Female
Hi all! My name is Samm. Since childhood, I have had a passion for swimming. When my parents allowed me to swim on my own for the first time at 2 years old, I couldn’t get my floaties on fast enough. From that day forward, I would spend hours in the pool until the sun went down during the summer and on every family vacation. As an adult, I turned my love for the water into both a career, working 5 years as a CPR/AED certified lifeguard, and a hobby, as a varsity swimmer on my high school swim team. I had the privilege of not only swimming on the team for three seasons, but to also teaching incoming freshman members proper form and technique.
Teaching individuals how to navigate any body of water, whether it be a pool or the ocean, is incredibly fulfilling. Swimming is not only an essential skill, but one that can garner so much joy and confidence in people both young and old. In my case, feeling capable in the water has certainly played a part in developing my own self-confidence. While teaching, I focus on the individual needs, comfort level, and learning style of each student. Every swimmer learns at their own pace and as an instructor, my number one priority is to make sure every swimmer feels that their voice is heard. My goal is to help students form the skills necessary to make them capable swimmers while establishing a stable foundation for their love of the water to grow. Before beginning lessons with clients, I make it a priority to discuss what the goals of both the student and the parents are in order to best create a timeline and curriculum that will make these goals achievable.
The eagerness beginner swimmers have to learn and become better at an activity they enjoy is something that I admire. Watching beginners gradually become more confident and skillful in the water is what makes teaching so special. At Making Waves, teaching water survival strokes and techniques to our clients is very important. Without the ability to be entirely comfortable both around and in the pool, new swimmers tend to falter under pressure despite the skills they may have completing specific strokes and events. Through personal experience in my academic career, I believe that the best way to motivate students is to promote a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset. A fixed mindset suggests that people are born with or without certain abilities and that these abilities cannot be changed.
Unfortunately, as evident in many modern classrooms, fixed mindset learners try to prove themselves and will often shy away from challenges because they don’t want to appear as incapable. Alternatively, growth mindset learners believe that skills can be cultivated and improved through hard work. Students with a growth mindset enjoy challenges and view failures as necessary parts of growth. Encouraging students to view their swimming lessons with a mindset of growth is a method I often use to motivate them in all aspects of learning, both in and out of the water.
I am currently certified in CPR by the American Red Cross. As lifeguard, I have taken multiple courses relating to life saving skills, such as AED usage, blood borne pathogen safety, and underwater rescue. Let’s meet in the pool and get to work!
Fall 2024: September 1st – December 23rd Openings
Winter 2025: January 2nd – March 31st Openings
Spring 2025: April 1st – June 30th Openings
Summer 2025: July 1st – August 31st Openings
*Tuition fees are based on one private half hour lesson per week until the end of a specific session. Pricing may vary depending on your enrollment date and type of class.