MD Driving Instructor study plan
MD Driving Instructor · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Maryland traffic law and rules of the road & Vehicle operation, safety and risk prevention
Memorize Maryland speed limits, following-distance rules, and right-of-way priorities for intersections, crosswalks, and emergency vehicles
Recite the penalties and point assessments for the ten most common moving violations
Identify every regulatory, warning, and pavement marking in the Maryland driver manual without notes
Complete a timed 40-question drill on signals, signs, and lane use
Your checkpoint
Score at least 85% on a self-made 50-question quiz covering signs, signals, right-of-way, and speed law, with every missed item rewritten as a correct rule statement
Maryland traffic law and rules of the road & Vehicle operation, safety and risk prevention
Explain Maryland's graduated licensing stages, including learner permit holding periods, supervised driving hours, and passenger restrictions
Trace how points accumulate into suspension and what a driver must do to reinstate
Demonstrate a full pre-trip vehicle inspection and a cockpit drill (seat, mirrors, belt) in correct sequence
Describe the legal and safety consequences of driving without insurance or a valid license
Your checkpoint
Produce a one-page reference sheet on graduated licensing and the point system, plus a signed-off live demonstration of the pre-trip inspection checklist
Vehicle operation, safety and risk prevention
Explain the top crash-contributing behaviors and the countermeasure an instructor should coach for each
Calculate safe following distances at 30, 55, and 70 mph using time-gap and space-cushion methods
Differentiate impairment from fatigue, distraction, and aggression, and state the correct instructional response to each
Design a hazard-perception drill that makes a student narrate risks out loud
Your checkpoint
Write ten realistic driving scenarios with the correct instructor intervention and the rule violated, all reviewed against course notes
Instructional methods and behind-the-wheel coaching
Build a 45-minute behind-the-wheel lesson using an objective-demonstrate-practice-feedback structure
Write coaching cues for steering, lane position, mirror checks, and smooth braking that avoid vague language
Sequence skills so each lesson introduces only one new maneuver at a time
Define a pass criterion for each skill so progress can be measured objectively
Your checkpoint
Submit a complete 45-minute lesson plan with a scored skill rubric, and pass a 60-question mixed exam on domains 1 and 2 with at least 80%
Instructional methods and behind-the-wheel coaching
Deliver corrective feedback using a specific-behavior-impact-correction format in a live or recorded teach-back
Coach a student through a simulated parallel park and a lane change using only pre-agreed cues
Apply a defensive-driving observation routine (mirror sweep, blind spot, intersection scan) during instruction
Diagnose three common novice errors and prescribe a remediation drill for each
Your checkpoint
Record a 10-minute in-vehicle or role-play teaching segment and self-score it against a 12-item coaching checklist, noting two concrete improvements
Driver education program administration and recordkeeping
Assemble the required components of a Maryland student driver file, including enrollment agreement, permit documentation, and behind-the-wheel hours log
State the retention period and privacy handling expectations for student records and driving histories
Create a vehicle maintenance and insurance documentation log that satisfies program oversight
Outline a schedule for instructor certification renewal, background checks, and continuing education
Your checkpoint
Build a sample student file plus a 15-point recordkeeping audit checklist that another instructor could run independently
Instructor ethics, liability and student supervision
Apply instructor code-of-conduct expectations to boundary-setting, communication, and dual-control supervision
Analyze liability exposure in scenarios such as unsupervised practice, vehicle defects, and inappropriate contact
Describe the mandatory reporting duties an instructor holds for suspected impairment or abuse
Justify supervision ratios and route selection decisions that reduce risk during lessons
Your checkpoint
Write five ethics and liability case briefs, each with a decision, the rule or standard relied on, and the preventive action that should have occurred
Maryland traffic law and rules of the road & Vehicle operation, safety and risk prevention & Instructional methods and behind-the-wheel coaching & Driver education program administration and recordkeeping & Instructor ethics, liability and student supervision
Integrate all five domains by mapping each missed practice-exam item back to its domain and underlying rule
Re-teach your three weakest objectives using the same lesson-plan structure you will use with students
Complete a full-length timed practice exam under test conditions
Consolidate all weekly deliverables into a single indexed study binder for final review
Your checkpoint
Score at least 85% on a 100-question cumulative practice exam and submit a remediation log listing every missed item, its domain, and the corrected rule
Milestones
Week 2: Explain graduated licensing and the point system from memory and pass the pre-trip inspection demonstration without prompting
Week 4: Produce an approved 45-minute lesson plan and score 80% or higher on the mixed domains 1-2 exam
Week 6: Complete a compliant sample student file and a recordkeeping audit checklist that a peer can apply without clarification
Week 8: Score 85% or higher on the cumulative 100-question exam and show a remediation log with zero unexplained misses