About: The Instructor, The Lessons & FAQs

Meet the Instructor

KJ Hawk grew up outside of Atlanta, GA & has over twenty five years of experience in youth development and education in a variety of modalities. KJ has been successfully teaching swimming skills for over 18 years & is a graduate of Georgia Tech. They taught hundreds of children in the Asheville, NC area from 2018-2024 and now reside in Glen Allen, VA. As a swim teacher KJ is playful & kind, trauma informed, incorporates adaptive techniques and has an understanding of various neurodivergencies & special abilities. KJ works with all ages of swimmers to help move them towards independence and proficiency in the water.

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What's the Swim Philosophy?

KJ aims to meet individuals where they are in order to interact from a place of gentleness & respect. With children, they do this through play, singing & support. With all swimmers, KJ uses the power of empathy to help connect, the power of demonstration to help guide, the power of encouragement and education to help equip and the power of celebration to make it all worthwhile. KJ gently guides swimmers to learn how to surrender to & trust the water. In this process students discover how to engage with the water in a supportive and consensual way. People take away so many positive benefits from working with KJ in the water including healing, enhanced communication, confidence, courage and life affirming aquatic skills.

What Modalities does KJ utilize?

KJ’s lessons are self-developed and informed by somatic practices including lifelong swimming for fun, yoga, dance & meditation. Above all, consent is prioritized so that swimmers have a healthy relationship with their own bodies and the water. Adaptive teaching techniques KJ utilizes are informed by the principles of ISR’s “float/swim/float” protocol, the book Happy Babies Swims, Swim Angelfish’s idea of identifying roadblocks to help individuals overcome fears or hurdles, & a variety of international instructors and Olympic swim coaches various techniques for strokes. KJ had the privilege of being mentored by the talented author of "The Caterpillar's Song of Courage" & uses this in lessons with children.

What Are the Lessons Like?

For beginners ages 6 months + those with special abilities &/or those with water anxiety/trauma:

These lessons will include orientation to the unique body of water where we are learning together. We will discover what the swimmer’s current edge is. For children, the lessons may include water play beside the pool/on the stairs. The next step might include getting in the water with a supportive adult and participating in a story, songs, some brave tries, playing games or doing activities and closing with a song. For those who are adults or aren’t interested in songs/games, we’ll find ways to meet you at your edge and creatively work together on the next steps. That can look like direct practices to help breach the hurdle or indirect activities that can involve walking/moving in the water in new ways or adaptive type activities as a form of exposure therapy and to increase personal bandwidth.

The goal of these lessons is:

Building a framework of safety protocols around bodies of water
Establishing trust with in-water supporters (instructors, parents, caretakers, partners, etc)
Helping beginners get comfortable with their boundaries and bodies in the water
Instilling understanding, appreciation, respect for and love of the water

For Beginners ages 4 and up who are ready to swim on their own:

KJ will meet you where you are to work through learning-to-swim obstacles so that swimmers can meet their swimming goals. Lessons may utilize stories & songs that teach skills, include supported exercises, teach how to wear goggles/put one’s face in the water, back floating, & include (often tailored) games or activities.

The goal during these lessons is that swimmers:

Understand the best practices for water safety situations
Learn how to hold their breath & blow air out of their noses
Get comfortable putting their mouth, nose, goggles, head & ears in the water
Learn how to be horizontal on the water in a back & front float while supported and then independently

For Intermediate Swimmers:

These are swimmers who feel comfortable holding their breath, going underwater & being horizontal on the water but lack skills to be able to swim longer distances unassisted. In these lessons we focus on the back float, learn breathing techniques so swimmers can roll onto their back to rest & learn the basics of freestyle & breaststroke. We do this with fun, play, games & activities.

The goal during these lessons is that swimmers:

Can pass the “deep end test” which typically involves swimming 25 yards & treading in the deep water for 30 seconds with the chin out of the water. These tests vary depending on the pool where the test is administered.

For Advanced Swimmers:

These are swimmers who are able to swim from one end of the pool to the other without support and have passed a “deep end test”. These lessons will work to improve a swimmer’s ability to swim laps unassisted & tread water for 30 seconds ensuring they can successfully & easily roll into a back float when they need a rest. We will work on freestyle, breast & back strokes as well as coordination of breath with body. If the pool allows, we would also add diving techniques.

The goal of these lessons:

For swimmers to swim further distances with endurance and ease

FAQs

Does an adult need to be in the water as a “Support Person” when lessons are with children?

First off, let's talk about what a "Support Person's" Role Is

Here's what a Support Person's Role is in lessons:

Support persons will be asked to listen to instruction, demonstrate skills (going under, floating, swimming forward, etc) and to aid the swimmer when they are practicing as well as to provide encouragement. In lessons, the instruction and format will come from KJ and it’s asked that parents/caretakers listen/support as adding oppositional instruction can impede lessons. Since KJ will do the teaching, we hope you’ll simply show up and be ready to be a safety zone, jungle gym, cheerleader & aquatic model.

Is a "Support Person" needed in Private Lessons?

KJ will be the in-water support person when working one-on-one with clients unless it’s the parent or caretaker’s preference to be this person. It’s KJ’s belief that generally children learn best one-on-one with KJ when parents/caretakers hang poolside or nearby at a distance of 15+ feet or more. If your family opts to have a parent/caretaker in the water, it’s best if that person is the same consistently over time. Unless there are special needs, only one person is needed as a Support Person.

Is a "Support Person" needed in Semi-Private or Group Lessons?

Here’s who needs a Support Person: babies, toddlers, often 3 & 4 year olds who are shorter or anyone who can not stand on the steps or bottom of the pool with their head fully out and anyone who needs extra care. Preferably the same Support Person attends each lesson.

No Support Person is needed for older swimmers/taller swimmers who have the aptitude & behavioral skills to be able to stay in the shallow end or on the stairs while it is not their turn to swim with the instructor and who are able to listen & follow instructions. ***Participants in group lessons without a support person would be: willing & potentially excited about getting in the water & learning to swim, willing to get their heads wet but may not know how & have agreed to forgo the use of any flotation devices.***

Accommodation Request for KJ

Parents/caregivers who bring students, we ask that you please refrain from wearing strong fragrances/cologne/perfume as KJ has an autoimmune issue triggered by artificial fragrances & this can cause health complications resulting in all lessons that day being canceled. Thank you for your understanding.

ASL Signs Used in Lessons

Some of the ASL signs used in lessons include: Bathroom, Water, All Done, Thank You/You’re Welcome,& nervous

Puddle Jumpers & Floaties Policy

We do not use floaties, puddle jumpers or life vests during lessons unless they are for a special need. If your swimmer is used to wearing floaties or a puddle jumper, it’s wise to give them a heads up that they'll be swimming without floaties during their lesson and that they do not have to do anything they are not ready to and the lessons will be fun! Here’s an article I encourage families to read about the impact and use of puddle jumpers.

Timeliness:

If lessons are ever running late, KJ will communicate via text. Otherwise, lessons and classes will start promptly at the time they are scheduled and we go over a lot at the beginning of class. When you are participating in groups, please be on time. *If you arrive late to a group class, please quietly join the class and listen to catch up.

Distractions & Distance:

It’s requested that Families & Parents who are IN the pool during lessons please give a 15 foot buffer between the yourselves and the lesson so that we can minimize distractions. It is also a request that conversations on the pool deck happen at least 15 feet away from the lesson as to not distract swimmers.

Sick Policy:

Please refrain from bringing children with signs of possible illness to lessons. For public safety, if the swimmer is visibly sick or a fever is detected upon arrival they will not be permitted to swim and the registration fee will be forfeited.

Additionally, KJ is the parent of a disabled and immune-compromised child and will always err on the side of caution when it comes to potentially contagious germs. Please help protect KJ's child by refraining from bringing sick children to lessons (which in the long run is better for your child as well).

Swim Diapers:

For swimmers who are younger than 3 years old or who not independent with toileting: THEY MUST WEAR A swim diaper - Our request as the most effective for keeping the pool clean of fecal matter (and thus open to all pool users) is a combination of a disposable swim diaper under a reusable diaper. Non-swim diapers are not permitted in pools as they can clog the filter. Our Fave Swim Diapers: Huggies Little Swimmers disposable diaper underneath a reusable swim diaper like the IPlay diapers that secure the seams at the legs.

Before the Lesson:

Please have swimmers (who are able) use the toilet before the lesson.
Please have swimmers (who are able) blow their noses before the lesson to keep mucus out of the pool.
It's best if swimmers don't eat within the half hour before a lesson.

Googles

Please bring some well-fitting googles for each swimmer over the age of 3. If you do not have a pair - you can check a pair out from KJ’s goggle collection. Not all goggles are created equal: When fitting goggles think about the nose bridge size of the swimmer. Here’s what we recommend: Aquasphere Brand or CooLoo Brand. Please have swimmers come to lessons with goggles on & resting on their forehead.

Germ-Consciousness:

During swim time, we teach swimmers that when they need to cough, sneeze or expel water from their mouth/nose while swimming that they should turn their head away from others in the water or cover their mouth/cough into their swim shirt if available. We have hand-sanitizer and cloth tissues on deck. The correct place to deposit nasal debris, loose hair & spit is into a tissue or directly into a poolside waste receptacle.

Refunds & Cancellations:

**All cancellations within a 48 hour window must be communicated via text or phone call (when text is not available) & emails will not suffice.**

Please provide at least 24 hours notice about cancellations

There is no penalty for cancellation when lessons are canceled within 24 hours & these may be rescheduled or transferred to another swimmer.

Lessons canceled within 24 hours of their scheduled time or when clients do not show up are non-refundable. Last-minute cancellations will be excused at the instructor’s discretion in the case of sudden onset symptoms of illness such as GI Issues, fever or severe coughing.

Refunds

Families who book & pay for private lessons who then decide to cancel them 48 hours or more before they are used will be given a refund less a $15 booking fee. Please allow 7-14 business days for this refund to be processed. Paid lessons may be transferred to another individual or donated to the scholarship fund as well.

There are no make-ups or refunds for group lessons unless at the instructor’s discretion

Inclement Weather:

During the Summer afternoon thunderstorms are quite common. We follow the American Red Cross Lightning Safety guidelines at the discretion of the lifeguard on staff which means when we hear nearby thunder the pool will be closed for half and hour. When lessons are canceled because of lightning/thunder/rain KJ will do the very best to communicate this with swimmers families in a timely manner when possible. They will be given a credit towards a future lesson. *If* more than ⅔ of the lesson has already occurred before thunder/lightning the lesson will be considered completed.