“Thank you for taking the time out of your day to help me get caught up on my work. I got my homework done thanks to you!” If you chose a career in education to make a positive impact on children’s lives, receiving a note like this from a student truly brightens your day!
We know lifeguards play a crucial role in preventing and responding to water emergencies, whether at an indoor pool, waterpark, or outdoor body of water. But have you ever thought about the unsung heroes of the academic world? Learning lifeguards are the ones helping struggling students stay afloat until they can academically swim on their own.
Wonder if you have what it takes to be a learning lifeguard? While lifeguarding roles may differ between schools, the best learning lifeguards share common qualities and go the extra mile to connect personally with learners.
They engage in one-on-one conversations to understand each student’s story, providing personal guidance to help them achieve their academic goals.
They radiate positive energy, maintain upbeat attitudes, and contribute to a learning environment where everyone feels valued.
Learning lifeguards are skilled at assisting students with diverse school experiences and various skill levels.
They adjust their approaches, maintain high expectations, build relationships, track progress, and offer encouragement and constructive feedback.
Their ability to contribute to a team-oriented environment and communicate effectively with students and staff enhances the overall success of a school’s learning lifeguard program.
While establishing a school-wide learning lifeguard program is preferable, individuals can begin making a difference tomorrow! Classroom teachers, support specialists, education assistants, support staff, and administrators – everyone can play a part in supporting struggling students.
Classroom Teachers
Are you a teacher looking to dive into the role of a learning lifeguard? Classroom teachers serve as learning lifeguards by establishing a supportive classroom environment. Fostering a positive and inclusive classroom culture where students feel comfortable asking for help and promoting a growth mindset will boost the confidence of all students. Formative assessments, such as exit tickets and low-stakes quizzes, can help you identify students and provide just-in-time support. Conducting one-on-one conferences or brief check-ins while students work on their assignments will help you assess their progress, answer questions, and provide additional instruction to ensure all your students experience academic success.
Support Specialists
Behavior and academic support specialists you play an important role too! Collaborating with teachers to interpret assessment data and develop plans for targeted interventions will change the tide of struggling students. Special education teachers and those assisting English learners can showcase their skills by simplifying instructions and creating alternative assessments. School psychologists, nurses, and counselors can help calm the waters by meeting with parents to suggest strategies for helping students manage anxiety or by helping families establish effective homework routines.
Education Assistants
Ask an education assistant what the purpose of a lesson is, and they probably know! Education assistants are present during direct instruction and often work one-on-one with students to help them complete their assignments. EAs can act as learning lifeguards by reteaching challenging content in alternative ways, providing personalized or small-group assistance, and boosting students’ self-confidence by sharing positive and immediate feedback and acknowledging their perseverance and sustained efforts.
Support Staff
You may be thinking you have to be an educator to be a learning lifeguard. That’s not the case at all! Support personnel, including administrative assistants, custodians, food service workers, bus drivers, groundskeepers, library aides, and resource officers can positively impact student achievement by making personal connections and providing extra support. Simple gestures such as delivering a warm greeting with a smile, pausing what you are doing to initiate conversation, or lending a compassionate ear, are lifeguarding acts that contribute to a positive and nurturing school environment.
School and District Administrators
Administrators, there’s no better way to connect (or reconnect) with students than by serving as their learning lifeguards. One-on-one mentorships with students can provide you with a chance to purposefully guide struggling students and gain a deeper understanding of their needs. School principals and central office administrators can support a learning lifeguard program by allocating resources for tutoring, after-school, or summer programs and securing funds to provide safe and reliable transportation for students staying after school for assistance. Administrators can also take the lead in analyzing student achievement data, identifying struggling students, and researching effective teaching strategies. By taking a few responsibilities off the plates of educators, teachers will have more time to work directly with students.
While building a school-wide learning lifeguard program is best, individuals can start making a difference tomorrow. Every small action contributes to positive change! Becoming a learning lifeguard is your chance to directly impact students’ lives. Through unwavering dedication and expertise, exceptional learning lifeguards not only rescue students from academic challenges but help guide them to lasting success.
If you’re curious about what it takes to shift from heroic solo efforts to building an exemplary learning lifeguard program in your school, keep an eye out for “Learning Lifeguards: Your 10-Step Guide to Building a Team that Motivates Struggling Students to Love Learning and Stay in School” coming out later this year!
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