In everybody’s life, we all have that one mentor that had a strong impact on our lives. Whether it was a coach, teacher, or best friend, the smallest things seem to go a long way. Even though the other person may not even know, these mentors play a key role in shaping individuals. I have been teaching swim lesson since September of 2015 and teaching kids how to swim is the most important thing that matters to me. These young children have little to no interaction with adults besides their parents. Being a strong leader and a role model for these kids makes me proud that I play a strong role in their lives.
We shouldn’t sit around thinking about what matters to us, it should just comes naturally to everyone for what truly matters in their lives. Being a swim teacher allows me to connect with the next generation of children. In the years to come these kids will grow up to know how to swim all because of those 30-minute lessons they took years ago with me. I take pride in my work, knowing my hard work is going a long way in these kids’ lives. Although they may not realize it now, tomorrow, or even the next day, one day they will realize the impact I played in their lives in learning how to swim.
I will never forget one of the greatest comments I heard from one of my students. I was teaching lessons on a Saturday, and it was my last class. After teaching nearly four and a half hours of lessons, I was tired and looking to go home. In my class of two I had two students. Gianluca, the older student in my class, was the clear dominant swimmer, but Jason always liked to engage in conversation. I will never forget the time Jason said to me, “Mr. Jonathan…I wish I could be a swim teacher just like you.” Never before had I received such a powerful comment. I had never before knew I was playing such a key role in this child’s life. I knew from then on that teaching kids how to swim really did matter to me. I saw another side to the situation. Looking at the situation from the teacher’s perspective, I just saw my role as being influential to those trying to swim, but never realized that these kids look up to me as being one of their role models.
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It wasn’t until my breakthrough moment that sparked the idea that teaching kids how to swim did matter to me. It was not longer just the idea that I was teaching them to swim, but also the idea that these kids looked up to me as being a role model. My serious, hardworking attitude at work had gone a long way. If I had acted like the stereotypical teenager, my impact would have been less on these children. It is important for me to be someone that these children can look up to. Having the opportunity to shape the future generation of children is important to me because it allows me to have a say in how these children will grow up.
