HOW CAN WORKING WITH ASSISTANT IMPROVE LESSON DELIVERY?
Working with an assistant, whether qualified or unqualified, in a swimming lesson environment should indeed focus on enhancing the experience for swimmers and their families. Here are key points to consider for making the most out of this collaboration:
Prioritise Professionalism: Keep conversations with the assistant focused on the lesson and the swimmers. Personal discussions should be saved for outside of teaching hours to maintain a professional atmosphere.
Efficient Time Management: Utilise the assistant to ensure that lessons start and end on time. They can help with organising swimmers at the beginning of the lesson, transitioning between activities, and wrapping up the session.
Enhanced Learning Experience: With the additional support, aim to provide more individualised attention to swimmers. The assistant can help monitor progress, provide additional guidance, or assist with drills, allowing for a more tailored and effective learning experience.
Safety Supervision: The presence of an assistant can bolster safety supervision. They can help keep an eye on all swimmers, ensuring a safer environment, especially for beginner or younger swimmers.
Feedback and Communication: Use the assistant to gather feedback from swimmers and parents, and communicate important information. This can include progress updates, future lesson plans, or addressing any concerns.
Lesson Preparation and Breakdown: The assistant can aid in setting up before the lesson and cleaning up afterward. This ensures that the lesson runs smoothly and that all necessary equipment is ready and properly stored.
Handling Logistics: Assign logistical tasks to the assistant, like taking attendance, managing equipment, and ensuring that swimmers are ready for the lesson. This allows the main instructor to focus more on teaching.
Support for Swimmers: The assistant can be invaluable in supporting swimmers who may need extra help, whether it's with technique, understanding instructions, or just gaining confidence in the water.
Role Modelling: Both the instructor and the assistant should act as positive role models. This includes demonstrating good swimming techniques, positive behaviour, and a respectful and encouraging attitude.
WORKING WITH AN UNQUALIFIED ASSISTANT: (Mentoring)
Working with an unqualified member of staff as a swimming teacher involves several considerations to ensure both safety and effective teaching. Here are key points to consider:
Understand Their Capabilities: Assess what the unqualified staff member is capable of. This includes understanding their comfort level previous experience and confidence levels speaking in front of others.
Safety First: The safety of the swimmers remains the number one priority. Ensure the unqualified staff member is well-versed in safety procedures and knows how to respond in case of an emergency.
Define Clear Roles: Establish clear roles and responsibilities. The unqualified staff member should not be given tasks that require professional training, such as leading a class or teaching swimming techniques. They may however hand some previous swimming experience and be happy to provide demonstrations.
Supportive Tasks: Assign them supportive roles like helping with setting up equipment, managing class registrations, assisting with drills by providing “specific” feedback based on the lesson content or sorting equipment, or being an additional observer for safety.
Communication and Teamwork: Maintain open communication. Ensure they understand their role and how they fit into the overall class structure. Encourage teamwork and let them know they can ask questions if unsure about a task. Encourage them to engage with the swimmers, have fun and get to know the swimmers.
Gradual Involvement: Gradually increase their involvement based on their comfort level and understanding of the tasks. Start with simple, low-risk tasks and gradually introduce them to more complex responsibilities as they gain confidence and skill. This may include under your supervision setting classes off for their warm up or delivering some pre agreed lesson content. E.g. I want you to explain to the swimmers how to hold the kickboard, and then ask them to kick with little kicks, fast kicks and pointed toes. Give feedback such as you might want to be a bit louder, give the swimmer some more space when they are swimming etc. . .
Supervision and Feedback: Provide constant supervision and constructive feedback. This will help them learn and improve while ensuring that they are performing their duties correctly. Include things such as positioning, if they turn their back on swimmers or if they have too many children in the water at one time or even just a little feedback around class management and class control.
Positive Environment: Foster a positive and inclusive environment. Recognise their efforts and contributions to the team, which can motivate them and enhance team cohesion. Have fun, allow them to feel relaxed.
One of my favourite lines is when speaking to the class,
“OK who has a good memory?....”
“What’s My Name” wait for the response
“Ok who can remember “Michelle’s” Name”.
This helps break the ice with a silly joke because you have already given the answer but also lets the swimmers know the assistants name.
WORKING WITH A QUALIFIED ASSISTANT: (Team Teaching)
Working with another qualified member as a swimming teacher involves collaboration and effective "team teaching." Here's how to make the most of this partnership:
Define Roles and Strengths: Identify each teacher's strengths and specialties. Divide responsibilities based on these strengths, ensuring a well-rounded instructional approach.
Plan Collaboratively: Plan lessons e.g. I’ll take the warm up, you jump in with the leg delivery and I will do the arms, at the end I’ll take the jumping in and you can get the next class sorted out. . . . This ensures both teachers are on the same page with the session's goals, activities, and safety procedures.
Clear Communication: Maintain clear and constant communication. Discuss any changes in lesson plans, student progress, or other relevant information. E.g. I’m going to take Jenny first as she is strongest and finish with Jonny as I think he will need a little more support. Just so you know when you are working with them who needs more support.
Shared Leadership: Alternate leading the class or divide the class into groups, each led by one teacher. This allows for more personalised attention to students. Lesson content can be delivered by one teacher but both teachers can then support their smaller group within the class for the actual delivery.
Support with Logistics: Use the presence of two qualified teachers to manage logistics smoothly. One can lead the class while the other handles class change overs and registers, supervises safety, deal with toilet breaks or assists students with specific needs.
Handling Breaks and Transitions: Smoothly manage class handovers and transitions, maintaining a flow in the teaching process.
Feedback and Evaluation: Regularly give each other constructive feedback. Evaluate each other's teaching methods and the effectiveness of the lessons, and make adjustments as needed.
Effective team teaching in swimming instruction enhances the learning experience for students by combining the strengths and skills of two qualified instructors, leading to a more dynamic and supportive learning environment for the swimmers and their families.