Swimming PD January 2018

Notes from Swimming PD. Wendy

Staff refer to Achievement form from Water Skills for Life.

Getting into the pool safely - i.e. steps, sitting on edge-turning around and entering backwards.
Monkeying - hands on wall - walking
Streamline position - both hands up behind ears/palms together - sit on edge - dive.
Diving from edge of pool or diving platform.
Everyone in a circle - Ring a ring a Rosie - we all blow bubbles, we all bob down, etc
Wheels on the Bus - swish, swish, swish - up/down
Sit on the bottom - blow air out.
Go along bottom of pool - blowing out.
Float on top - duck dive - go along bottom. (crawl/breaststroke)
Star fish - head up - feet down onto floor.
Skulling on back - hands by side.
Skulling on front - hands in front.
Ball float - curled up - mushroom float
Jellyfish float - hands/legs like jellyfish tentacles
X Y I float
X Y I float - over to front - blow bubbles - rotate
Skulling - figure 8 by side - survival technique - no kicking; time one end to other.
Skulling feet first
Treading water: 3 mins - anyway you want - hands/feet/egg beater
Life jackets - place back down onto water. Facing away from life jacket, slip arms into arm holes.

What:
A day spent working towards understanding the theory and practical steps we take as teachers to teach swimming in a whole class setting. This provided lots of ideas on how to manage large groups of children and still ensure each learner was progressing in their learning of swimming skills and swim to survive knowledge.

So What:
This course provided me with some vital learning as I am not an entirely confident swimmer myself and know very little about the progressions that need to be worked through to teach swimming. The range of ideas and hints for teaching and managing a swimming pool area with a class group was outstanding, as noted above there are many different techniques available to engage learners in the pool to help them progress to being confindent and competent in the water.

Now what?
Put these skills into practise! In my role working across different classes I often need to take swimming as a part of the days program. Becoming familiar with the planned teaching sequences by pre reading them, observing experienced teachers teaching swimming and reading manuals to help me understand the techniques and progressions that need to be taught will be a good starting point to up skilling in this area.

For myself personally, swim more as increased interest and ability in the pool is sure to reflect positively in my swim teaching.


STP2:3