Miss Becca

I do not teach the ISR technique.  I specialize in drown proofing children at your residence where incidents are most likely to occur.

After hundreds of students there are some things that I can tell you are going to happen:

The first lesson the child will be excited that I am coming and they are going to learn to swim.  This lasts right up to the point they realize I am not there to play with them on the steps.  

The second lesson the child will be upset from the get go.  They will cry, yell, scream, barter, essentially do anything possible to try and get out of the lesson.  This lesson is critical.  By the end of the second lesson, they will have calmed down and will know the routine to expect.  While they will not be thrilled with the prospect, they will be able to hold their breath, buying us a few seconds if they fall in.

The third lesson they begin to hit resignation.  They will put up a fight at the beginning of the lesson; however, they will also start to regain control.  They will know they have options:  go under or go to the wall, flip or get the ring, play the number game or jump in, etc.

You will see major progressions every third lesson.  It does not matter if these lessons are days or weeks apart.  

Adults or children who have suffered major trauma are completely different and I am happy to discuss what to expect there if you have any questions.

I began lifeguarding at the age of 16 and was a swim team coach through college.  While in college I got a degree in Sports Medicine with a minor in Exercise Physiology.  Yet, the biggest training I got came when I had my own daughter 11 years ago.  She has taught me more than I ever thought possible (and when I started at 16 I thought I knew everything!).  

I have had hundreds of students over the years and continue to do research especially on how to help students with special needs.  I have been working with more and more Autistic children which is imperative since drowning is responsible for over 90% of deaths for Autistic children under the age of 14.  

I charge $35 per session.

I do offer a $5 per child discount if I do back to back lessons in the same pool.  So if I am doing back to back lessons they are $30 per student.

Lessons run 25-35 minutes.  I do not use a watch since children do not tend to care what time frame we are on.  While they can play for hours, their focus and attention is much more limited and we always want to end lessons on a good note.

I have loved the water for as long as I can remember.  When I was 11-12 I can remember vividly an incident where my grandmother stepped on something in the lake where we lived and panicked.  My mother tried to help her and was almost drowned herself...  the water was only two and a half feet deep.  They could both stand easily, but it had a tremendous impact.

I began teaching in earnest when my daughter was 3.  Some friends asked me to teach their little one to swim like mine did.  It has given me the flexibility to be a mom and do all the things with my daughter that I know they look forward to doing with their own children.

Over the years I have worked with a multitude of students:  Boys, girls, multiple races, children as young as 6 months, adults as old as 78 years old, Special Needs, amputees, athletes, and some who simply want to be able to save a child or grandchild if ever needed.  Every lesson is tailored to what you are looking for.

Every student is different and by teaching the way I do I get to not only have them as students but the families I work with become friends and extended family for myself and my daughter.  Some of my fondest memories are pool parties for students where they get to show off all of the tricks they have learned:  The best one being how they don't drown!

A recent event I am fond of is a 4 year old I had last year.

I usually speak with parents for 20-30 mintues before we ever begin lessons letting them know what to expect and this student was no different.  The mother explained that he was the youngest of 4 boys and she was highly skeptical that he would learn.  I explained in detail the steps he would go through and how anger and fear are very closely associated in the brain prior to lessons, but the second one was particularly tough for her. 

He was screaming and crying that he was scared and thought he was going to die.  I explained to mom that we had discussed exactly this would occur.  Still understandably she was upset.  She was waiting until we got into the pool to go inside and watch from there (it makes it easier when the child cannot see the parent).  As I made it to the first step his tone changed dramatically when he screamed, "How DARE YOU!  I told you I did not WANT to swim!" 

Mom could not help but laugh, all the "fear" was gone.  By the end of that lesson he was swimming the width of the pool.

Unfortunately there are more students in the area than there are teachers.  While there are many group lessons at rec centers those tend to cater to the child who needs the most help.  While they are better than none, if you can afford private lessons it is much easier on you and them.

Many use contracts to ensure they have x number of lessons secured.  I would be cautious about these.  Life happens, children get sick, thunder storms come through, school, soccer, camp, work, you name it.  Find someone who can be flexible with you (and you with them).

There are two different kinds of instruction methods right now:  ISR (Infant Safety Rescue) and swimming.  ISR classes are 10 min long and you must go to them.  My method is to use their emotions and teach them how to work through those emotions for a positive outcome.

The parents need to know that time spent in a puddle jumper or water wings slows down the process.

If a child can see their parent it doubles the time it will take for the child to progress.

If there are special needs: Autism, Downs Syndrome, Mental Deficits, previous trauma in the pool, older siblings, sea wall access, etc.  All of these need to be addressed.

Always ask questions, always watch, always practice.