The first driving lesson should be a classroom session in my opinion, however I presume you are referring to the first behind the wheel session. Ideally this will take place on a closed course, parking lot, etc.

At a very fundamental level you should understand all of the basic controls, instrumentation and safety equipment of the car before you start.

You should also understand how to establish a safe driving position and how to establish visibility around the car. Most of this can be done in 5 min prior to driving.

If you are driving for the first time in a standard shift (stick) you need some simple understanding of the relationship between the throttle, brake and clutch.

This is all that is needed as long as you are operating the car in a safe (closed) environment> The first lesson should cover the basics of vehicle dynamics, acceleration, braking distances, cornering speeds, etc. It should also cover vehicle envelope awareness, e.g. where are the corners of the car. Where are the wheels in relation to the corners, what references to I use to determine my position on the road, etc.

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