At Sea Otter Swim Lessons, we understand that when you sign up for swim lessons, you are trusting in us. Whether you are putting your little one in private lessons, or are an adult learning to swim for the first time, we appreciate the trust you have for us.
We know it is a big deal to hand over your uneasy or crying child to a swim instructor you barely know. We know it can be difficult to watch your child get into a pool when you aren’t the one to bring them in.
Trust is the foundational building block between instructors and swimmers, so our instructors really want to earn your swimmer’s trust. Once trust has been built, your swimmer is more likely to try new skills and conquer fears. We want swimmers to spread their wings and try new things with the safety net of a trained, and caring instructor nearby for support.
We are committed to building trust with each swimmer through consistency, patience, positive language, and follow through.
Consistency
We tell swimmers what we are going to do next and we follow through with that. An example of this could be an instructor telling their swimmer, “practice one more tummy float and then you get to kick on the noodle boat.”
Patience
For those swimmers who are nervous about lessons, our instructors explain in simple steps exactly what they are going to do. For example, an instructor might tell a nervous swimmer, “I’m going to take my hand off your back, but I am still going to hold your head.”
We aim to keep progression gradual and not move a nervous or fearful swimmer too quickly. For example, an instructor might have a swimmer keep their eyes in for 3 seconds, praise them, and then have them keep their eyes in for 5 seconds.
Positive Language
We share a lot of encouragement and praise with our swimmers. We are committed to showing great interest in our swimmers and their accomplishments. Teachers will share a lot of high 5s, hugs, and smiles. Even the smallest accomplishments will be praised.
Follow Through
Our instructors give swimmers choices during lessons and then follow through with them. An example of this would be asking a swimmer if they want to return to the wall after a jump in, or roll to their back after a jump in.
We stand by what we say. Our instructors are trained to give cues before submerging swimmers to avoid surprise dunking your swimmer. We let them know when it’s time to go underwater, all the while building their trust.
By building this mutual trust between instructor and swimmer, swimmers learn that they can trust their instructor, and feel empowered to try new things in and out of the water. Thank you for the great trust you put in us week after week!