Instructors and Swimming Teachers

Your team should have instructors for water survival and lifesaving training. They can explain, demonstrate in the water, and evaluate all skills. The ideal instructor-to-student ratio during training and assessments is one to six.

Uniform

Swimming teachers need to be recognised easily by students and other pool users. They usually wear a uniform consisting of shorts or lightweight pants and a polo shirt or t-shirt with the pool operator's logo or your team logo. This quick drying outfit should be comfortable on pool-side and in the water.

Lead by Example

Instructors should be strong swimmers who are competent in all the water survival skills shown in this publication. Swimming and lifesaving lessons often require that the teacher joins the class in the pool to demonstrate a certain skill. It also shows that you are not shy of the water and can do what you teach. You also become more part of the team, rather than preaching from the pool side.

Tell - Show - Try - Do

The best method to teach is Tell-Show-Try-Do:

1. Tell your class how to do a skill.
   Explain it in small steps with sufficient detail.

2. Show them the skill.
   Give a clear demonstration, on land and in water.

3. Let them try it out.
   Make sure they do it right.

4. Finally they can do it.
   Let them practice it for a while.