Profession swimming teacher

Swimming instructors teach swimming and organise recreational activities to individuals and groups of all ages and abilities in indoor and outdoor swimming pools.

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Personality Type

• Social / Artistic

Tasks swimming teacher

• Initiate, coordinate and hold swimming lessons to individuals and groups using various teaching methods and instructional material.
• Initiate, coordinate and guide recreational activities at the swimming facility for various groups (e.g. toddlers, pre-school children, elderly, disabled).
• Establish clear objectives for all lessons and activities, and communicate objectives to the participants.
• Explain and demonstrate swimming and training techniques to participants.
• Monitor and evaluate the progress of participants and adjust the teaching programme when necessary.
• Supervise swimmers and visitors to ensure their safety.
• Prevent injuries and dangerous situations and take action when they occur, e.g. by providing first aid.
• Answer the questions of visitors, parents, swimmers, etc., and give information e.g. about facilities, activities, merchandise and participants' progress.
• Check and record the water quality, air and water temperature, etc.
• Make sure the swimming pool, locker rooms, showers, etc. are clean and tidy.

Related professions sports

• Fitness instructor
• Golf caddie
• Instructor, all other sports
• Outdoor adventure guide
• Professional sportsperson
• Recreation program worker for sports
• Ski instructor
• Sports agent
• Sports centre manager
• Sports coach, trainer
• Sports official
• Sports referee
• Ticket collector

Knowledge

• Swimming styles

  The different styles and techniques of swimming such as front crawl, breaststroke and backstroke.

• Swimming pool safety guidelines

  The rules and guidelines related to swimming pool safety, such as rules related to child safety, running, diving, waterslides, electrical appliances, food and drinks, water hygiene, and inflatables.

Skills

• Personalise sports programme

  Observe and evaluate individual performance and determine personal needs and motivation to tailor programmes accordingly and in conjunction with the participant

• Give swimming lessons

  Instruct children, adults, beginners and advanced students on swimming techniques and water safety.

• Adapt teaching to target group

  Instruct students in the most fitting manner in regards to the teaching context or the age group, such as a formal versus an informal teaching context, and teaching peers as opposed to children.

• Apply risk management in sports

  Manage the environment and athletes or participants to minimise their chances of suffering any harm. This includes checking appropriateness of venue and equipment and gathering relevant sport and health history from athletes or participants. It also includes ensuring appropriate insurance cover is in place at all times

• Swim

  Move through water by means of the limbs.

• Execute sports training programme

  Supervise a sports training programme for individuals or groups by following the training plan, giving instructions on how to execute exercises, providing feedback on the performance on a technical and tactical level.

• Instruct in sport

  Provide appropriate technical and tactical instruction related to the given sport using varied and sound pedagogical approaches to meet the needs of the participants and achieve the desired objectives. This requires skills such as communication, explanation, demonstration, modelling, feedback, questioning and correction.

• Plan sports instruction programme

  Provide participants with an appropriate programme of activities to support progression to the required level of expertise in the specified time taking into account relevant scientific and sport-specific knowledge.

• Demonstrate when teaching

  Present to others examples of your experience, skills, and competences that are appropriate to specific learning content to help students in their learning.

• Work with different target groups

  Work with a variety of target groups based on age, gender and disability.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB