What’s the one thing that can instantly re-energise a tired swim class?

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Hi there,

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Mark here 👋 Hope you’re doing well.

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Over the years I’ve found that no matter how much experience we’ve got as swimming teachers, a few simple tweaks can make a huge difference to how our lessons run—and how much our swimmers get out of them.

I’ve pulled together some of my best tips that I use myself, and I thought you might like to try them out in your own lessons:

My Top Tips for Better Swim Lessons

✅ Know your swimmers – Are they nervous? Confident? Total beginners? Taking a minute to understand where they’re starting from sets the tone for everything that follows.

✅ Bring variety with equipment – Kickboards, noodles, toys, even just a different drill order. Variety keeps swimmers engaged and makes progress feel fun.

✅ Play is powerful – Especially with children. Games like “fetch the toy” or “rain kicks” build technique without them realising they’re working on skills.

✅ Patience pays off – Adults especially need time to feel safe before real learning can happen. Let them go at their pace, not ours.

✅ Progress gradually – Build confidence step by step. Revisit basics, celebrate small wins, then move forward when they’re ready.

✅ Give regular feedback – Point out what went well as well as what to improve. It boosts confidence and trust.

✅ Mix it up – A change of pace or a new challenge keeps energy high and motivation strong.

A few quick ideas you can try next week:

• “Equipment of the week” – explore fins one lesson, noodles the next.
• Warm-up games that sneak in technique (like water “Simon Says”).
• Mid-lesson “confidence check” – ask how they’re feeling, and adjust on the spot.

These are just a handful of the strategies I use every day in the pool. If you’d like to go deeper, I’ve written a series of books just for swimming teachers, including my best-seller 101 Swimming Lesson Plans and How to Be a Swimming Teacher. They’re designed to save you prep time and give you ideas you can use instantly. 👉 Check out all my books here​

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👉 Check out all my books here​

I hope these tips spark some fresh ideas for you. Let me know if you try any of them - I always love hearing how they work in other teachers’ lessons.

Happy teaching,
Mark

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P.S. I created my books to make your life easier on poolside—no more staring at a blank lesson plan. You can peek inside them here.​

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