What’s all this talk about deck supervisors? Do we really need one? “That’s just going to cost us extra money that’s not in the budget.” This may be the typical response of a Swim School Manager when asked about employing a Pool Deck Supervisor. Here, we tell you about the benefits about having a pool deck supervisor and how it may compliment your services.
Swim School Pool Deck Supervisor can:
- offer assistance to teachers
- offer an opportunity for parents to ask questions
- provide teacher feedback
- ensure quality control and provide student assessments
Times have changed and therefore as teachers, we must go along with it. Gone are the days where we can put kids out of class if they’ve been misbehaving or have a tantrum. Parenting styles have changed and developed. As teachers, we need to be aware and respectful of that. And so, this is where our pool deck supervisors can act as a support for our swim teachers. Teachers can make the deck supervisor aware of this particular situation in their class. In addition, they can request their support by having them observe the class/student and liaising with parents/guardians. They may also assist in something as simple as offering teachers a bottle of water to keep them hydrated. Particularly if they are out in the sun.
What a Deck Supervisor can do
How often can teachers get stuck talking and conversing with that one parent, it’s generally always that same one too. They don’t seem to have any awareness that there are other parents who have paid for a lesson with the teacher too. And that he/she is eating into their time. This is where the Deck Supervisor can step in, carry on that conversation and answer any questions for the parents. Nine times out of ten it’s the same question; “is my child nearly ready to go up to the next level?” This may result in the deck supervisor catching up with the teacher later to get information on the progress of the swimmer. Or else, it may lead to the deck supervisor observing the child during their next class. They can also assess them individually during their regular lesson time.
Depending on how you operate your swim school, you may offer student assessments to determine what level to place new students in. This is another job that can be carried out by your deck supervisor at the start or the end of their shifts. If you have more than one deck supervisor, we strongly recommend that they meet regularly and work together as a team to maintain consistency and ensure they are on the same page with the program knowledge and expectations.
General Feedback Forms
Good teachers always do a good job however great teachers are constantly looking for ways to improve, even if they have been doing it for twenty odd years. They are always seeking feedback and asking for ways on how they can perform or do things better. Deck Supervisors can help with this by having a general teacher feedback form that they can use whilst observing the teacher. This also provides an opportunity to check out the overall quality control within the lessons. Are teachers positive throughout their lessons, are they engaging with their swimmers, are they giving positive praise? These are only three of many questions that can be asked to ensure quality control at your swim school.
World Wide Swim School recommends and supports the use of Pool Deck Supervisors if it is economically viable and your swim school is large enough. If that’s not the case, it can be as simple as having the office manager or swimming centre manager work their multi-tasking skills to ensure all the above areas are covered.