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My Teaching Philosophy

GEOFF DAWSON

President, The Pool Safety Resource

SURVIVAL SWIMMING SKILLS INSTRUCTOR, 

MY TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

I teach to the child, not the “program” and never forget every student is an individual.

Teaching kids to swim is my passion. Every one of my students is different and it is a challenge to me to find out how each one of them ticks and how I can bring out the best in them.

The feelings your child is likely to have when you pass them to me for their first lesson is that of “no control”. They have no idea who I am, what I am going to ask them to do or even how long this is going to last. It is little wonder most will cry! We just need to power through this!

My first objective as we start lessons is to give them some base line skills – reaching for the wall / step / my hand etc. Once they have these basic skills (even if they need my help) I can slow down the lesson and let them feel a little more like a participant. This can be as simple as letting them sit on the step and look at my mosaic shells, high five me or wave to mommy and daddy.

My 20+ years of experience helps me judge how to pace the lesson and push my students beyond their comfort zone every day. Knowing when to let them safely “work it out” and when to provide some support is the key to their overall development and program success.

Having said that – every child who passes through my pool teaches me something! Not every child is going to love the water or the learning process – but the key to success here regardless is quiet persistence.

Parent reinforcement and encouragement can be a huge help to your child’s progress. Being supportive without “giving in” to their cries for help will pay dividends in the long run!

Any time you have questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to ask. You know your child best and may have some input that can help!