To have taught my 1 child instead of putting them in a different class for the lesson?

[SwimmingTeacherTeaching]

I teach swimming on a Saturday morning, this is in addition to a fulltime job I do Monday to Friday, it gives me a bit of extra income to spend on my DCs who go to their dads every Saturday (no overnights) unless we’re away on holiday. Saying this to show I don’t actually need the money I do it because I genuinely love it and I do love the swimming teaching. I teach Stages 2, 3, 4 and 6 and have up to 12 children in a class up to stage 4 and then up to 15 in my stage 6.

The leisure centre does not have a policy on what happens if only a few children turn up, they say it’s up to the teacher what happens in that situation of 3 options; either we combine with another stage, teach who we have or cancel the lesson and parents get a refund.

For 1 of my classes this morning only 1 child turned up probably due to it being school holidays (just going into week 3). I decided to teach the child as they were very very close to moving up stages and it meant I could teach them what they need to do to get up and can do my planned lesson next week with more children there – we usually learn each skill once in a 4 week block so this meant the child had more chance of moving up.

Parent was extremely happy when child comes out the pool with the card to say they can move up, thanked me and then went to see the leisure centre manager as they were leaving to thank me again for very kindly teaching the child alone for the lesson (parent said they’d have been happy with us cancelling the lesson but not combining with another stage so they were very pleased to get a 1-1 for the cost of a group lesson as 1-1 lessons are closer to £20 for 30 minutes and £25 for up to an hour, compared to £6 for 45 minutes in group). Parent has also put the child on the waiting list for a slot in my class for the next stage rather than with another teacher, as they were so pleased with my teaching (and I am happy to have this child in my class again when a slot comes up).

Another parent from another stage has complained that this child got a 1-1 of 30 minutes when I could of combined my child with a stage up or down running at the same time and given the 4-5 children there 5-7 minutes of 1-1 time each, but instead this child got my full attention for the entire 30 minutes and moved up a stage. The parent was annoyed because their child would have wanted 1-1 for a bit to grow confidence and therefore improve and feels it's unfair when they pay the same for their child each month as the other parent pays for the child I taught so therefore isn't expecting or wanting 1-1 and if they wanted 1-1 they'd pay for it.

Leisure centre manager is not taking the complaint forward because as I said there is no policy on what happens in this situation and he is happy that this child will continue to attend in a higher stage and has made room for another child in that stage so thus more children can come through. Parent of child I taught was happy because they didn’t expect a 1-1 so no complaints there. And there will be no policy made.

But I’m wondering WIBU to teach the child and no move them to another stage and do 1-1s with all the children? As a parent which would you have preferred? As a parent myself I can’t say it bothers me, either option works.

Vote –
YABU – You should of moved the child to another stage and gave all some 1-1
YANBU – Teaching the child 1-1 for the full 45 minutes was fine

Some people complain about anything. What you did was perfectly fine don't think any more of it

It wouldn’t have even occurred to me to complain. It was good luck for the child that had then one to one lesson and nothing to do with the other parent.

I think you did the right thing. That child and parents made the effort to turn up so you went ahead and taught them. The fact no one else was in the class is not relevant. It’s not like you moved the other kids into a different group just to facilitate a 1:1 lesson. My DD goes to swimming lessons where 3 levels are taught at once in 1 pool and they only combine if an instructor is off sick.

I don't understand how combined classes works, is this class run by someone else in the same timeslot, or run by you at a different time?

“WhingeInTheWillows · Today 16:26
It wouldn’t have even occurred to me to complain. It was good luck for the child that had then one to one lesson and nothing to do with the other parent.”

Totally this.

@Domino20 At our leisure centre it would be up to me and the teacher teaching the other stage what gets taught and who teaches it, so what I might do is if I have 3 in my stage 2 combine it with Stage 1 but take my Stage 2s for a bit 1-1 and then swap with the other Stage 1 teacher so they can do the same with their Stage 1s, but its up to the teacher(s) involved. There are a few combined stage classes which parents can opt for with just 1 teacher and they work fine to, they just teach all the skills across both stages.

I presume if the one child had been moved into another group, you still would have had to be paid for the session, so the leisure centre got a happy customer and didn't waste money. It was no skin off the other parents nose if this child got 1-1. It wouldn't have meant her child could go back in time and get a 1-1 too. I'm glad the leisure centre haven't wasted any time on this. Stupid woman.

Nothing wrong with what you did and it’s pure luck that teh person got a 1:1 . If the other parent wants a 1:1 that badly they can pay for it .

Oh right. So the other class while very small wouldn't get any one to one because only one teacher taking it. Mehmet, I can't imagine many people bothering to complain about this.

Different club, but if DD is the only 1 that turns up to this club, she gets a private lesson (actually 3:1 because of the sport). The club runs regardless. It would only ever be cancelled if no-one turned up. Never combined.

I would think this was the default for pretty much any club. The groups are organised and paid for in advance so you just teach whoever turns up. If that's the full group - fine. If it's only 1 child - lucky them!

@DramaLlamaBangBang Yes I'd have still been teaching before and after this class so I'd have still been paid by the leisure centre for the full time I am available for, no matter if I'd taught the child 1-1 or moved them to a different class and done 1-1 with all the children for a short amount of time I'd be paid the same.

@Gladtobeout Actually a good way to think of it, but personally wouldn't mind if my child was the only one and ended up being combined with another stage as long as they match the skills and I'm not being charged more for the privilage.

But I also wouldn't have minded my DC being 1-1 with a teacher either, there were other stages and teachers plus lifeguards and parents can sit in the cafe area and watch so we weren't in the pool alone at any point we just had my section that I usually teach a group of 12 in just me and this child.

Goodness I think it’s absolutely clear that if all but one don’t show then you carry on with that lesson as scheduled and the 1 child gets a 1:1. It wouldn’t ever occur to me that the lessons should be reshuffled to spread out the teacher time, as the other parent has suggested. In fact I think you could get into more trouble for doing that as it’s not what anyone signed up for.

The other parent is stupid. Fair isn't always equal.

I go horse riding and sometimes have group lessons as its cheaper. If no-one else turns up it just becomes a 1-1 lesson instead. Doesn't mean she should lower her price for everyone because someone got an unexpected 1-1 lesson ONCE.

Where my daughter has lessons doesn't matter how many from the group turn up (min 1, max 11) the teacher will teach. My daughter has had a few 1-1 lessons which is great for her as she started lessons very late (started not quite a year ago at 6.5) and it has pushed her to a level 4 (nearly a level 5) already. We have also done some holiday lessons to catch up with her peers and quite often they are 2-1 or 1-1.

You did nothing wrong. Just a jealous parent being a twat.

The lesson was supposed to be 45 minutes (£6) but after 30 minutes the child had done everything they needed to move up so I called the parent round, explained and they were still happy with that so child went to get changed and I supported the lifeguards for 15 minutes and got set up for my next lesson until that started.

If I'd done the full 45 minutes with a combined stage, each child would get between 5 and 7 minutes 1-1 depending on which stage I'd put the child I had into (there is 1 higher and 1 lower stage at the same time as this class) but this child may not have moved up for a few more weeks/months depending on when I taught the skills needed.

I bet the other parent wouldn’t have refused the full lesson being 1-2-1 had it been their child who was so fortunate.

Missing the point massively but £25 for an hour 1:1 lesson?

Where in the country are you.

I pay £37 for 30 minutes (London)

Same here on the south coast! We also pay £40 for one weekly 30 min class lesson. So the place the OP teaches at is a bargain at £6 for 45 mins!

At DS swim school they never do ‘free’ 1-2-1. If not enough students turn up one swim teacher will take them all & the other teachers have a break.

The older kids are both in groups and that's the equivalent of £7.50 for 30 minutes.

Either OP is very competitive or I'm being robbed blind 😃

West Midlands (not the county the area of the country) is where I'm based

we left the program that combined stages when there were low numbers. That system just didn’t work for our child. We found one that kept the classes separate regardless of size and dc did much better.

@Ozanj That is an option if we wanted to, I could of had a break or done 1-1 with children from other stages, it's only because I saw this child was so close to moving up I decided to teach them 1-1 - we have ipads we track progress on and this child was like 6% away from the next stage if I remember right, so I just went for it, and 30 minutes later they were moving up a stage.

But if there's 1 child or 2-3 next time and they're far from moving up I might choose to combine them with another stage and have a break or work 1-1 with the child/ren and those from the stage I combined with in smaller blocks of 5 minutes (5 minutes is a lot of swimming time when you're under 10 you can be taught a whole new skill in that time as proven by my child moving up today), it just depends on the specific child/ren in front of me on what I'd do next time.

And I've had colleagues ask to combine with my stage when they've had less children or only 1 before to. That's why theres no policy on it.

I think i am being robbed blind! It's the equivalent of £9.60 a 30 min lesson here! And you're in london!!!!!

Edited to add this is a local council leisure centre not a private swim school!