This week, my team and I got to “teach” swim lessons to about 20 Thai children, ranging from 4 years old to 12 years old. I say “teach” because t is hard to instruct 20 children on how to swim in English when all they know is Thai. Let’s just say, our charade moves were on point this week.
I’d like to thank my class of 20 children for now making me a certified swim instructor for foreign countries. Here are 5 reasons I believe I can now put “swim instructor”on the experience section of my resume.
1. “WALK!” is my new favorite word.
I have told the kids, more times than I’d like to admit, to walk because the ground is slippery.
2. My perfume has been a mixture of chlorine and sunscreen.
I know, it’s disgusting, but I have to protect my skin from the sun (you’re welcome momma)!
3. Watching 20 little Thai children at once is stressful.
There is a lot of pressure to make sure that everyone stays safe. And the pressure heightens knowing about 80% of the children do not know how to swim at all… or know English.
4. Observing the various types of “swimming strokes” while trying not to laugh at the precious children.
I saw all sorts of weird and wonderful ways of swimming techniques. Here are a few of my favorites…
Bye Bye Birdy: when they slap their arms onto the water like an injured bird and cycle their legs like they are riding a vintage bike.
The Bobble: when they are just short enough not to reach the bottom of the pool but can bobble up and down while moving their arms to get from point A to point B.
5. Becoming a human life-preserver.
Kids get tired of swimming quite quickly, so eventually you just give up and let them hang on you “while they are catching their breath!” Then it becomes a game of how many children can drown the teacher. But I was catching onto their little game… so I made up a game myself. I would hold my breath and go under water then shoot back up out of the water like a mermaid trying to get to dry land. It worked every time!
