Mengajar Di Kolam Kanak-Kanak

Having been teaching adults for the past few months, when I had to teach a group of toddlers I was a bit lost for ideas.

I was suddenly clueless.

Tak nak duduk diam, asyik menguit-nguit dalam air... Main-main, lompat-lompat. Hampir lemas. Lepas tu terjun lagi sekali.TAK SERIK!

For the first class, I didn't know what to teach these kids. Where to start?

Bubbling? Floating? Gliding? They wouldn't listen, I tell youuuu... All they wanted to do is play. Play. Play.

And they wouldn't focus for long.

I would ask them to watch me first but before I even finished, they would all try it already!

Cikgu cikgu, macam ni ke?

Cikgu cikgu, tengok ni!

Cikgu cikgu..

Cikgu cikgu..

Cikgu cikgu..!

Mind this;

MOST OF THEM COULDN'T REACH THE BOTTOM OF THE POOL. Jengket-jengket, lompat-lompat~

So yeah, potensi untuk lemas itu ada.

Cikgu, saya takut la cikgu...

Cikgu, kaki saya tak sampai...

Cikgu, tadi saya lemas! (Err... Bila eh?)

So, for the second class... I had a NEW strategy.

* * * * *

I brought them to the childrens' pool!

NO other instructors have brought their students to the childrens' pool before. Not even instructors teaching childrens younger than my group. There were five other instructors and all of them didn't use the childrens' pool.

BUT I DON'T CARE.

Mulalah buat perangai keras kepala~

I brought all eight students (4 were absent) of mine to the childrens' pool and let them play games. I taught them push and glide, blowing bubbles, and floating. Yes, they played around A LOT. But... At the same time they were still learning.

And when I brought them back to the deeper pool, they were much much much more comfortable in the water. Because they already know how to float. And even if I'm busy teaching, they can still survive on their own in the water.

I know, and I realize some instructors might have a bad perception of me. Like, "Apa barang bawak budak pegi kolam kecik!"

But as I said earlier, I DON'T CARE.

I know what I'm doing.

And yesterday, during the third class I brought them to the childrens' pool again. There, I thought them breathing, kicking, and arm movement.

At the end of the class, I brought them to the deeper pool.

:) Though a bit haywire, they can swim already. More importantly, they can survive.