I've been teaching swimming for over 30 years and I built Swim Teach so that I can share all my knowledge, wisdom and experience from the thousands of swimming lessons I have had the pleasure of teaching. Take a look back through my previous newsletters and see what you missed.
One small teaching shift that changes everything
|
Your weekly insight, one mini story, one practical step to try today and one question to consider - all in a five minute read. Hey, Mark here. Hope you've had a good week. This week, we are keeping lessons fresh! Lessons get stale when the teacher repeats the same drill in the same way. The problem usually isn’t the drill. It’s the lack of variation around it. One insightGood swimming teaching is rarely about inventing completely new content every week. It’s about taking a sound exercise and changing the angle: the equipment, the pace, the challenge, the imagination, the goal. That keeps pupils engaged without losing structure. One mini storyA child who resists a kicking drill will often do the exact same movement happily if the kickboard becomes a boat, the noodle becomes a horse, or the task becomes a game. The skill hasn’t changed. The experience has. One practical stepIn your next lesson, take one exercise you already use and vary just one thing:
Small variations are often enough to unlock better focus and faster progress. Check out more tips like these here. One questionAre your pupils bored with the skill itself - or just with the way it’s being presented?
Until next time - enjoy your teaching! Mark ps - Want more structured ideas? My book Teach Your Child To Swim Using Games and Play is packed with lesson‑ready activities. |
Hi! I'm Mark, creator of Swim Teach
I've been teaching swimming for over 30 years and I built Swim Teach so that I can share all my knowledge, wisdom and experience from the thousands of swimming lessons I have had the pleasure of teaching. Take a look back through my previous newsletters and see what you missed.
Hi Mark here, I hope all is well. If learning to swim this year is part of your plans, the most important thing to remember is this: confidence comes before technique. The swimmers who make the best progress aren’t the ones who push hardest — they’re the ones who take time to understand the water and themselves. Here are a few key foundations worth focusing on as you begin (or continue) your swimming journey: Get comfortable in the water first Before strokes and lengths, spend time simply...
Hi Mark here, I hope all is well. Whether you’re just starting out or many years into teaching, the most effective lessons tend to share the same foundations: clarity, variety, patience, and purpose. With that in mind, here are a few simple reminders worth carrying into your teaching this term. Know who you’re teaching It sounds obvious, but it’s easy to overlook. Adults and children learn very differently - with different fears, motivations, and confidence levels. Taking time to understand...
Your weekly insight, one mini story, one practical step to try today and one question to consider - all in a five minute read. Hey, Mark here. I hope you've had a good week. Most beginners try to learn a stroke too early. They think the answer is breaststroke or front crawl. Usually, the answer is something simpler: get comfortable, learn to breathe, and learn to glide. One insight Swimming gets easier when you stop trying to “swim” straight away. The real foundations are much less glamorous:...