SIP 082: Teaching Private lessons during Covid-19

Swimming Ideas Podast

How should you protect yourself and others when you're teaching swimming lessons to individuals or duos?

Today we're listening to a user submitted question and answering it after a brief unrecorded phone call.

Rowenna and I spoke on the phone and we reviewed much of the same things. Her favorite games are Treasure hunt and diving games with multicolored toys labeled with numbers. I'm a huge fan of Treasure hunt too, and you can see a list of relevant swim games and challenges here:

https://www.swimminglessonsideas.com/games/

Things to consider:

Remain distant if you can.

Teach from the deck or the water remaining far enough away that you're not going to get any droplets on your face or nose. Have the parent interact physically with the swimmer. Use a dummy, or doll, or practice CPR device to demonstrate how to do your supported front and back floats/glides.

Teach both the swimmer and the parent how to do your typical routines. You'll be like a music teacher talking and guiding but not moving the swimmer's fingers for them.

If you can't remain distant, wear a face shield. You can wear one like this: https://amzn.to/2VuIK9U

It'll stay fog free, will bead water off the outside and redirect your breath droplets down and shield you from participant's spray. Stay distant when possible and do your best to realign your swim lessons to encourage more independent movement.

This works best in shallow pools with lots of space where the swimmers can move in chest or shoulder deep water. Have them do glides and repetitive skills like streamline and kicking from two points back and forth. Intersperse your 6 x [something] activities with challenges. You can find a list here: https://www.swimminglessonsideas.com/challenges/

If you're teaching at a deeper pool see if you can use platforms or benches for younger swimmers to stand on. For more info take the Teaching Swimming online course: https://www.swimminglessonsideas.com/topic/rotation-method/

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