Take your screwdriver and hammer. Place the screwdriver flat along the bottom of the freeze plug. Hit the screwdriver with the hammer until the freeze plug “eye lids” (as the guy called it … this is where the freeze plug basically tips over in the freeze plug bore and the top portion will be sticking out). Grab the top part of the freeze plug with the pliers and roll it out of its hole. Here’s an image of what the freeze plug looks like when it’s in the “eye lid” position and how to grab it with the pliers.
Proper tool is a freeze plug puller.
You drill a small hole that the screw tip of the puller grabs and it then pulls the plug out.
While most common home mechanic use is the screw driver (bad tool for the job as you should not strike a screwdriver with a hammer).
If you must, use a drift or small chisel with the hammer. Just make your hits carefully as I have seen folks knock the plug into the block and have to fish it out.
The puller is normally found in the set with the proper insertion tools for reinstalling new plugs.
In a tight engine bay, I’ve used an open end wrench with a hammer, it grabs the edge of the plug and turns it, so it can be grasped with pliers and pulled out. You have to find the proper wrench size, as it needs to be the exact one to dent the inside of the lip of the seal and grab it while hammering it to turn it.