Calm Down and Listen

I was teaching a baby class, filling in for another girl, so I don't know these children, at all.

There was one child (there’s always one) who was just exceptionally naughty in this class. He wouldn't wait for mum to be ready, he would try to run away, he splashed excessively and tried to kick his mum and the other swimmers in the class.

It got to the point where even his mum was getting frustrated and upset that he wouldn't calm down and listen. I was being very understanding and let her have some space from the rest of the class so he wouldn't disturb the other kids.

We were about two thirds of the way through the class when we got to our independent movement activity (pretty much just where you put a whole bunch of floaties on the kid so they can swim by themselves and let them collect some floating toys in the water).

This mum was at peak frustration at this point, her little boy was trying to throw his floaties at other kids and just plain old cause as many problems as possible. He was clinging on really tight and the mum was about two seconds away from giving up and getting out, so I went over to them and just told the mum to give him to me so she can have a rest.

She agreed straight away of course, but regretted that instantly.

I took the boy from her and took a few steps away (strategically, so the mum couldn't just grab her son straight away), and then I dropped him in the water.

Don't freak out, he was wearing enough floaties to keep him on top of the water, the activity is more about balance and movement not floating.

But the mum had an absolute heart attack!

Like hilariously massive freak out! It was amazing. (am I am bad person?)

So, the mum freaks out and the kid is fine, and I reckon the mum was about to grab the kid and tell me off when...the dad on the side of the pool yells out and goes:

“Look at that! How good is that! Look at him go!”

This dad literally saved my life (okay, okay; exaggeration).

His enthusiasm for what I had just done encouraged the mum to let go a bit and encouraged the kid to behave and swim properly, because then he got some praise!

Overall, I think a very successful lesson.

A Very Specific Phrase

I have this beautiful child, he is a special needs kid so he’s often difficult to work with, the communication is limited, and he’s ability to obey instructions is severely lacking. But regardless, he is a beautiful, kind and funny kid.

I am only bringing him up now because he has just started this new habit in the water, where he has to say, or yell, a very specific phrase before he will start swimming. Now this phrase must be uttered before every lap, when he turns around at the other end of the pool, and if, for some reason, he stops in the middle of the lap (probably to fix his leaking goggles).

This phrase, whether you are familiar with it or not, is already annoying me to an unnatural amount. It is:

“3, 2, 1, Let it Rip!”

To those people with kids (or those youngish ones who had an awesome childhood), this phrase is used in competitive bay blading, before the thingo in the doodad is pulled and the spin top is released into the stagey-thing. (I totally know what I am talking about.)

The first two or three times he said this, it was cute and funny and got me all nostalgic about kid’s toys. But two weeks, and three hundred repeats later, I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sick of it. You have no idea.

It’s not like I can tell him off, because ever since he started this infuriating habit he has complained less about swimming because he’s somehow made this fun connected to this game that he obviously plays (otherwise this whole thing make zero sense).

So, hopefully thing little rant will fuel my annoyance for just long enough and I can be calm and teach him normally next week. J

I always hope for the best anyway.

The Highest Praise

Everybody in the world loves praise. No matter what they tell you, everyone loves hearing that they have done something good, or meaningful, or just did a plain-old, damn good job. At my work, the highest praise you get is mostly just the boss telling you that the parents of the kids you have taught think you are wonderful.

But today I got a different kind of praise, that I could not be more excited about.

This was like on a whole different level! I was so excited.

In fact, it was so good, my boss came up to me, in the middle of a class! to tell me the good news.

I was working a holiday program, which is slightly different to normal term classes because its five days of lessons and the actual lesson plan is more intense to try to encourage fast progress during the week.

Now, a lot of holiday program swimmers don't swim during the term, just on the holidays so it doesn't interfere with school schedules and such, but we always try to encourage new bookings regardless.

Anyway, my boss comes up to me in the middle shift and asks, “can I give you some feedback?”

It was my boss, so it’s not like I was going to say no to her.

She turns to my KIDS, and says, “you children are very lucky, you have the best teacher in the pool!”

I was shocked, but smiling.

“Congrats, a whole bunch of kids from your classes have booked into the term classes. Majority were your kids. Good job!”

Then she just walked off.

And I was just dying. It is almost impossible to get a compliment out of that woman.