Swim Lessons with Susan

I have been teaching swimming for forty years, since 1984. I first became an American Red Cross Certified Water Safety Instructor 37 years ago. As a minor field of study for my Bachelor of Arts degree, I also studied elementary physical education.

Over the years, I've had the opportunity to work with children, adults and even some with physical disabilities. Currently, I specialize in teaching children. My primary goal is safety. I also want kids to have fun and enjoy the water while they learn. Most often this is accomplished through private or semi-private (2 children) lessons. Small group lessons are available as needed, which can be especially beneficial to children who are used to group settings where they learn from both direct instruction and by observing each other.

Most often, parents stay right in the yard to observe the lessons, although they do not participate in the actual lesson. This not only provides a degree of comfort for an apprehensive child, but enables the parents to later apply the same techniques if practice time is available away from the lessons.

During the height of COVID-19, I implemented additional safety protocols and gave instruction from a distance, while parents did the hands-on work. To be honest, it was kind of weird for me to be totally hands-off. But, I discovered that some kids really benefitted from this arrangement, especially the youngest kiddos or those who are a little apprehensive of strangers. I'm happy to offer this modification if it feels like a better fit for you.