Teach Swim Lessons
A Physical Education lecturer taught a very nervous man to swim in half an hour. His method was very simple, but it worked like a charm. The privacy of the college pool was a bonus.
Contents
Steps
- Get into the shallow end
- Have the student sit on the edge of the pool and watch while you show them how to perform certain strokes and how to float. Floating is a good safety skill to start with because it will give a swimmer a break if they are unable to make it to the side of the pool and are to tired to continue to swim. The same breath-holding skills in floating are also used when treading water (swimming in one spot).
- With your help, ease them into the pool and assist their swimming skill before letting them go further
- Allow student to lay on your arms face up to practice floating. Let them get used to water getting in their ears.
- Tell them to take a deep breath, hold their breath in their belly to make them float, and keep their body stiff by holding their legs up. Once their legs come to the top of the water, they make take shallow breaths and still stay afloat.
- If they are comfortable, begin teaching strokes by getting them to swim one metre (from the edge of the pool to your arms), then progressively increase the distance as they improve
- Some people learn to swim underwater before they swim on top of the water. Make sure they know how to come up for air every few strokes so they won't get too tired.
- Practice, Practice, Practice. Swimming is developmental and it takes time to practice each skill. You won't look like a pro in one summer, but you'll be on your way!
Tips
- It is much harder to fix a problem when the kid is in high school then preschool: focus on technique as much as simple swimming!
- You need to be responsible and serious about teaching others how to swim. One wrong move and a little kid might be traumatized, and you don't want that! Once you get into it, you'll be having so much fun!
- A Water Safety Instructor class offered by your local Red Cross branch is the best way to learn a professional way to teach swim lessons.
- If you are teaching very young children (five and under) competitive swimming, try having them do "arm pullies" with the kickboard: They swim freestyle in almost a catch-up drill style, grabbing onto the kickboard at the top of each stroke.
Warnings
- Swim aids (such as kickboards) can make learning to swim fun, and assist in practicing skills like breathing technique and kicking. They should NOT, however, be relied upon to keep a non-swimmer afloat -- it is the instructor's job to keep their student safe!
Related Articles
- Swim
- Become a Lifeguard
- Swim the Breaststroke
- Swim the Butterfly Stroke
- Exercise to Become a Better Swimmer
- Do a Flip Turn (Freestyle)
- Teach Diving
