I'm a swimming teacher

[Starlitestarbright]

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

Why is it taking over a year for my DD9 to be able to swim 15 metres breaststroke with proper technique despite weekly lessons?

She was almost there pre-covid, started private lessons when pools opened again for 12 weeks before getting back to council lessons. I take her every other week but she won't be taught by me (I was a competitive swimmer so have half an idea) I've spoken to the swim coordinator but had no joy. She'll never be a club swimmer but FFS, over a year!

Axolotl1

Yes they do my dh only learnt from school swimming. Children have up until year 6 to gain 25metres. We do 2 week blocks most none swimmers end up doing some distance if that's 5 or 10 metres, it's a start. As the schools return they getting better and better and we get those 10 metres swimmers in the big pool working towards 25 metres. It's down to the school how often they bring them.

My son is 5. Apart from covid he's had lessons since he was a few months.

We aren't sure if his swim school are any good. He doesn't seem to do anything consistently in each lesson.
He can just about do 5m on his front, but the teacher will then try to get him to swim with a float, this week they tried backstroke...

Would you not focus on one thing and getting that right before trying to introduce something else?

Thanks!

Snort. I always roll by eyes and tut when I see butterfly being taught to small children. Ridiculous.

Mummyof287 is there a reason why she struggled to follow instructions? At that age I'd expect them to listen unless they had sen. Get her on a woggle and get her face in blowing bubbles. This will help get the correct body position. Avoid getting into the habit of doing doggy paddle it encourages bad posture for swimming and poor arm pull.

NeverMindTryAgain

As stated above I wouldn't encourage doggy paddle it encourages bad habits. So I'd be questioning that with the teacher. Have you tried group lessons? Learning to swim is totally depends on the child and the willingness to listen and learn. For example I have one stage 3 who don't listen out of my whole classes they are the worse for it.. I had to get them all on the side and tell them they needed to start listening if they wished to progress. That their parents wanted them to do well. Those kids that do well and move fast are those who really listen and take on board the corrections given. Sometimes on a 1 2 1 they can't hide behind a group they have to put the work in. If you feel he can do well in group lessons try him.

Comfor

Sounds like the teacher needs to mix it up. If I had one child struggling I'd be really forcing on getting them streamline in the water and working on the breathing aspect and legs kicking. It sounds like the stroke needs to be completely broken down and each part worked on. If it was me I'd get a woggle tie a knot in it and make a steering wheel. I'd then get him holding the handles and kicking across blowing bubbles. The teacher could also use an aquaplane or aqua shark fin, this helps body position when used correctly.

Not a swimming teacher but:

Partly so children don’t get bored, they are 5 and have short attention spans

Because children progress at different rates, and might be crap at one thing but good at another. If somebody is ahead in backstroke but behind in crawl, what do they do while the rest of the class is still focusing on it? And when the rest of the class is ready to move on from crawl, what about the person who isn’t?

because some of the skills reinforce the others (so star floating helps with backstroke, pushing and gliding helps with front crawl body position, etc)

AlaskanSnow I'm guessing stage 2? What you got to remember is everyone in that class is maybe just starting or almost finished stage 2. I get my more experienced 2s doing both and swapping from front to back doing log rolls. If I have a new stage 2 I tend to focus on one particular stroke one week then the following week it might be backstroke.

Thank you. That sounds like the sorts of things his teacher is doing with him eg breaking down the strokes, aqua shark fin etc.

Oh my goodness: I am so glad to have seen this thread!

DS, just turned 5, started water babies when he was about 8 weeks old: did the weekly dunking for a nice photo etc. We didn’t keep it up and I have recently enrolled him in swimming lessons. He is like a dead fish. He absolutely hates getting anything above his shoulders in the water. He won’t lie back when they’re swimming on their backs. He won’t even kick. So far, he’s just being dragged from one end of the pool to the other by the teacher, who is telling him to kick but he’s not.
He can’t even get himself out of the pool; it’s like his upper body strength disappears. I’ve spoken to him about it and he says he doesn’t want the water near his face but he wears goggles and has never shown an issue like this in the bath etc (I know it’s not quite the same.)
The swimming staff have started giving me this sad, pitying look when I collect him poolside and honestly, it’s just quite embarrassing. Family members are suggesting I remove him from the class and wait a few more years but I’m desperate for him to be safe in the water.
What do you think?

grangegrove Are the lessons fun and engaging? A good teacher can be very clever about getting children to put their faces in or kick their legs. I'm quite playful with my lower stages and get alot from them.

At what stage would you say they can be classed as competent enough to stop having lessons (I.e know enough to be 'safe' in the water?)
DS 11 has had lessons since he was 3 including several years of 1:1 lessons with a break during covid. We've only been able to get him to stage 5. He's not a natural swimmer. Doesn't enjoy it and really wants to stop lessons. We go swimming for fun every few weeks and he seems to be fine treading water and swimming the odd length. Just wondering at what point it's usual to stop formal lessons?

Stage 5 I would say.

Thanks, that makes me feel better!

Thanks! Yes she struggles to maintain attention, focus on instructions, and is currently awaiting being assessed for ADHD- it was all too structured and strict for her...she had a nice teacher for stage 1 but then moved upto stage 2 and the teachers had zero enthusiasm and zero understanding about her difficulties 🙄

Mummyof287 it might be that she would benefit from 121 lessons rather than groups or smaller groups. My ds is the same can't follow instructions in lessons so I take him on a 121 basis. It's hard because we try to integrate children with sen in group lessons where we can but sometimes its better for the child that they have the instructors full attention in a 121 setting. Sometimes children have had 121s when hey been younger as as they have processed returned to group lessons. It's hard to have that conversation though sometimes with a parent.

This is so interesting. Thanks OP

I am in Australia and my DC have learnt side stroke, survival backstroke and tumble turns before butterfly. Do you teach those??

Ive tried survival backstroke myself now and in my opinion it’s the absolute best stroke you could use if you were in trouble in the water. Just wondering what your thoughts are

Rainbowqueeen

Sometimes we do side stroke especially dolphin leg kick. I don't teach survival backstroke, it might be taught in our rookie lifeguard course but it's not on our framework. I don't teach rookie lifeguard. As for tumble turns that's club level. We do alot of sculling head first and feet first sculling.

We've just started swimming lessons with a new teacher who is much better than the (constantly changing) teachers at the leisure centre. My DD is 4 and loves the pool but although she can just about cope with going under the water when made to, she basically can't cope with getting her face wet.

Is it just a case of keep getting her face wet? Do they eventually get to grips with it?

kirinm she will get there, practice at home put some toys in the bath and make it fun you can do the same at pol if you take her inbetween lessons.

My 7 y o DD has just started school lessons. The "shallow" end is 1.1m deep minimum, so all of the children are out of their depth.

She loves swimming and has had out-of-school lessons. She has no particular technique yet but is usually confident in deep water, although she stays close to the edge and always has one of us right beside her.

She was excited for the school lessons but unfortunately didn't enjoy it because of the depth.

I've played it down to her but I am actually concerned. 30+ kids, including non-swimmers, all out of their depth, for an hour's lesson, seems unsafe, but if this is normal practice then I'll stop worrying!

Jemimaduck8 A 7 year old should be able to stand up at 1.metre unless shes very small for her age. We have our activity pool set at 0.80 and can set it at 1.03 and they usually can stand up.

Does it get cold? Do your eyes get sore - eg is it possible to do the job if you wear contact lenses? If the kid is being a pain would you prefer the parent gives them a stern word or better just to let you handle it?

Do you not get cringed out by the state of the changing room floor?

elmooie yes I only teach 2 days in the pool 3 hrs max rest of the days I teach on the side. My last job I was in the pool 5hrs even 10hours sometimes. I don't always put my face in. If a child is misbehaving I sit them on the side. If its really bad I speak with the parent. One boy I let the parent discipline him now.