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Water Safety Instructor

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The Water Safety Instructor (Commonly referred to as WSI) program is an aquatics program, specific to swim instructing, regulated and certified primarily through the Canadian Red Cross.[1] It is also recognized by the American Red Cross.[2]

Water Safety Instructor certification focuses on preparing candidates to teach the Red Cross Swim programs, it teaches candidates to introduce and develop fitness activities, skills and water safety and swimming skills in several Red Cross programs. The WSI course is recognized by the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP),[3] Swimming Canada[4][5] and the Coaching Association of Canada. To become a lifeguard in Canada, some employers require you also hold certification as a Water Safety Instructor.

Programs

Main article: Swimming lessons § Canada

Water Safety Instructors are certified to teach the following programs:

  • Red Cross Swim Preschool
  • Red Cross Swim Kids
  • Red Cross Swim @ School
  • Red Cross Swim @ Camp
  • Red Cross Swim for Adults & Teens
  • Red Cross Swim Adapted

Prerequisites

The Red Cross requires WSI candidates meet the following requirements before attempting the course:

  • 15 years of age or older.
  • Red Cross Swim Kids 10 strokes and skills, or equivalent.
  • One of the following certifications (in expired or current order):

Instructor Development Program

Before January 2016, the Red Cross required students to complete the Red Cross Assistant Water Safety Instructor (AWSI) course prior to attempting the Red Cross Water Safety Instructor course.[6] Currently, the course structure is broken down into four course component.[1]

WSI Skills Evaluation

WSI candidates must be able to demonstrate water safety skills, strokes and emergency response skills that meet or are equivalent to Red Cross Skim Kids 10 standards. Criteria for these skills, outlined by the Canadian Red Cross,[7] includes:

Water Safety Skills

Strokes

Instructor Emergency Response Skills

  • Recognizing a distressed, injured, tired/weak, and unconscious swimmer
  • Assistive Carry from Deep Water
  • Assistive removal of conscious swimmer
  • Rescue of submerged swimmer
  • Grip techniques for suspected head and spine injury
  • Basic First Aid

WSI Skills Evaluation can be completed before, during or after the WSI Online or WSI Teaching Experience. However, it must be completed before WSI Classroom and Pool. This component of the WSI course is three to six hours in length.[1][8]

WSI Online

The WSI Online component allows candidates to learn at their own speed with a series of 15 online modules which contain an overall 14 to 20 hours of online learning. Each candidate is given a PIN and password which are used to access the modules on the http://redcrosselearning.ca/ website, along with a Red Cross Swim Deck Book and Water Safety Instructor Workbook that are used throughout the modules and Teaching Experience.[9] The modules walk candidates through effective water safety instruction and give in-depth knowledge with the use of videos, activities, games, and a knowledge evaluation at the end of each module.[10]

WSI Teaching Experience

After completion of the online component, candidates assist a minimum of two certified WSIs for a minimum of 8 hours in total: 4 hours in a Red Cross Swim Preschool class and 4 hours in a Red Cross Swim Kids class. Not only does the Teaching Experience allow for first-hand experience observing a certified instructor, but also allows the candidate to plan and teach part of the class as if it were their own with instruction from the Water Safety Instructor Workbook.[11]

Throughout the Teaching Experience, candidates are evaluated based on the following criteria,[12] outlined with further guidelines in the Water Safety Instructor Workbook: 

1. Planning
2. Teaching
3. Safety Supervision
4. Communication
5. Leadership
6. Evaluation

To successfully complete the Teaching Experience component, candidates are required[13] to:

  • Complete a minimum of 8 hours (total) of teaching experience (with 100% attendance and participation, including assisting the supervising WSI in the water): 4 hours in a Red Cross Swim Preschool class and 4 hours in a Red Cross Swim Kids Class
  • Assist a certified WSI in either Red Cross Swim Preschool lesson with or without parents/caregivers
  • Assist a different certified WSI in Red Cross Swim Kids lessons
  • Observe and learn from the supervising WSI, who is ultimately responsible for the class
  • Complete a worksheet for both the Red Cross Swim Preschool and Red Cross Swim Kids session
  • Create a lesson plan, using the Lesson Plan Generator, for both Swim Preschool and Kids classes
  • Complete the Water Safety Instructor Teaching Experience Journal for one of the classes you are assisting with

WSI Classroom and Pool

The final and fourth component of the WSI course involves nine hours of classroom and twelve hours of pool experience under the supervision of a certified instructor trainer. As part of pool experience, candidates practice teaching exercises on fellow candidates or on actual swimmers completing swimming lessons, similar to the WSI Teaching Experience component.

Certification

Once certified, WSI instructors are certified for one year, allowing the instructor to teach Red Cross Swim programs without supervision. Completing an additional three WSI online modules within one year extends the expiry of their certification by one year. Once the certification has expired, instructors must attend a WSI rectification course which composes of two hours classroom and three hours pool experience.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Become an Instructor - Canadian Red Cross". Red Cross Canada. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  2. ^ "Water Safety Instructor - American Red Cross San Diego / Imperial Counties Chapter". American Red Cross. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  3. ^ "Swimming Canada Coaching - Swimming Teacher – Red Cross Water Safety". www.nccpswimming.ca. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  4. ^ "Swimming Teacher – Red Cross & I Can Swim – Swimming Canada". www.swimming.ca. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  5. ^ "NCCP Swimming – Swimming Canada". www.swimming.ca. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  6. ^ "Canadian Red Cross Instructor Network". instructornetwork.ca. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  7. ^ "Water Safety Instructor Skills Evaluation Criteria". instructornetwork.ca. The Canadian Red Cross Society. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  8. ^ "Water Safety Instructor Development Program 2016". Red Cross Canada. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
  9. ^ "Water Safety Instructors". www.redcross.ca. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  10. ^ Water Safety Instructor Workbook. The Canadian Red Cross Society. p. 5. ISBN 978-1-58480-650-9. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  11. ^ Water Safety Instructor Workbook. The Canadian Red Cross Society. pp. 47–57. ISBN 978-1-58480-650-9. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  12. ^ Water Safety Instructor Workbook. The Canadian Red Cross Society. pp. 47, 47–52. ISBN 978-1-58480-650-9. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  13. ^ Water Safety Instructor Workbook. The Canadian Red Cross Society. p. 54. ISBN 978-1-58480-650-9. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
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