I was in at the pool today doing some subbing hours and my first few classes were good, but then I had this one class with two little boys at a beginning level.
The smallest one said that he could go into the big pool and his mom agreed to that, so I took them to the big pool.
One of the lifeguards must know these guys because he signalled me to watch the smaller one.
After doing 25 meters in the big pool, he told me that he was starting to get tired.
Knowing that this couldn't end well, we all started another lank to head back towards the small pool and we'd swim there.
This kid started to get really upset, started to tell he that he wasn't tired, almost started to cry and I told him that we could go back in later.
He couldn't touch at the bottom of the little pool and he was constantly putting his head under for as long as he could, so I'd say that it was a good five minute battle before I got him to sit on the wall and wait while I did a drill with the other little boy.
Well, I didn't get him to sit on the side of the pool.
The same lifeguard who warned me about this little guy came by and said to him "She's a really fun teacher, but you have to listen to her, she knows what she's doing," and he finally sat on the wall two minutes after that.
I was really thankful that he came over and said those words to him because it really did help to get him to listen to me and he helped me get things under control faster than I would've on my own.
By the time that the class ended, I struggled so much with this kid that we didn't have time to go to the big pool, and I told him that, and he just stop and dropped.
He started to cry and he just sunk to the bottom of the pool.
Being frustrated with him and knowing that I had to get to my next class, I just picked him up by the armpits and got him out of the pool.
His mom saw me struggle the whole time with him and saw me have to physically drag him out of the water, and she started with "Are you not listening to your teacher? You're in big trouble," but I just handed his mom his report card and walked away.
My next class was a lot more cheerful because it was a class where the parents are in the water with toddlers and babies.
It's quite a cute class, but I never taught it before. I ran out of activities to do and songs to sing about halfway through the class, so I asked one of my supervisors to help me out and he agreed.
I was so happy when he came in with a new song, a few games and some toys.
You can't really teach them anything because they're too young, it's mainly about them being in the water and playing games and that wasn't something I was used to, so I was really thankful when my supervisor for in the water with me.
Being already worked up from my previous class, being able to go up and ask my supervisor for help was great.
Like I mentioned, I was running out of ideas and I started to get myself worked up again over that, so having my supervisor willing to get in the water with me almost gave me a flood of relief.
In a workplace such as the pool, it's really fun but it can get tense and stressful at times, and I felt as though today was a tense and stressful day.
Getting the chance to work with a team that will look it for you and help you in anyway they can, wether it's get in the water and teach a class with you, be a second authority figure when a kid is acting up or to help you even get them in the water.
I'm really lucky to be working with that staff that I'm currently apart of, and if you're working and feel to stressed or tense, don't be afraid to ask someone else for help.
Even your supervisors will be will into help you whatever the job it.
People say that when you start working, it's almost a little team. I didn't understand that until now and I don't think that I could describe the aquatic staff at the facility I work at as anything but a team.
I find that they really support you when you need it and that's something you can use to help you when you're struggling.
One More Girl, no longer online
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