Drivers ED class

Emaleigh Miranda10-18-11

Class: ENG 131-02

• During my sophomore year, I took a class that I dreaded. It was my drivers education class. Just the thought of driving really scared me. I was worried about getting into car accidents and getting hit in general. Even though I’ve never been in a car accident it still made me worried to get behind the wheel.

• I finally decided to take the class because a lot of my friends were taking it. This class was available through the school and the instructor happened to be a fifth grade teacher that many had back in elementary school. I was not one of those kids though. My friend was telling me that she disliked him back when she had him. She said that he was really uptight about uncompleted homework. He even made her stay in from recess once so she would finish her work.

• Just hearing the story made me not like the guy. Before the class even started I wanted it to end.

• When it finally started, the teacher came in and introduced himself to the class. He began by telling us that he was Mr. Myers and that he was glad to see so many familiar faces. He then pointed to the counter with all the drivers training books and told us to go get one.

• By the end of the first class, he had given us homework. We had to read the first chapter and then fill out a worksheet that went with it. One of the students asked why we needed to read when we were in a driving class. His point was that we should just be driving instead.

• To this my teacher says, “You guys need both. You need book knowledge and you need behind the wheel experience.” He then explained further that we need to learn a few things like what shifting gears means and where the left and right turn signals are and which direction they need to be used in. We can’t just hop into a car on the first day and know what everything means and where everything is.

• Since the winter class was during the school year, we didn’t have a lot of time to do both the learning and the driving after school. So we just watched the driving videos that were clearly from the 80’s and had bookwork every night until we took the test. Then once we passed it, we were on the road to experience everything that we had learned.

• During the class I didn’t really get to see his personality. He would just put in a video and talk about last night’s chapter in class. There were some days where I had to fight to stay awake because I just couldn’t take the boredom.

• Then once we got to be on the road my teacher’s personality just changed. He would joke around with us and on one occasion he began singing an old almond joy commercial.– Sometimes you feel like a nut

Sometimes you don't Almond Joy's got nuts Mounds don't

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TA3c1YqCiI

• I was driving on the country roads, going 55 mph and instantly began laughing. My driving partner and I couldn’t handle the random lyrics that he just began to sing out of the blue. He was so confused and then shocked when we didn’t know the tune or the lyrics. Just the whole silliness of everything made me really like the teacher more than I had before.

• Even driving in the city when I was learning about a four way stop we still just enjoyed the sunny, mid-April afternoon. We even fist pumped about the warm weather that came so early that year.

• The last driving session though is still one of the most memorable. He let me and my friend, Jessica, “throw a party in the car”. We brought cookies, cake, and soda to eat and drink before we finished the last driving portion. On that last day, we had many moments that could only happen with Mr. Myers.

• Jessica and I took turns driving on the highway. While I was driving I noticed everyone was merging into the left lane. I was very confused and then I realized why people were doing this. On the right side of the highway was a truck with smoke every where. I drove past a truck that was on fire and I didn’t even realize it enough to switch lanes. When asking Mr. Myers on what to do he just stares at the truck and says, “You’re fine, just keep going straight. Wow, you never see that every day.” While staring intensely at this smoking truck, even as I drive past it.

• Then while I’m sitting in the back of the car, the oddest thing happens. Jessica got off the highway and was turning back onto it so we could go back to the school and at the corner of where she needed to turn we saw a hobo. He even had a sign. She was mesmerized by this man and forgets to turn left. Our teacher yells, “What are you doing?!” and grabs the wheel from her and turns the car for her. She kept apologizing for getting distracted but we were both laughing to much for her apology to sound serious.

• Even though I had suffered though the book work and learning about intersections and blind spots, I didn’t want the driving sessions to end. Mr. Myers showed me what a good time you can have even if you’re learning or putting your knowledge to the test.

• Mr. Myers has been teaching drivers education for over 20 years and he won’t actually admit it, but Jessica and I are his favorites. He just tells us that we’re, “One of his favorite students.” but we know what he really means.