How do you teach a swimming lesson when kids don't listen and parents are giving you dirty looks? ?

1: You have to find a way to make the lesson interesting to the kids. The game idea as another answerer said is a very good idea or say that you found something really cool that they can do in the pool. #2: Children's attentiveness is 75% to blame on the parents and how the kids were raised. Don't feel bad on your own part when the kids are going off and doing whatever, in fact you're probably doing a good job if the parents keep the kids in the class with you. The kids were probably raised with too much stimuli and their occipital lobes and sensory cortexes are probably well over the average size of a normal person at their age. It could also just be a part of growing up; I know that when I was 3 or 4 I couldn't care less what other people were trying to teach me, as long as it was fun I was interested (but the parenting argument still stands).

For that age group, you need to disguise the lesson as a game. Use token prizes (something as simple as a poker chip can be prized if you sell it right) and titles (e.g. "My Helper Today"). You need little songs and slogans that everyone can repeat. Repeat your instructions. Keep saying "Let me see your eyes" to get everyone back. Three year olds have short attention spans. This isn't a matter of bad parenting or your inability to control them. It's biology. Go to the library and ask for books about toddler games and brain development.

im srry. tht sounds like it sucks. try to make lessons a game to hold their attention and maybe hav cheap little pool toys as prizes for best behaved, fastes swimmer, etc. and sometimes its only the parents fault if the kid wont listen, so try talking to the parents if their kid is bad. hope this helps!

I have been teaching young ones to swim for 5 years now and have often encountered your problem. Screw the parents, ignore them, they are paying you to teach their children to swim and if they feel that they could do teach their child better then they should take them out of your class. As for the children, I have no advice, it is an on going adventure with me every week

A suggestion is to assign them to a swim buddy. Have them paired up and intill into them the a good swim buddy always knows where the other one is. That will give them a little more resposibility. Have a hand signal (not verbal) such as simply raising the hand that the group has to repeat. Let them know that the signal means that everyone has to shhhhhhhh! If it gets a little out of control stop what you are doing and give the silent signal and wait for all of the kids to notice and repeat the signal. Don't put the hand down or let any of the kids that are repeating the signal put their hand down until all of them are repeating it. After a few times they will start watching you more to make sure that they aren't the last one with their hand up. Simon says is always a fun way to teach young ones as well. If you want them to work on their kicks have them all hold on to the side of the pool and kick only when simon says. You can even let one of them be simon occasionally. Redlight greenlight kickboard races. Follow the leader works too. Kids want it to be fun and you want it to be educational. I don't mean to say that your entire session needs to be all fun and games. Just give them something fun to look forward to. Have the kids give a look what I learned session to show off to the parents. They can even give a little presentation on what they know about the particular skill they are going to show off. Heck while you are at it (lol) include bits and pices of a sort of synchronized swim thing with them where each time they learn a little more of a routine so by a specified date they can even put on a show for the parents. If any of these sound like they might help and you try therm, I would be interested in finding out the results.

iv been a swim instructor at the pool for a few years now and i know exactly what you mean. look first you gotta take control of your class right off the bat on day one. alot of times the kids are distracted when the "helicopter parents" hover over their kids, so nicely ask the parents to sit away from the pool, i have mine go under the awning. with the kids you gotta give them strict rules, make them like you with fun games but reinforce punishment i.e. "sally you cant go on the slide now cuz ure misbehaving, go back to your mommie" try and get the kids involved in your lesson because after about 20 minutes my kids get super distracted. oh and an all time favorite is playing redlight green light with them. hope it helps [=