I'm a swimming teacher

[Starlitestarbright]

Hi feel free to ask me any questions. I teach learn to swim 3 upwards and school swimming.

teraculum29 depends on the child really and their willingness to put their face in blow bubbles and kick with one float on their front and back. I would suggest taking your child to the pool aswell to build confidence. Usually I'm pretty good at getting their faces in. There's no point teaching arms and legs until they've mastered aquatic breathing and buoyancy in the water first so they have correct body position in the water. I find stage 4 they tend to be in the longest for us as we are working in the big pool towards 25 metres and additional 2 strokes.

Did you have to do lifeguarding training as well as the teaching certificate? My DD (ex-club swimmer) is 16 & looking at doing the courses to get a job this summer after exams. She’s already been a club volunteer swim teaching assistant. We said we’d fund either the teaching or the lifeguarding and she can fund the other once earning but I’d hoped the hourly rate teaching would pay her more?

We’re having a bit of a nightmare with swimming lessons so I’m very grateful for this thread! A long story short, my daughter just hasn’t ‘taken’ to swimming at all and is quite stressed about the whole thing. We’ve just tried moving swim schools. Her old one used the clip on float belts, the new one doesn’t so she’s lost even more confidence. Do you use the belts or is it better to learn without? She’s just moved up to stage 2 but seems totally unprepared for it (e.g. will dip face in but would never attempt to collect a sinker). I’m worried she’ll never get the hang of it all!

My dd is on to her second term of pre school lessons. They seem to have lost teachers so it's been a different one each week for a while. Some weeks they used those form arm bands and some weeks woggles. She can 'swim' with either.

Anyway my question is - when should I expect that she will be swimming without an aid ?

Babybab swimming under the water is different to swimming frontcrawl. They are completely correct that he needs to be in a stage 2. I would recommend the same. Better to make an assessment for a child in a stage below than a class that is too advanced.

I can tell straight away what stage a child is and if they need moving up or now. I'd want to see if he could swim frontcrawl and kick on his back with his arms by his side if he could do this I'd see if he could do t10 metres on his front and back and go from there. I've had kids where I've jumped them from stage 2 to stage 4 before which is great. I've also had it the other way where they clearly been in the wrong stage and had to move them down aswell. If you speak to the teacher ask her to do an assessment to see where he should be.

My other DD is autistic- just saw your comment about a CPD course in teaching autistic kids. Her biggest blocker which took us a while to work out was really not liking water going in her ears. Finding ear plugs she could wear changed that 😀plus reduced the noisy pool environment and she then raced through 7 swimming levels in just over 2yrs..Just thought I’d share if it gives other parents hope.

WinterMermaid987 no I'm not a lifeguard I am reach and rescued trained though. We are on more money than the lifeguards yes.

Hibbutyhop

No I don't use buoyancy aids as it alters there body position. I'm suprised they would use them in stage 1. Children need to learn to get their body position streamline but also to be able to stand up and stop. Buoyancy aids prevents this. Does she put her face in at all? I'm suprised she would be in a stage 2 class to be honest. I'd expect a child to be able to push and glides and have their face in blowing bubbles. It could be she's in and more advanced class.

If a child can stand up in the pool they don't need an buoyancy aid at all. Woogles are different to armbands as you can easily stop. I'd be progressing her to aeroplane wings one float under each arms and focusing on getting her chin on the water. I do alot of movement in the water, independent swimming where child learn to stop and start.

My son (5 1/2) has ADHD and sensory issues and refuses to put his goggles on or his face in the water. Is there any hope?

How early can you/do you recognise real talent? ( asking as a parent of a regional/national level competing swimmer aged 12 who’s sibling is 3…

starfish4517 My ds wont wear googles either. He hates having his hair washed. He has sensory processing and waiting assessment for asd. I take him swimming and bring his toys he loves such as dinosaurs so will collect them off the bottom of the pool and jump in. I find he likes to lead what he does rather than a structured lesson.

Jojobees

About stage 4 when they are swimming distances and holding the stroke with nice technique. I've never come across 3 year old that has been an amazing swimmer if I'm being truthful they don't have the power at that age. I do have a 7 year old in my extension class though.

Were you a strong/ club level swimmer or did you come in via the training route with someone like Ducklings?

Pearfacebananapoop I was a club swimmer.

How to improve strokes / speed in an adult who can swim already. Are lessons best? Or are online guides ok?

Have you ever just admitted defeat on anyone, and let them go on in life as a non swimmer?

LuckyThatMyBreastsAreSmallAndHumble
Youtube have amazing resources! I often use them in my lessons. Many different drills you can do to help develop stroke technique. Adult lessons can be hard as there's 10 in a class and levels vary. If you can swim I'd look at youtube tutorials on stroke technique.

How long should a child be in a stage for? My son has been in stage 2 for 3 years now; he was in stage 1 for 2 years before that. He most likely has dyspraxia.

XenoBitch I've never told a parent a child can't have lessons no its a parents choice if they don't wish for them to continue. I have one boy who really struggled and need loads of support as he had an incident in a pool and it affected him. It's taken a while but hes really starting to get his confidence I just need to work on his back. We have had swimmers for school swimming who no matter what we say don't and won't give it ago. There's not alot I do in that situation as I cannot force them to lift their legs up or put their faces in.

My DS7 is having lessons in a cold competition pool. He's getting on fine, enjoys it and has just moved up to stage 2, but is a skinny kid who really feels the cold so we've been sending him in a wetsuit. I assume it adds extra buoyancy, so do you think it's likely to make it harder for him swimming in trunks in future? I thought as he gets bigger and is swimming greater distances he'll stay warm more easily and won't need it, but for now we'd rather he was comfortable.

Comfor
Honestly I expect more tbh if he's done 5 years of swimming and only in stage 2. Have you spoken to the teacher or swapped the teacher? Have you considered a 1 2 1 class instead? His lack of progression would be a massive concern of mine. If I had a child like this I'd be having a chat with the parent. Do you take him swimming aswell inbetween?

Axolotl1

As long as its skin tight it's fine.It's when it's bagging it pulls down that be a problem.

Thanks, that's reassuring.

Also, does anyone really learn to swim through school swimming alone?

My daughter aged 5 nearly 6 has stopped her lessons because she found them too structured and we weren't happy with the teachers attitudes (and as she really wanted to do gymnastics we couldn't afford two clubs)
She loves swimming though, so we are trying to take her ourselves more regularly.She got to the sort of doggy paddle stage with swimming....how can we best support her to develop her skills so that if she does start lessons up again in future she isn't too behind her peers?
Thanks

Evening, thank you for this!

I've started my son in 1:1 lessons he has just turned 5 and has gone from being happy in water but totally incompetent to doggy paddle and breaststroke widths, pushing and gliding and star floats front and back in five weeks. He absolutely loves it and begs to go to the leisure centre at every opportunity to practice.

My question: is there a limit on how long 1:1 is the better option? Would a group lesson be better at a certain point or will this always offer the best education?

If 1:1 is the best option.. at what point do I stop?! I've prioritised his ability to swim and am happy to pay the eye watering fees but is there a swim England stage at which it's pointless?

Thanks!

I changed swim schools last year from the council pool large group ones as he was making no progress whatsoever. His new swim school is a lot better for him; smaller pool, less distractions, 2 children in his group at all times (including him), teacher in water with them etc. He has made a lot of progress since he started there and his new teacher is very good with him and knowing what he needs etc. He is quite far off passing the stage though. He is better on his back than his front.

Before starting Stage 1 when he started Reception, he had done Ducklings since he was 3.

We don’t often go swimming, I try and go in the holidays if we have time but he usually just wants to play around and not do any proper swimming. If we go away and there is a swimming pool, we go swimming as often as we can though.