driver’s ed experience will translate into a relaxed and capable driver who has the ability to enjoy driving.”
Drivers Ed: In a Class by Itself
If drivers ed seems lackluster compared to courses like “The Art of the Graphic Novel,” and “American Rebels and Romantics,” just remember these words from one driving instructor, who also loves his work: “It’s perhaps the only class offered here where the lives of so many are at stake. What you learn as a student can literally make the difference between life and death.”
Learn about Greenville University’s summer endorsement program for teaching driver’s education. If you already hold a teaching license, you can earn the credits you need for State of Illinois certification in just one summer. Space is limited. Register today!
