Day 3 Volunteering

Date of Service: 4/2/11 Time Spent: 5 Total Time So Far: 15

Actions I performed: taught most of the upper levels. (levels 3- 5)
The upper levels were easier to teach because they had skills in their head that would help them improve their mistakes. The difficult part of teaching the upper levels is that it’s in the deep end and in order to properly teach them we would climb out and show them on deck. Sometimes it is easier to show examples on deck but it’s harder for the students who don’t knowhow to climb up. Another difficult part of teaching upper levels is that some of their previous teachers believe that they are ready to go on to the next level but they end up having a difficult time and it was hard to adapt to most the students are good while a couple students need more help. The experience I had in this aquatics facility was a great decision I made because it helped me interact with the community and help people out.

Me teaching a level 3 student; telling him to kick on the kickboard for warm up

Day 1 and Day 2 Volunteering

Date of Service: 3/26/11 and 3/27/11 Time Spent: 5 Total Time So Far: 10

Actions I performed: taught level 1/ level 2 Learn-to-Swim lessons at the Daly City Parks and Recreation Aquatics Facility.


My mentor assigned me to swim aid with his co-worker Kimo. He is a senior guard and taught me different techniques on how to deal with kids that have a difficult time swimming. The first day i volunteered was some what difficult because it was the first day of swimm lesson and kids were going in and out of the classes.

This is a picture of Kimo and I teaching Learn-to-Swim level 1 classes.

Last Day of Water Safety Course

Date of Service: 2/19/11 Time Spent: 5 Total Time So Far: 30


Actions I performed:
watched the last chapter of the dvd which were diving on the blocks and on the diving board.
in-water session (taught the class how to dive and an activity for a baby class)
gave feedback after someone finished teaching to the class
took the exam.


Watching the DVD on how to do the dives on the blocks and diving board made me very nervous. I only knew how to dive on the block but there are different ways to dive on the block that I didn’t know about. The different positions are competition dive, standing dive and kneeling dive. It also showed us how to do a flip on the diving board.
For the in-water session I had to teach how to dive. On the dvd that I watched earlier in the day helped me how to teach how to dive. Instead of going straight into diving I did baby steps first. 1) I had them jump into the water first in the deep end so that they can get use to the deep end. 2) had them it down on the edge of the dec and have there hands into a streamline position which is pointing to the water. Then I dive slide in with them with my hands holding on to their hands. 3) then I had do the kneeling dive with support by me. 4) I had them do it them selves. My other task was to create an activity for a baby class. My activity was having all the babies on the wall and then I would lay toys out pretending its fire and they have to kick so that the fire(toys) don’t touch or go near them.
The test was someone easy but during certain parts of the test I got confused because there are always two answers that sound correct. After the test Romeo would call us out one by one. Romeo told me that I got 42/50 on my exam which means I passed. His suggestions are, games and activities on the last day, focus on kicking and breathing daily for the lower level classes, and add drills. For the in-water session he said that sometimes I’m not descriptive enough, appeared lost at times, but he said I’m loud and clear and energetic, and makes sure that nobody is slacking off.

Me taking the WSI test

Day 3 of 4 Water Safety Course

Date of Service: 2/12/11 2/13/11 Time Spent: 5 Total Time So Far: 20


Actions I performed:
reviewed all the chapters
getting ready for the test next week
went over our eight day lessons plan that was assigned for homework.
Romeo gave us example questions that will be on the test.
After 3 Hours we had a break and then we went in the water.
went over baasic rescues, re did our pre requistes, and did another in-water session
Here is and example of my 8 Day lesson plan.
Level 1
Day 1
• Learn Names
• Introduce how to enter the water
• Go underwater to get hair wet
• Introduce front and back float glide
• Kick on front/back on the wall
• Front/back arm circles on the wall
• Talk and listen to the fishes
• Elementary back stroke
• Jumping into water
Day 2
• Enter the water
• Go underwater to get hair wet
• Kicking on front/back on wall & kick board
• Front/back arm circles on wall & kick board
• Talk and listen to the fishes on the wall
• front and back float glide
• Elementary back stroke
• Jumping into water
Day 3
• Enter the water
• Go underwater to get hair wet
• Kicking on front/back on wall & kick board
• Front/back arm circles on wall & kick board
• Talk and listen to the fishes on the wall with arm circles
• front and back float glide
• Elementary back stroke
• Jumping into water
Day 4
• Enter the water
• Go underwater to get hair wet
• Kicking on front/back on wall & kick board
• Front/back arm circles on wall & kick board
• Talk and listen to the fishes on the wall with arm circles
• Combine arm circles with kicking on the wall
• Elementary back stroke
• front and back float glide
• Jumping into water
Day 5
• Enter the water
• Go underwater to get hair wet 5x
• Kicking on front/back on wall & kick board
• Front/back arm circles on wall & kick board
• Talk and listen to the fishes on the wall with arm circles
• Combine arm circles with kicking on the wall & Kick board
• front and back float glide
• Elementary back stroke
• Change direction and position
• Jumping into water
Day 6
• Enter the water
• Go underwater to get hair wet 5x
• Kicking on front/back on wall & kick board
• Front/back arm circles on wall & kick board
• Talk and listen to the fishes on the wall with arm circles
• front and back float glide
• Combine arm circles with kicking on the wall & kick board
• Introduce treading
• Elementary back stroke
• Jumping into water
Day 7
• Enter the water
• Go underwater to get hair wet 5x
• Kicking on front/back on wall & kick board
• Front/back arm circles on wall & kick board
• Talk and listen to the fishes on the wall with arm circles
• Combine arm circles with kicking on the wall & kick board
• front and back float glide
• Elementary back stroke
• Jumping into water
Day 8
• Go underwater to get hair wet 5x
• Talk and listen to fishes 5x
• Arm circles with breathing 5x
• front and back float glide
• Kicking on front/back w/ kick board
• Elementary back stroke
• Arm circles with kicking


Next action (what & when):
I have a test next week. Romeo gave told us certain chapters and sections we have to focus on that will be on the test. Assigned us our last In-water session to teach our class.
How am I doing? (75+ words)
During class Romeo assigned us a skit. My groups skit was having a student with a disability, and his parents are over protective and asked a question for everything we did. I played the roll as a swim instructor, my other 3 group members played the student and the parents. The class said that they liked how I explained what I will be using certain materials like a life jacket or kick boards to help the swim efficiently to the parents. They also said that I was very patient and I sounded very motivating towards the student. In our in-water session we learned basic rescuing which were using the hook, hands or feet so that the victim can hold on to it and you can pull them on to the wall.

Day 2 of 4 Water Safety Course

Date of Service: 2/5/11 2/6/11   Time Spent: 10  Total Time So Far: 20

Actions I performed:   

• read the WSI handbook Chapter 6-9
• watched DVDs on the different swimming strokes
• how to plan a session
• taught the class a butterfly drill

Next action (what & when): My mentor assigned our class certain strokes/floats that we have to  teach to the whole class.

How am I doing? (75+ words) 

We had a teaching simulation when everyone was assigned a certain stroke/float or activity we had to teach to the class. Romeo assigned swimming aids to all of that will help you teach the class. He did this so you know how to use a swimming aid more efficiently than to just have them stand they’re not doing anything. I was assigned to teach a butterfly stroke drill which would be in level 4. After I taught our class meets in a circle and everyone gives feed back on each other on their good and weak points. My weak point is that it didn’t sound like I was confident with my self and my good point was that I was loud and I was aware where every one was and safe.

Day 1 of 4 Water Safety Course

Date of Service: 1/30/11   Time Spent: 10  Total Time So Far: 10

Actions I performed:   

• read the WSI handbook 
• swam the prerequisites (4 laps of butterfly(2 laps)/sidestroke(2 laps), freestyle, backstroke, breststroke) 
• Romeo taught us how to do our strokes better

Next action (what & when): I need to work on my butterfly stroke to help me so that when I teach the class I have more knowledge about the stroke. When I go home I need to high light sections in the chapters when I get home and study it.

How am I doing? (75+ words) 

Taking the class I thought I knew how to do everything because I’ve had some experience teaching children how to swim. But I was wrong reading the Water Safety Manual there were certain things I did not know like for back stroke you need to rotate your shoulders more and what each swimming tool is used for.  I learned different ways how to help children kick if they’re to scared, one is by having them rest their hands on your shoulder while they are kicking.  At the end of the class we swam our prerequisites, which was four laps of free style, backstroke, breast stroke, and 2 laps of buttery fly and side stoke. I completed and passed the prerequisites, although if some one didn’t pass their prerequisites then they can redo it on the last day.

This is me in class listening to my mentor Romeo.(I had to block faces out because they didn't want to be on my blog.)