No. 350 - Just Keep Swimming, Swimming, Swimming

Today is "Report Card Day". That term has been in my job life since . . . 2006, yep. Here is a little breakdown of the non-lifeguarding portion of my job.

Teaching swimming lessons is my favourite part of working in aquatics. I love working with the kids and seeing them progress. Granted, there are frustrating days {what job doesn't have those}, but for the most part, I go through each swimming lesson with a smile on my face.

At this pool, I run about 5- 8 classes every day for eight days {four each week}. Preschool levels and Levels 1-4 are 30 minutes long, and Levels 5-10 are 45 minutes long. Then at the end of each session, I make each kid a report card with a badge or a sticker and comments on what they did well on and what they could improve on. I really try to be as personal and relevant in my comments as possible.

My absolute favourite part though has got to be seeing the progression and seeing the kids recognize their progression. Nothing makes my heart swell as much as hearing a little one yell out, "I did it!" "Yes, yes you did." And that is the reason that I keep teaching swimming . . .

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No. 294 - Think Like A Green

So at work, we all have to do this survey thing that asks us questions about our personality
and communication style and then categorizes all the staff into three colours - red, yellow, and green.

So, first of all, out of those three colours, green is definitely my favourite, so yay!

Second, the green category definitely describes me.

Green:

These people (20%) have extremely organized thought processes and are quite sequential in their thinking. They process information visually, picturing it in their mind. Greens have difficulty processing information when emotionally charged words are directed toward them. Their natural ability to visualize words graphically becomes over stimulated. The best way to both speak and write to Green is to keep it brief, use few words, 
and be as specific as possible.

Interesting, eh?

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No. 287 - Shout Out

At work, we have a whiteboard where the guards can write little notes to each other.

It's a way to notice someone else's hard work or effort.

I got my first shout out this week.

:)

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No. 278 - The One In Which . . .

. . . I clean the pool deck with style.

Be safe, everyone!

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No. 263 - Lifeguarding 101 & OUAT

Alright, so as I wrote last week, I am back on the pool-front scene as a Lifeguard/Instructor at MacIsland. However, the general population's view of a lifeguard is somewhat misconstrued (thanks, Hollywood & Baywatch). So, I'm here to give you a crash course on what it means to be a lifeguard in a community pool.

• Training: There are a minimal of 4 certificates you must get in order to be viewed as a lifeguard. These come from the Lifesaving Society, and each province has its own branch. The four courses are as follows: (1) Bronze Medallion - you can get this when you are 13, and you learn tows, carries, defence and release methods, stroke efficiency and endurance in a timed swim and CPR A; (2) Bronze Cross - you can get this when you are 14, and this is more advanced training including an introduction to safe supervision in aquatic facilities; (3) CPR-C - this is your first aid course and can be combined with an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) component; (4) National Lifeguard Service (NLS) - you can get this when you are 16, and this is the final course that says you are in fact a certified lifeguard. It is a two week course filled with first aid, simulations, fitness, and principles. Then every two years, you must re-certify your NLS in order to continue lifeguarding. 
• There is also separate training that will certify you to teach swimming lessons. The Canadian Red Cross offers these courses and there are two requirements: Assistant Water Safety Instructor and Water Safety Instructor (WSI). Like NLS, WSI has to be re-certified every two years.
• Now, after you spent all that money and all that training, as a lifeguard, you actually spend very little time in the pool (unless you are teaching swimming lessons or aquafit). The majority of your job is spent scanning and reminding patrons of the rules, or in other words, prevention. In my 7 years of lifeguarding, I have had to "jump in" twice. 

Now for some fun facts:

• We don't use pen tips during CPR (thanks, Boone, from LOST). 
• We don't sit in our chair and yell at kids (well, hopefully we don't). For the majority of the time, we are actually standing or roaming.
• We don't run in slow motion.

Haha, anyways, just some information. As for my first week, it went really great.

It is going to be a good summer!

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Awesome episode of Once Upon A Time last night, because we finally found out who August W. Booth is!
I can't believe we only have two episodes left. Here are my thoughts on "The Stranger".

• Best Moment: Not only finding out that August W. Booth was indeed Pinocchio (way better than Rumplestiltskin's son), but also finding out that he went through the wardrobe (Narnia reference) with Emma and was supposed to lead and help her.
• Lovely Moment: When August W. Booth went to his father's wood-shop at the end and asked to be an assistant. Kind of a tearful moment.
• Worst Moment: Regina seducing David? What the? Good on David for saying no.
• Worst Pick-Up Line: "If I told you [where we were going], you would never come." Seriously, guys, this doesn't work.
• Worst CG: Fake whale.
• Crossover Moment: I loved all the flashbacks to the pilot, and the way they incorporated the storyline there. 
• Riveting Moment: When August W. Booth took Emma to the tree. Their banter was incredible. I wanted Emma to believe, but it would have been to easy if she did. "Then you're all screwed." - Yikes.
• LOST Moment: Apparently the plane that flew over Pinocchio's head when he exited the tree was Oceanic Flight 815.
• Cliffhanger: Emma is leaving Storybook with Henry?
• Next Episode: Snow White eats the apple.

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No. 257 - Back To The Water

Alright, so some of you know, but here is my summer plans announcement . . .

I am going back to lifeguarding/instructing!

To be honest I never thought this day would come. When I resigned at the YMCA last June, I figured that was the end of my aquatics involvement due to the direction school and nursing is taking me. However, as March rolled around, I realized that I still need a summer job and one of my fellow-lifeguard-classmates convinced me to re-certify my NLS and then apply for a job at MacDonald Island, which I can now say I have received. My first day was yesterday. Although at first, I was really resistant to going back to the chlorine, I can now say that I am happy with how things worked out.
All in God's timing. 

(No picture of the pool, because I figured it would be creepy trying to take the shot.)

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P.S. Happy April 24th :(

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My Summer Job

This summer I am working at Heritage Park. This is a museum-type exhibit in the form of an old-fashioned village. There are all sorts of buildings from a church to a schoolhouse to a police station to a drug store to a house. The park also features a gift shop and several events throughout the course of the year.

That is where my job comes in. I am one of the Events Coordinators. The next event coming up is called Heritage Day which will be the biggest event of the year. My job requires me to place and answer phone calls, sort out paperwork, attend meetings, update websites, and odds and ends such as preparing banners or setting up for lunches in the boardroom.

I've only worked three days, but so far, I love it. I have a wonderful coworker who teaches me everything I need to know, and the atmosphere there is serious but also fun. I am excited for this summer job.

http://www.fortmcmurrayhistory.com/