What to Expect


Practicing skills on the deck as well
as in the water facilitates learning.
Attention
I only teach one-on-one lessons, so each student gets plenty of personal attention, immediate feedback, and guided practice time. No shivering and waiting on the side of pool for their turn - each student is actively engaged every minute of their lesson. All of this adds up to faster progress.


Customized care
I work hard to ensure that my students have the most positive, fruitful experience possible. It begins with asking you to complete a thorough profile about your student. If your student has unique needs or goals, I will work with you on them. Then, I plan a customized lesson for each student, each day. Following every lesson, I record that day's progress and create the next day's lesson plan. Throughout the session, I'm available to answer any questions you may have in person, by text, or by email. I even keep my students' records after the session ends, so that if you want more lessons or a refresher down the road, I know where we left off.


Students never turn down my invitation
to pour water on my head!
A Wet Swim Coach
This should be a given, but yes - I am in the water almost all of the time. I don't believe I can give quality instruction from the side of the pool, fully clothed, or with dry hair. The name "Swim With Coach Julie" encapsulates my philosophy: students should learn to actually swim, and I should be with them every step of the way. 

Passion
Swim instruction isn't a seasonal job for me; it's a decades-long, year-round passion. I love teaching! I've been doing it for decades, and I'm constantly working to improve. Whether I'm racing, playing, lounging, kayaking, rowing, exercising, or teaching, the water is simply one of my favorite places to be, and I want as many people as possible to enjoy the water as much as I do. Learning to swim opens the door to one of the few true lifetime sports.

Frequency
I want to share my love
of swimming with the world.
How much more quickly could you acquire a complex skill if you practiced five times a week instead of just once or twice? The daily practice afforded by my program keeps the momentum going so students get comfortable with me and build their confidence and
 skills much faster than with occasional lessons. Your student will be safer around the water sooner, and you will ultimately pay for fewer lessons.

Calm environment
Group lesson times at most pools can be so loud and overwhelming that teachers have to shout to be heard, and must devote a lot of their energy and attention to crowd control rather than instruction. Anxious or easily distracted students especially need a calm - not a chaotic - environment that helps them focus. Additionally, older children and adults may feel self-conscious having lessons in front of a crowd. My indoor lessons are held during less busy times of the day, which is much more reassuring. During outdoor lessons, we have the pool to ourselves. 

Interactive teaching style
People learn better when they're told AND shown what to do. I get in the water and swim with my students. I demonstrate, go underwater with them, and move their body as needed to help them get the feel for a skill. I explain to them why to do things, and even have them teach skills back to me.  
Practicing treading together


Positivity
I never force students to do anything. The atmosphere in my lessons is friendly, upbeat, and encouraging - never intimidating. Students get engaged as I offer them age-appropriate choices and fun incentives. I firmly believe that students who enjoy the process of learning to swim are much more likely to enjoy swimming for the rest of their lives. They're also going to be better able to recall their skills in the event of an emergency. 

Parent education
Enrollment in my lessons marks the beginning of a partnership. From the moment your registration is confirmed, you'll receive helpful tips on how you can best prepare your student to get the most out of their lessons. During the session, I'll keep you informed of what we're working on in lessons and what you can do out of the pool to build on it. And at the conclusion of the session, you'll go home with concrete ideas of what to do next to ensure continued progress.

To help equip interested parents to take over as their child's next coach, we can arrange a time for you to join us in a lesson. This adds greatly to the value of lessons as your student gets to teach you what they're learning, and I show you how to hold and cue your child. These are the kids who progress the fastest and who maintain or even grow their skills after the session ends!

No flotation devices
Students do not depend on flotation devices in any of my lessons. This allows them to really feel the water and learn how it responds to their movements. This is essential preparation for a water emergency. In many instances of childhood drowning, the child makes their own way to the water. The parent never intended for the child to swim and had no opportunity to put on their flotation device.

Fatigue and hunger
I've loved working with
these girls over the years!
Learning to swim uses an incredible amount of mental and physical energy. Older kids and adults tend to sleep very soundly during the session. Parents of young children should prepare to be extra patient because their children may be wiped out after their lesson. Young children tend to nap longer than usual during the session, and may not even make it home before falling asleep. One of my 7-year-old students, who hadn't napped in years, slept 4 hours after one of his first lessons! All students tend to have a larger than usual appetite. 


Bugs
Since summer lessons are held in an outdoor setting, there are plenty of bugs around. They do land in the pool and sometimes on my students and me; that's inevitable since we're in their home. Students who are easily distracted or afraid of bugs should be prepared for this reality. Hopefully, we'll be so busy making exciting discoveries and having fun that we'll be able to largely ignore the natives. Brightly colored and/or floral patterned swimsuits should be avoided because they attract bugs.

Consistency
I teach every lesson myself, so your student can bypass the anxiety and wasted time of warming up to a series of new instructors. Getting to know each student well allows me to implement a consistent, sequential learning plan for every individual. From the first email you send, through the registration process, during every lesson, and for follow-up questions and refreshers, you'll be interacting with me.

Realistic scheduling
Lessons are offered early in the day when students are at their best. Sessions run for three consecutive weeks rather than stretching over months or years, so busy families can prioritize learning during a compressed time period, then move on with life - ready to enjoy the water together.

Maturity
As a fellow parent, I understand how important your child's safety is to you. You can rest assured that your student will be in the hands of an attentive, experienced adult who takes safety very seriously. My attention doesn't wander, and I don't take risks.
Students are safe in my care.

Value
Swim lessons are one of the few activities that can save a child's life, but they can be prohibitively expensive. My lessons are priced for real families to be able to afford them, and designed to make students independent as soon as comfortably possible. As much as I love the time spent with my students, I work hard to help each of them reach the point where they no longer need me. Your goals are my goals.