SHERRI NELSON, M.Ed.
Educator | Author | Learning Lifeguard

Swimming alone can be risky. However, the chance of drowning in the presence of a certified lifeguard is about one in eighteen million. Lifeguards give swimmers space within boundaries but watch closely and intervene if they suspect someone is in distress.

Similarly, each learning lifeguard seeks to support at least one underachieving student who is in danger of academically drowning. Building a team of learning lifeguards doesn’t have to be a complicated program or process. Simply: • Determine what you want lifeguards to do. • Identify the students who need extra support. • Thoughtfully match each one with a trusted adult. • Be a lifeguard! The key is commitment. Each learning lifeguard should be willing to support their student for the full school year and, ideally, even longer. Teachers who follow the learning lifeguard philosophy believe that all students can achieve high levels of learning if the adults around them show they care, collectively hold all learners to high expectations, and provide academic support to those who need it.

We recognize that the responsibility of helping students reach their full potential cannot rest solely on the shoulders of a few; it requires a committed team. Research shows that just one trust adult can have a profoundly positive influence on a child's life.

Every interaction with a young person is an opportunity to influence the next generation.

Adults cannot fix everything, but we can consistently show up, listen, and guide. That’s what learning lifeguards do, whether they’re teachers, coaches, neighbors, college students, or community volunteers.

Learning lifeguards are caring adults who invest their time and hearts into helping students feel safe and supported. They build trust, provide a nurturing environment, and hold young people to high expectations.

In our school, every adult is a learning lifeguard.

Just imagine the life-changing impact we can make in our school and community if every staff member fostered a supportive relationship with at least one struggling student:

• Educational assistants help students finish assignments before school. • Supervised high school students earn credits by tutoring other students during an open period in their school day. • Teachers clarify misconceptions and reteach critical content after school. • A custodian mentors a disruptive boy, more familiar with the principal’s office than any classroom, by inviting him to tinker with tools and help with repairs around the school. • The librarian offers her desk as a quiet place for a distracted student to complete her homework. • The school secretary helps an unorganized student determine which assignment to tackle next. • A basketball coach checks in daily to ensure the struggling sibling of a varsity athlete makes it to school.

So, anyone who has the commitment and the heart to help our students can be a learning lifeguard.

Community volunteers can become lifeguards, too! We take great care in thoughtfully matching our learning lifeguards to specific students, considering each adult’s personal strengths and common interests with the students. This approach has expanded our lifeguard team and strengthened the safety net around our most vulnerable learners.

Sometimes, the most impactful learning lifeguards are community members who volunteer thirty minutes each week to mentor students in need of strong, supportive relationships. Many local business leaders generously offer their employees paid time off (beyond vacation days or personal time) to serve as volunteers in their community consistently. And often, universities and colleges partner with schools, encouraging their students to volunteer as mentors or lifeguards.

These lifeguards offer more than just their time:

• They create meaningful connections by providing students with the personalized support and attention they often crave but don’t always receive. • For younger students, that time might be spent reading together, playing catch or card games, sharing stories and riddles, or drawing and coloring. • In middle school, lifeguards often help students finish their homework, study for tests, or get organized. • Instead of scrolling on their phones during lunch, students may meet with their lifeguards, engaging in real conversations and learning how to connect face-to-face. • Lifeguards might also coach a neighborhood sports team, offering students guidance both on and off the field. • High school lifeguards might support students with their academic goals, explore college or career options, help with resumes or job applications, serve as thought partners, or simply offer a consistent and caring presence. We need each other, and we need you.