Learning to swim isn’t just a highly valued skill; it can also be a great teacher in itself, imparting patience, diligence, and fitness. Consequently, the opportunity to pass on these values and skills to others can be an extremely rewarding career. To do that though, there are certain approaches and tools that are crucial to helping your swimmers maximize their potential, regardless of their age. With this in mind, here are five key tips to help you be a better swim instructor.
1. Safety first
The king of all key tips: Safety should always be your top priority. While some elements of pool safety may seem obvious, don’t take their understanding for granted. Make sure your students understand what the rules are and why they should be followed. Even after this step has been taken, supervise them closely, ensuring that your students are wearing any necessary or appropriate safety equipment and that the pool area is well-maintained.
Especially if you’re running larger sessions – or even a full camp – keeping accurate, timely attendance is critical to being a responsible instructor. Captyn’s platform can help you do exactly that, allowing you to check in participants or them to check in themselves. Even better, all registrations, cancellations, or moves are automatically communicated to your customers, keeping everyone safe and accounted for no matter what.
2. Know your students
Before you start teaching, take the time to get to know your swimmers and their individual needs. Ask about their prior experiences with the sport, what their goals are, and any concerns they may have. Having these kinds of conversations upfront can invest them further in the practice and increase their dedication.
Importantly, this information will also help you tailor your lessons and communication style to their specific needs. By using Captyn for digital organization, you can record individual details about each swimmer on the same platform that you keep track of the rest of your business. Privately noting these details can ensure future personalized instruction to make your students better and keep them coming back for more.
3. Use clear instructions
When teaching new skills, make sure to provide clear, concise instructions. Use demonstration and repetition to reinforce the correct technique. Encourage your students to ask questions and provide feedback to help them better understand what they are learning.
Constructive communication also doesn’t have to be limited to just the time you have in the pool. On Captyn, you can customize all automatic email communications sent to your customers. Use this feature to communicate your agenda ahead of time or even offer supplementary workouts or exercises for students to practice at home. With free text and email service for bulk lists as well as individuals, Captyn can easily be the glue that keeps your instructions clear and comprehensive.
4. Continuously improve
As a swim instructor, it’s important to continually improve your own skills and knowledge. Amazing resources are available online and in-person, so you can attend workshops or observe other swim instructors whenever convenient. To build your own online brand with Captyn, you can even add your logo and colors to your public pages, pushing your unique look to new registrants.
Once you’ve established some routines with your students, you can also seek their constructive feedback to help you grow as a teacher and instruct them more effectively. Just make sure you’re providing a safe space for them to voice their respectful opinions, keeping in mind that the ultimate goal is one you both share: their improvement at swimming.
5. Make lessons fun
Don’t forget that swimming lessons should be an enjoyable experience for your students! Make sure to include fun games and activities throughout your lessons to keep your swimmers engaged and motivated, especially if they’re younger.
Ultimately, being a swim instructor can be a challenging but rewarding experience, made easier with the right tips and tools. By arming yourself with Captyn’s multitude of features, you’ll be able to focus less on organization and more on making your students the best swimmers they can be. Reach out to us today to schedule a simple walkthrough!
