You have a crier in lane 2 and also have an eval in lane 8 with an upset parent from last weeks lesson. What is your plan?
What is,
- find a trainee or extra person to help lane 2 and you handle lane 8
- if you are solo, call management to help with eval and you help the crier
This is one of the first things a parent notices when they arrive on deck and can immediately shape their opinion of the swim school.
What is a clean, organized, and welcoming deck?
Where should your lifeguard and you be standing on the pool deck?
What is,
- LG standing in the middle by mural wall
- DS on wall safety side pool or opposite LG when doing checks/evals
“Alright team, let’s make some waves!” Before we jump in, this is our chance to get on the same page, identify today’s priorities, and make sure every instructor knows what winning the day looks like.
What is an engaging pre-shift
Before you call it a day, you need to leave the next supervisor a clear picture of what happened on your shift and what they should be ready for next. This communication happens here.
What is using Basecamp messaging?
You are doing door call and you notice that 2 instructors in the same lane and a group of kids in a lane with no instructor in it. How do you solve the issue without making a big scene?
What is,
- Call a FD/Manger to hold door and you handle mix up
-Notify LG to help
- Tell a trainee to go to the lane
A parent may not know the technical details of a swim skill, but they can easily recognize when an instructor is doing this with their child.
What is giving the swimmer attention and encouragement?
You notice an instructor is teach a G3 class when the class is supposed to be G2. What do you do next?
What is,
- jump in and to ensure safety with the kids. Subtly change the curriculum book and speak with instructor
- follow up to make sure that do not happen again.
During pre-shift, a supervisor should identify these swimmers or situations that may require extra attention from the team.
What are swimmer needs and lesson priorities?
The swimmers may be gone, but the work isn't! Before leaving, these tasks need to be completed so the facility is ready for the next shift.
What are completing cleaning duties?
You have lesson block with no evals or 1st/trail kids but 8 MCs. You also notice an instructor is struggling with a Mini class and it looks bad. What do you do?
What is, Jump in with the mini class and help the quality first
When a child struggles during a lesson, parents are more likely to feel confident when they see the instructor do this instead of simply moving on.
What is positively redirecting and supporting the swimmer?
A parent is frustrated because of the class pace and amount of time the kid spent in the water. Give a solution you could offer?
- offer for a DS to hop in the water next class and leave notes on roster for instructor.
- speak with Management if parent upset
- speak with instructor and make sure pace is faster
If last shift's lessons revealed a recurring issue, this is the time to communicate the expectation so instructors can address it today.
What is pre-shift coaching?
- Use basecamp to notify all DS's
These notes help make sure swimmer progress doesn't get lost between shifts and that swimmers who are ready can continue moving forward.
What are completing swimmer notes and move-ups?
You are training a new DS, how do you tell them to prioritize the shift?
What is,
- observe the deck for potential issues
- Door call, all kids in the lanes, criers, 1st days/trials, evals, parent communication, mc/training opportunities, attendance, door call
This is what parents want to see when they look at their child's lesson: active participation rather than long periods of standing around.
What is meaningful practice time?
-Quality lessons
How often should you be looking at the pool for quality?
- constantly
- As much as you can
After the shift, supervisors should use this conversation to discuss what went well, what didn’t, and what should change moving forward.
What is post-shift processing?
- Talk through positives and negatives
These evaluations help us track instructor performance and provide opportunities for coaching and growth. Before leaving, supervisors should make sure they are all completed.
What are the “Stars” evaluations?
You have 3 move ups and 2 first day kids that you need to make cards for. You have 2 minutes before door call. How do you get cards to everyone?
What is,
- call management to split cards to ensure we are talking to all parents
A deck supervisor can strengthen parent confidence by making sure instructors can clearly explain these two things about a swimmer.
What are what the swimmer is working on and why it matters?
A family comes in every week, is enrolled, and has no concerns. This is how you can continue creating a Golden Experience for them instead of only interacting with them when they need something.
what is,
Open ended:
- Talk about how lesson are going
- celebrate new skills
- Say hello, goodbye, and create small talk
A strong post-shift conversation connects instructor performance to these two outcomes: what happened in the lesson and how the experience felt to the parent.
What are lesson quality and parent communication/perception?
The final look around the deck matters! A closing supervisor should make sure the pool deck is clean, organized, safe, and that everything is working properly before handing it off.
What is ensuring pool deck cleanliness and functionality?