The nominations for Annette were all wonderful but we wanted to share Annette's own words about what it means to teach the swimmer for whom the winning nomination was written about:
Teaching Edward has had huge rewards!
"When Edward first came he was a complete non swimmer and presented as non verbal, lacking in coordination, or comprehension but with no fear of the water. After his first lesson, he ran back out of the changing rooms and dive bombed into the pool just missing my head. At that point I questioned whether this level of learning difficulty was beyond my capabilities but was prepared to give it a go.
Over the first few weeks we learned that Edward needed different kinds of instructions and learnings to others to make it easier for him.
Firstly, I introduced by name every student and teacher in the class as Edward struggles with change. If a teacher wasn’t going to be present, we would give him advance notice so he can prepare for it. We would introduce new children if they came for a catch up. He always positions himself in the same space of the pool.
In order for Edward to understand instructions I had to eliminate the use of as many conjunctions as possible and try and use just two or three word sentences. We gave analogies of transport with instructions as his parents advised this his passion. For new activities I found that by splitting the class and getting Edward to watch what others did allowed him to copy as he is very visual learner.
By giving notifications to Edward's parents of what was going to be in the following week's lesson they were able to prepare him for it.
As he progressed through the levels to being in a class with no teacher in the water and taught by just one teacher in a class of eight instead of two we made this change slowly by having a second teacher in the water for a while to support him as he tried to learn the new skills. As he mastered these the second teacher support was slowly reduced to a secondary teacher poolside standing near him to aid as and when required especially in getting out of the pool which due to his coordination and core strength he struggled with.
Having a supportive group of children in his class has helped him to relax and be himself. They cheered the first time he managed to get out of the pool himself without help or use of steps.
By talking to parents after lessons on the things he did well and areas he needed to work on has enabled them to try and practice things at home. Back stroke was difficult for him due to the coordination required but practice and demonstrations has enabled him to do it well."
Annette was chosen by Alexis at Franchise Coach, and this is what she had to say:
Here are my reasonings for choosing this winner.
All the nominations were fantastic, and it was genuinely difficult to choose just one winner - every teacher clearly makes such a difference. But this one really spoke to me and stood out. I’ve chosen Annette because her care and commitment go far beyond teaching swimming. She’s made a real, lasting difference not just to the child, but to the whole family - helping to ease their anxiety and rebuild trust around swimming. What really struck me is how she goes above and beyond in such thoughtful, practical ways - spending her own time creating personalised lesson plans, helping to manage the child’s anxiety before and after each session, and always showing endless patience and understanding. The nomination gave clear, powerful examples of the impact she’s had, and to me, that’s what makes her a true star teacher.
I’m an executive and leadership coach specialising in the franchise sector, working with business owners and senior leaders to build confidence, resilience and people-first leadership.
If you’d like to connect or learn more about what I do, you can find me at www.franchisecoach.uk or drop me an email at [email protected].