It isn’t hard to get along with other instructors. There is always something new you can learn off of them. But usually we have very strong opinions about certain aspects of teaching swimming. Here are 5 things we just can’t seem to ever be on the same page about.
Goggles and other swim equipment. I’ll take the time to make sure a kid’s goggle fit him/her right. And I always have an extra pair on me. Other teachers aren’t bothered by this issue. And both our students are swimming fine. I just believe in making kids as comfortable as possible — other instructors might believe more in focusing on getting used to the elements.
Group instruction versus private lessons. I personally think quality always trumps quantity. But part of the reason could be I’m not as good of a group teacher as I am a private one. The reason a swim instructor might become venomous over this topic is because it could be impossible to run their swim school if the numbers aren’t there. I ran across this pdf file about how to make $1,000 an hour running a swim school. It has a very impersonal approach, but it’s a working business model nonetheless.
Crying in class. Some teachers have the kids sit out. Others lecture. Me? I reason them out of it as I don’t feel like any child should ever make a connection about tears and water. One of my best mentors uses a method I could never follow through on with criers: She pushes right through it. Meaning if the kid is crying, it’s like it isn’t even happening with her. Yet her kids always come out on top (of the water) and become excellent swimmers in the end (and if I was being really honest, sometimes think they progress faster than mine).
Parental involvement. Many instructors flip-flop on this decision. It usually depends on the situation. For me, if a parent WANTS to stay in the pool with their child, I know that’s the type of parent I should ask to STAY OUT. When I think the parent serves as a distraction to the child, I know there is going to be a struggle to convey who needs to be charge (and it ain’t the parent or kid). Time and time again the result is not establishing vital swim –and is some cases socialization — skills. Parental involvement is crucial in many ways with swimming, but not so much with the lesson agenda itself. Meaning parents can work on general disciplinary, motivation and encouragement issues. And from the deck.
Allowing the student to grab you. I don’t mind being of assistance and allowing kids to hang onto me — but the second I sense the death-grip, I back up and work on floating in the shallow end and swimming small distance to something they can grab, like the pool side. I know some teachers who don’t really think twice about this (in someways it does create some bonding). Grabbing, in my opinion, is just never okay and a habit a teacher can break. If a child is that dependent to want to do this, it’s a sign you’re moving too fast for them.
