You don’t need to cancel your child’s lesson when a substitute teacher has been assigned to take your child’s class. Or avoid booking a make-up lesson in a class taken by a different teacher. Why?
Because the sub or different teacher will be another qualified Aquabliss teacher, equally trained in delivering the same lesson.
And there’s cause for celebration because there are some significant plus factors to having a sub or different teacher too!
1. Change management skills
Consistency and trust-building are essential when learning to swim, but teacher changes can allow your child to learn how to cope with new situations and be more flexible and adaptable. Experiencing and working through change will also help develop resilience skills.
Anxiety, worry, fear etc., can be a reaction to the unknown, and to cope, many children use their imagination to fill in the gaps, to make the unknown known.
So new experiences can help children understand that their minds can sometimes exaggerate and that the bad things they feared would happen, well, they usually don’t.
Having a different teacher can be a great adventure for your child, where they can fill in anxious gaps with positive memories.
2. A fresh approach
Learning plateaus are common in any subject or sport. Even veteran teachers can face roadblocks with long-term students. So, drum roll …..substitute teachers to the rescue!
All Aquabliss teachers undergo the same training and learn the same Aquabliss curriculum, but their different personalitiy will shape their own unique teaching styles.
Just as everyone learns differently, our teachers can teach the same thing differently. A different approach, maybe a different way of explaining something, might just be what your child needs.
Or the sub teacher’s fresh eyes just spot something others have missed.
Teachers love it when they return and discover their student has learnt something new from a sub or, even better, aced a new skill.
Having a sub allows someone new to achieve something new for your child.
3. Relationship-building skills
If your child is likely to shy away from strangers, having a different teacher is a great chance to work through that experience with them.
Our swim teachers are experienced in dealing with fear and nerves. After all, it’s their day job. Helping kids overcome fear, manage their anxieties, and become more confident is what they do in every single lesson.
Having a sub means your child can practice their relationship-building skills with someone trained to help them.
4. Self-reliance
Strong bonds often develop between a student and teacher, especially with a teacher who has helped a child overcome a fearful challenge. Some parents believe their child would never cope with a different teacher.
Yes, trust is essential when learning to swim, but some children can become overly reliant on a particular teacher – who won’t be there if the child gets into trouble in the water.
Swim safety is about children learning skills they can use for themselves.
Having a sub can prove to your child that they can still pull off those swim moves with another teacher.
5. Boost competitiveness
Being in a new class with a different teacher can ignite a competitive spirit. Some kids are out to impress, keen to get the new teacher’s attention; others are just oozing with excitement at trying something new and are energised to succeed.
Having a sub can unleash your child’s competitive edge.
Next Steps
If your little fish is concerned about having a substitute teacher, there are some great hints and tips in this blog that you might find helpful.
Don’t take away the opportunity for your child to learn valuable life-changing skills, in addition to life-saving ones. Don’t cancel your child’s lesson because their regular teacher is away. They are too young to understand the positives, so let them benefit from your knowledge and experience.
Already enrolled in one of our regular programs.
Contact us if you have any concerns about substitute teachers.
Not currently swimming with us.
More information about our programs is on our website, or contact us.