By Kirsty McLauchlan
Welcome Back & Happy New Year!
To kick off the new Spring Term and New Year, we welcomed both current and new instructors. This always sets a positive tone and reinforces a sense of community and shared goals at SwimWay. In our quarterly meetings, specific objectives and practices are highlighted. Thus ensuring everyone is aligned and prepared for an upcoming successful term ahead.
The founder of SwimWay, Dan Pastor, always opens up these meetings with a very warm welcome to all SwimWay staff.
Behaviour Strategies for Younger Learners in Swimming Lessons
We were very fortunate to have Chantel Barle return this term. This time to present Behaviour Strategies for Younger Learners in Swimming Lessons through supporting positive interactions and effective learning. She enthusiastically explained why behaviour management is important for young children developing self-regulation and communication skills.
Through effective strategies, the swimming instructors can help maintain control during their lessons whilst ensuring safety. A stand out quote she shared was “positive experiences foster lifelong swimming enjoyment”. This definitely radiated with all of us.
Chantel explained within each age category of how children feel and express themselves. How they perceive and learn, how those between the ages of 2 and 5 years have developmental milestones, and how we as instructors can help their social and emotional development grow.
Common challenges were also spoken about. What the best actions would be to resolve these whilst working with each child’s needs.
Positive reinforcement is vital when working with children. As an instructor, it is our job to find the most effective way each child learns. Thus ensuring a great relationship and effective progress in the lessons. All the while the children are having fun during the learning process.
At SwimWay, we structure our lessons with positive strategies for the most effective outcomes of our lessons. This helps children feel safe and know what is expected, helping to “balance learning with fun”.
The way Chantel emphasised positive experiences and the importance of developmental milestones for children is so crucial. This helps to create a learning environment where kids feel supported, safe, and excited to learn. That quote, “positive experiences foster lifelong swimming enjoyment,” really encapsulates the philosophy behind SwimWay. I can see how it resonates with both the instructors and the children.
Structuring lessons to balance fun with learning while using positive reinforcement makes a huge difference in how children respond to swimming lessons. The focus on transparency with parents and managing incidents with clear strategies also shows the commitment to ensuring that both instructors and children have a solid foundation for a successful experience.
Exciting Announcement
After Chantel’s engaging presentation, Dan Pastor had a very exciting announcement of our new venue launch in South Kensington/Knightsbridge, which will be launching 23rd April! This is something to celebrate, and we all look forward to the launch date! Bookings are already open and you can grab your spot for children’s 1:1 lessons as well as weekday morning parent and baby lessons here.
First Aid Training
At the end of each meeting, David Ashton, our Health and Safety Consultant and swimming instructor, goes over the Emergency First Aid Training to help instructors become familiar with instruction protocols, procedures, and how to manage certain scenarios we may come across to ensure the most effective and safest lessons.
David’s focus of hands-on practice is incredibly valuable—having instructors feel confident and ready to act in an emergency can make all the difference in ensuring safety without disrupting the flow of a lesson.
At SwimWay, we are committed to continuously improving our services to ensure the highest quality swimming lessons in a safe and supportive environment. With our regular instructor and first aid training, alongside exciting new class offerings this term, we’re ready for another successful season. Stay tuned for more updates, and we look forward to seeing you at the pool!