Interacting with Participants and Personality Types

Key Points:

Interacting with Children

• Each child may act differently on land versus in the water. Children will also change as they become more comfortable in the water and with their swim instructor.
• It is important to communicate with parents regarding their child's progress. Each child is different and will learn at different rates.

Personality Types

• Anxious child - This child worries and is fearful of new experiences, has low self-confidence, and might throw a tantrum when leaving parents. This child can be very tense and make excuses to avoid doing something.
• How to interact with this child
• Be patient and ask questions about the fears that the child has
• Give praise and encouragement with everything done to build self-confidence
• Build trust to make the child comfortable around you
• Active child - This child knows what is and isn't liked. At times the child can be very vocal and aggressive. This child is the first to enter the water without permission, doesn't want to wait in line, wants to be first all the time, and cannot wait until you move on to the next skill.
• How to interact with this child
• Be strict with this child
• Review the rules and consequences prior to the start of class
• Make it known that the same person cannot always be first for every skill-that we must take turns
• If you have a lot of problems with this child talk to the parents and ask them to discuss proper swim lesson behavior with the child
• Crier - Sometimes crying is a sign of fear but not necessarily of the water. It could be of a new experience or of being with new people without a parent nearby
• How to interact with this child
• Try to comfort this child as much as possible.
• Sometimes the crying can be because a parent can be seen nearby but can't go there. Try having the parent stand out of sight of the child and see if this works.
• This child will require the swim instructor to build trust before the child is completely comfortable in the swim lesson.
• Typical - This child is in between cautious and eager: mastering skills on time, watching others do it first, not being afraid of water, but needing encouragement to try new skills. The child smiles when you smile and may have normal off times but are easy to calm.
• How to interact with this child
• Do not ignore this child when other issues arise in the lesson.
• This child can be your example for a lot of the skills.
• Shy - This child is very attached to parents and uncomfortable with strangers. The child tends to look down and speak very softly. With this child, you want to build trust. Once the trust is built the child will be more comfortable around you.
• How to interact with this child
• Build trust with this child and once the trust is built the child will be comfortable around you.
• Do not push this child to open up; it has to be done in over time.
• Help the child feel secure in the lesson.
• Help the child relax and open up with a toy or talk to the parent to find out what cartoons, movies, or characters are of interest and use that to create a bond.
• Other characteristics that are seen in swim lesson participants can also include making excuses when asked to perform a skill, holding the body stiff, clinging to either the wall or instructor, or asking repeatedly to leave the pool to go tell the parent something.

Interacting With Adult Learners

• Adults may bring to class the same fears of water that children have.
• Adults have extensive life experiences to draw upon when engaged in swim lessons.
• When addressing adults, speak in a manner that is appropriate for adults vs children.

Activity

1. Swim instructors will deal with different personality types on land and in water. Role play taking turns assuming different personality types or characteristics of the swimmer and instructor. Discuss how to deal with these personality types during a swim lesson.