Learning is not as simple as “one size fits all.” Just ask any teacher, instructor, or tutor – and they will tell you this. Even twins, triplets, quadruplets and quintuplets – or any type of siblings – learn differently so you can imagine how differently children who are not related at all learn. Thy ranged from timid and fearful to brazen and completely fearless.
There are some students who simply need to be told how something is done and they follow the instructions they’re given. Others are visual learners who need to be shown. And then there are those that just need to wrestle with an exercise in order to understand it.
Apply this to swimming lessons. Even completely disinterested students can begin to enjoy the water when they’re learning in a way that works with their style.
What can we use as an example?
Floating. Tell student one, “Hold your breath, lay flat on your stomach, put your arms up like superman when he flies, look at the floor and don’t move.” Instant success. Student two had to have a demonstration before getting it. Student three needed time to noodle over it to figure it out after being told – and maybe even seeing the demonstration. It’s not that one is superior to the other. They simply have different styles of learning. Different things work for their brains.
We tend to shower student one with praise. And also probably the second, but the third probably doesn’t get recognized.
Student one is an Auditory, student two, Visual and student three is Kinesthetic.
There is a downfall with methods one and two. These methods simply replicate the instructions given, but not necessarily understanding why those are the directions. The third type – the kinesthetic learner has discovered through trial and error because they’ve broken down the mechanics of the activity. In this case in the mechanics of the float.
Students one and two could do the float but couldn’t explain what might happen if a change was made in the directions.
A Bored Student or a Bored Instructor
Often students who are suffering from a mismatched learning style get bored. The instructor can use games, music, humor or oddball acronyms to help students understand. The instructor needs to read the body language of students: see where their eyes are focused, what their posture is like, or if they seem nervous. Are they really ‘there’?
Clues like this can help determine how best they will learn. Are they frustrated, confused or upset?
The instructor also needs to add variety. Variety is the spice of life and a great trick to keeping learning fresh.
Part of it is alleviating boredom and part of it is releasing pent up energy. Since learning to swim is a very repetitive process. This can get boring so having the ability to interject variety is important for the instructor. As long as you temper this with the knowledge that students (especially young ones) can only process so many things at once.
ABOUT LITTLE OTTER
Little Otter Swim School provides quality swim lessons in a safe and fun environment that are taught by caring and enthusiastic teachers. Children are learning and gaining respect and love for the water.
From Little Otter, Charlotte families receive an alternative to “typical” swim lessons in year-round, small group instruction in a warm indoor swimming pool where parents can watch their children’s progress from the comfortable viewing gallery.
Little Otter Swim School’s team members are passionate about teaching kids to swim and be safe as they enjoy the water. We’d love to share more of the benefits of learning to swim with you. Learn more about what makes Little Otter different.
https://littleotterswimschool.com/little-otter-swim-school/
Sources: orsimpact.com, learning-mind.com
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