General Information

Teacher Certification -> General Information

Held at our site in Boca Raton, Florida.

Dear Interested Baby Swim Teacher: 

Thank-you for your interest in the gentle “whole child” approach to baby swimming. If you read the web site you will understand that this is not “survival backfloat swimming” or “drown proofing”. Those techniques can be very stressful and traumatic for young babies.  We are a holistic school, and while we do teach safety skills over time, we are a child centered, child paced (not fear based) as well as child and family friendly. We are a happy place, filled with smiles not tears. Our swim school parents are nurturing, mindful, patient, caring, and down to earth people.

Here, new teachers will learn to teach the child centered way from day one. Experienced teachers will learn tools and techniques to enhance and sharpen their skills. All will find it an enlightening and rewarding experience on many levels.

The longer a trainee apprentices with us, the more they will assimilate the information, subtle nuances and actually see the progressions of baby swimming. Your results are reflected in your time invested. Four weeks is highly suggested (8 weeks even better).

The majority of learning will occur through observation and actual hands-on teaching in our on going classes. You and a small group of other trainees will apprentice by our side in a variety of classes. This direct experience will allow you to get the feel of handling children of various ages, swimming levels, and developmental situations. Here you will learn the subtle, highly refined techniques which Rob and Kathy have developed over a combined 60+ years of careful observation, practice and adaptation. We will also hold classroom discussions on the topics listed below.

Our workshops include both water and classroom time

Topics Included Are:

• Teaching Philosophy
• Benefits of Infant Swimming
• What Babies Can Learn
• Optimal Learning Environment
• Course descriptions and pre-requisites
• Class format
• Teaching progressions, building blocks theory
• Class activities and equipment
• Adapting to various class sizes and corrective measures for student/parent challenges
• Proper holding techniques and when to implement them
• Passing techniques, timing and strategies
• Plateaus, peaks and valleys
• Working with cautious or frightened children
• How to assist over protective parents or tune-in over ambitious parents
• What skills are most appropriate for what ages and level of readiness
• Identifying readiness and demonstrating appropriate child-centered techniques
• Building harmonious relationships between teacher, parent and child
• Methods of Water adjustment and identifying comfort in the water
• Principles of Breath control
• Basic swimming skills
• More complex swimming and safety skills
• Encouraging positive parenting
• Child development ages and stages
• The holistic approach

1. What do I bring?

A positive attitude towards life, children and swimming. Also, a big hat (or baseball cap) and sunscreen for our Florida Sun. We also wear sun protective warm-up tops.

Also, make sure that your passports etc. are in order, as traveling abroad is getting a bit more complicated these days.

2. Do I get in the water?

Yes, you will spend a great deal of your time with us in the water apprenticing and “shadowing” us during real live baby swim classes at our Lifestyle Swim School. A chance to glean knowledge from our combined 60+ years of teaching babies in the gentle way. Those who pay close attention will take home many unforeseen treasures.

3. What is the daily schedule?

See schedule above. We normally have two blocks of time per day to train.  We try to build in plenty of time for you to rest and recharge your energy.

4. Do you “certify” us?

This is a comprehensive teacher training workshop for learning how to teach infants and toddlers how to adjust to and then move about in the water. Yes, we certify, see Certification page.

5. Is this a licensing agreement?

Yes, we do offer a licensing agreement.

This is an educational opportunity. We open up our school during this workshop period so that you can have the opportunity to learn from us in observation, lecture and discussion as well as hands on experience with our students. We will not be handing you a business plan, advertising/promotional plan and ad copy with photos, nor any legal documents. We do encourage you to take notes, listen and observe, ask questions and utilize Learn to Swim as your textbook

6. How many people are in each workshop?

Normally, here at our Florida site we try to limit the number of participants in order for you to actually be in the water in with us during our on going infant/toddler swim classes. This also allows us to keep the workshops more personal for our teacher training participants, as well as not overwhelm our baby swim students and their parents. We usually have between one and six participants here at our Boca Raton site per workshop.

7. Why are you offering the teaching training?

It is our hope that the “right” people with a big heart and gentle spirit will use their baby swimming training to help spread, peace, joy and happiness, to children and their families though-out the planet.

Be sure to bring:

• SPF 40 waterproof sunscreen
• Long sleeve shirt
• Sun glasses
• Large brimmed hat

REMEMBER: Keep hydrated

For further information you may email us at: Serenityswim@gmail.com

Or reach us by phone at: 561-362-5490