Besides being in school and focusing solely on my work, I am also a swim instructor. This job has been very rewarding because I get to interact with many different types of people.
I get to see babies having their first dip in a pool and their reactions to the feeling of water surrounding them. I help more advanced swimmers perfect their techniques, preparing them to go out and find a swim team so they can compete. I teach adults who usually come to get over their fear of water and see how they become more confident in themselves and their abilities. I work with children with special needs and see all of the progress they make with their skills and how happy they are with their own achievements.
Learning is a challenge in and of itself; one’s age or ability challenges will not change this fact. Difficulties will always result throughout the process of learning, but the amount of effort used may vary among various individuals. People who are naturally gifted often get lazy and won’t try as hard because certain parts of swimming may come easier to them than others, but those who may lack this ability are the ones who usually place more effort in their techniques, and may surpass the abilities of their peers because of it. Anyone’s achievement in mastering a skill is positive and is praised. Nobody gets more praise for accomplishing these techniques, and I think that is one of the things that makes our environment so welcoming to the families that come to our facility.
I really love my job and seeing all the progress that these individuals are able to achieve, no matter how small or large they may seem.