How To Teach Swimming Lessons

By keeping some basic guidelines in mind, you can learn about how to teach swimming lessons. Swimming is an important skill to have, not only as a form of recreation, but also in emergency situations. Be sure to follow the tips below in order to achieve optimal results when teaching swimming lessons.

1. Get the students familiar with water. This is very important, especially for those who have a previous fear of swimming or of the water. Ease students slowly and gently into the water, allowing them to take their time.
2. Instruct students to place their heads underwater. Make a game of seeing how long all students can hold their breath. Be sure to applaud for all swimmers, regardless of how long they held their breath.
3. Teach students how to kick their legs. Instruct them to hold onto the side of the pool, and kick their legs in the proper technique that they will use while swimming. Once students feel comfortable kicking their legs, they can progress to a kick board, which a flat piece of styrofoam onto which students can hold and move around the pool as they kick their legs.
4. Teach basic arm strokes. Typically, the best beginning arm stroke for new swimmers is the front crawl. Instruct swimmers to image that their arms are like the arms of a windmill, moving at the same time but in different locations. Practice the movement first on land, and then in the water.
5. Instruct swimmers to attempt moving arms and legs together at the same time while in the water. Stay relatively close, in case of emergency.
6. Encourage swimmers to practice as much as possible. As the old saying goes, practice makes perfect.