Swimming with the class

[K/1 Teacher]

I'll be taking my class swimming every other week for 30 minutes in the neighborhood pool. There will be parent chaperones AND a lifeguard there. I am not a swimming teacher, nor do I know how to teach kids how to swim. However, I feel it's important to take them because swimming is such a good thing for them to learn at a young age. If you swim with your class, could you please list the benefits of swimming during the school day? Thanks!

 

[Emme]

swimming

Lots of benefits at that age, physical activity, fun, bonding, and of course to lesson fear of the water in preparation for swimming lessons. However couldn't you just take them there, and not expect yourself to get into the water? Someone has to be in charge, and in a pool it should be the lifeguard.

 

[Llilly]

swimming

I am a certified teaching lifeguard with 30 years of experience teaching swimming. I took 75 1st and 2nd graders swimming last year. I can tell you from wxperience that you will need more than 1 lifeguard. I hired an extra guard and this year I will hire 2 extra. So in total I will have 6 guards there at the pool. All it takes is just a second for disaster to happen. I work in a title 1 inner city school. Many of the students had never seen a pool before. Nor did they know how to swim. I worked with students who wanted to have a "little" lesson. I can tell you the lifeguards worked hard that day. You need trained guards - not just parents on duty. I also had many parents and teachers and teacher aids. But they were not trained. If anything happens, the first question will be did you have enough guards for the amount of children? The pool should be able to help you figure that out. There will be state health depart. regulations that have to be followed. The additional parental support should be just that - extra support. Don't count on them to go in after a child who is in trouble. I think it's wonderful you have the opportunity to do this. This will be a wonderful memory for all.