Swimming Lessons
I've officially finished my first round of swimming lessons this summer. I taught levels 1, 2, and 3 and I particularly liked my level 3 classes because they really starting to getting the strokes down and were able to swim extended distances.
Our last day was my favorite day because, instead of having lesson plans, all the swim instructors took their classes all around the aquatic center and just played together. (There is a lazy river, slide, and zero-depth entry pool in addition to the lap pool.) All of my levels wanted to go down the slide, so I probably went down it 30 times that day. There were other popular pool activities that we did a lot on our last day: the younger kids liked being able to get out and jump back in as much as they wanted (that was their favorite skill to learn--jumping in). The older kids liked racing; so we practiced the front and back strokes and dolphin kicks around the lazy river. I scratched my hand on the side during one of the races--but challenging them to race me was so fun. I beat them of course. :) But they were pretty good. It was great to see how much more comfortable my kids were in the water and how well they could swim by the end of our 2 weeks of lessons.
There were a few kids who really should have been in a lower level than the one they were enrolled for but their parents wanted them to be with kids their age. Even though they weren't able to get all of the skills down for their particular levels, they still progressed a lot. One of the level 3 kids has never taken swim lessons before. He was reluctant to go under water at first and wanted to avoid the deep end at all costs. By the end he jumped in the deep end, could tread water for 15 seconds, was starting to get the hang of rhythmic breathing, and swam the length of the pool (with a couple stops, but still). He's still not very good at floating and has room for improvement with the specific strokes, but he came a long way.
So today started a new session of lessons and the best thing about it this time is that I'm teaching a little boy (5 years old) with cerebral palsy. We are going to be doing some general exercises initially and then start learning different aspects of swimming gradually. Today we worked on walking in the water (because he can't walk by himself) and going up and down stairs. His mom brought me some things to read from his physical therapist so we have some focuses for his swim lessons. I am excited to work with him--there's so much potential to help him enjoy the water and get more mobility and/or strength in his limbs and torso (he'll be coming most of the summer I think).
So there you have it. Swimming lessons are in full swing now and I'm learning to be a better teacher and adapt to different skill and ability levels. It's great!
Our last day was my favorite day because, instead of having lesson plans, all the swim instructors took their classes all around the aquatic center and just played together. (There is a lazy river, slide, and zero-depth entry pool in addition to the lap pool.) All of my levels wanted to go down the slide, so I probably went down it 30 times that day. There were other popular pool activities that we did a lot on our last day: the younger kids liked being able to get out and jump back in as much as they wanted (that was their favorite skill to learn--jumping in). The older kids liked racing; so we practiced the front and back strokes and dolphin kicks around the lazy river. I scratched my hand on the side during one of the races--but challenging them to race me was so fun. I beat them of course. :) But they were pretty good. It was great to see how much more comfortable my kids were in the water and how well they could swim by the end of our 2 weeks of lessons.
There were a few kids who really should have been in a lower level than the one they were enrolled for but their parents wanted them to be with kids their age. Even though they weren't able to get all of the skills down for their particular levels, they still progressed a lot. One of the level 3 kids has never taken swim lessons before. He was reluctant to go under water at first and wanted to avoid the deep end at all costs. By the end he jumped in the deep end, could tread water for 15 seconds, was starting to get the hang of rhythmic breathing, and swam the length of the pool (with a couple stops, but still). He's still not very good at floating and has room for improvement with the specific strokes, but he came a long way.
So today started a new session of lessons and the best thing about it this time is that I'm teaching a little boy (5 years old) with cerebral palsy. We are going to be doing some general exercises initially and then start learning different aspects of swimming gradually. Today we worked on walking in the water (because he can't walk by himself) and going up and down stairs. His mom brought me some things to read from his physical therapist so we have some focuses for his swim lessons. I am excited to work with him--there's so much potential to help him enjoy the water and get more mobility and/or strength in his limbs and torso (he'll be coming most of the summer I think).
So there you have it. Swimming lessons are in full swing now and I'm learning to be a better teacher and adapt to different skill and ability levels. It's great!
Sounds like a rewarding experience you are having this summer. Tell us about when you swam into the wall;)
ReplyDeleteSadie has finally started liking the water. I'm hoping Ben will take her to the pool tonight when he gets home from work. She will love playing with you in the water when you get home in July.
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